Ingredients:
For the Coconut Milk Steamed Rice:
400g rice
360ml water, cut down to 300ml if using 60ml coconut milk
120ml coconut milk , use 180ml for creamier rice
1 tsp salt
3 pandan leaves, tied in a knot
For the Spice Paste:
4 shallots, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
8 medium-length dried red chilies, de-seeded
1 tsp belacan (prawn paste)
For the Tamarind Water:
250ml water
tamarind pulp, about the size of a small ping pong ball
salt, to taste
2 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
For the Fried Anchovies:
75g ikan bilis, dried anchovies, peeled
500ml oil, for frying
1 red onion, peeled and sliced into rings
Other ingredients:
3 small fish, (sardines or mackerel), halved
2 hard-boiled eggs, halved crossways
65g roasted peanuts
1 small cucumber, cut into slices and then quartered
Method:
For the Coconut Rice: Rinse the rice with running tap water, repeating the process a few times until the water turns clear. Drain the water completely. Add 360ml of water to the washed rice, followed by the coconut milk and a pinch of salt. Add the pandan leaves into the rice and cook your rice. Discard the pandan leaves after the rice is cooked.
For the Spice Paste: Pound the shallots, garlic, dried chilies, and prawn paste with a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, you can grind them with a food processor.
For the Tamarind Water: Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes. Constantly squeeze the tamarind to extract its flavor into the water. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.
For the Fried Anchovies: Rinse the dried anchovies with tap water a few times and let them drain. Heat 2 cups of oil in a pan, fry the anchovies until they've become light brown and crispy. Remove from oil with a strainer and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. You can serve them as is, or add them into sambal to make sambal anchovies.
For the Sambal Ikan Bilis (Sambal Anchovies): Over medium to low heat, heat 2 tbsp of frying oil in a pan. Stir-fry the spice paste until fragrant, turning reddish in colour. Add the onion rings and fried anchovies, stirring well. Pour in the tamarind juice, salt, and sugar. Simmer on low heat until the sauce thickens. Set it aside.
For the Fried Fish. Clean the fish and season them with salt. Deep fry with the remaining frying oil.
Assembling Nasi Lemak: To serve, scope out a small bowl of rice and place onto the center of a plate. Arrange the fried fish, hard boiled egg, roasted peanuts, and cucumber around the rice. Add 2 spoons of the sambal on top of the rice. Serve immediately.
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