The Nasi lemak is an incomparable dish in southeast Asia, which emerged from Malaysia and got a layout in the surrounding parts like southern Thailand and Singapore as the native dish for breakfast.
Nasi lemak is ‘buttery rice’, or more specifically, Nasi means ‘rich rice‘, while Lemak means’ fat’; fat from the coconut. This rice is cooked in coconut milk, while some natives in Indonesia flavor it with screw-pine leaves (pandan leaves) and lemongrass.
This Malay cuisine is most popular in the streets and is served in wrapped banana leaves mainly with hot chili sauce, hard-boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers, pan-fried anchovies (Ikan bills), fried roasted peanuts, and sambal. If you are a meat lover, then chicken wings and small fried fish make the best addition to the Nasi Lemak.
It’s hard not to love this traditional dish, but its making should not be taken lightly; it requires attention, the right ingredients, and cooking texture for it to be flavored and soul-comforting food. I am here to provide all the instructions to make this dish in a balanced way.
Nasi Lemak History
The Nasi Lemak history is long and descriptive. Its origin may be from more than one part but rather inside the Malaysian region.
The first possible origin story is of the daughter who accidentally spilled the coconut cream into the cooking rice while her mother was away at work. When the mother got back, she asked her daughter, “What’s this fragrant smell?”, to which the daughter replied, “Nasi Le, Mak”, meaning “rice, mother.” Hence, the most possible origin of the dish is named Nasi Lemak.
The second possible history of Nasi Lemak’s origin is that the farmers tried to make a cheap, fulfilling, and complete meal with carbs and energy; only with coconut and their country’s side seafood. Unsurprisingly, the dish gave them complete energy and carb fulfillment, so they worked all day long in the fields.
In the meantime, its origin can date back to 1909, when it was first mentioned in the book “The Circumstances of Malay Life”, written by the famous Sir Richard Olof Winstedt when he noticed the creamy and fulfilling dish was served at the local festivals, occasions, and weddings. it was then published for the first time in the form of an article in 1935, which made this Malay dish popular in the southern area.
After World War II, this dish became more popular when the soldiers wholeheartedly feasted on this heavy meal for their breakfast. It is served with crunchy yet flavor-drenched garnishes.
For 30 years after 1970, Nasi Lemak was enjoyed by every local for 30 cents and wrapped in banana leaves. In the very next decade, this Malay cuisine became famous throughout the Malaysian region, with some varied types in other Malaysian cities.
Now it’s proudly eaten by every Malaysian, not only for breakfast but for lunch, brunch, and dinner too.
The origin history might be long, but every person who has tried Nasi Lemak is glad that it was discovered, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
What Goes Into Making Nasi Lemak?
Nasi Lemak requires flavorful spices and whole ingredients to make it into a perfect munching breakfast. I am sharing my chosen ingredients for the best Nasi Lemak for the burst of your taste buds.
All you have to do is follow the instructions and enjoy the cooking:
Ingredients:
- Chicken
- Jasmine rice
- Coconut cream
- Oyster sauce
- Sesame oil
- Cayenne pepper
- Curry powder
- Paprika
- Garlic powder or fresh garlic
- Chicken powder
- Pepper
- Salt
- Small and big chilies.
- Ginger
- Shallot
- Brown and red onion
Instructions
For chicken marination:
First, you need to make a marination paste with sesame oil, oyster sauce, a tiny bit of cayenne pepper, curry powder, paprika, garlic powder or fresh garlic, chicken powder, black pepper, and salt to your taste. Combine all these spices in a big bowl and coat your preferred chicken (boneless or with bone) in this marination for half an hour to one hour.
For creamy rice:
First of all, wash your jasmine rice thoroughly through the sieve until the water runs clear. Then put washed jasmine rice in the rice cooker with the whole tin of coconut cream, a pinch of black pepper, and chicken powder. You can also add sesame oil for the ultimate taste of Nasi Lemak.
Take your put-aside marinated chicken and add it to the cooker after the rice is half cooked. This technique will not only cook the chicken evenly but will also make the rice more aromatic and flavorful.
For Egg:
As an additional side dish for Nasi Lemak, boil the egg with a pinch of salt in a pot for 15 minutes, or you can fry it for that extra crunchy egg white taste.
While the rice, chicken, and eggs are cooking on the side, get ready to prepare the spotlight sauce for this Malaysian traditional dish in the traditional way.
Sambal Sauce:
The sambal sauce adds a kick to the Nasi Lemak for the whole flavored bite every time.
For preparing this sauce, you need to finely chop the big chilies, small chilies, ginger, garlic, shallot, brown onion, and red onion. For the most hands-down legit taste, add the secret ingredient, i.e., balance, as per your taste buds.
Pound all of the above raw ingredients and fry them in a little bit of oil in the wok or the frying pan. While it’s halfway done, add a pinch of salt or equivalent chicken powder, chili sauce (sachet of Maggi powder), and a spoonful of tomato sauce (again, Maggi powder is preferred), and lastly, add sugar as it suits your taste.
Let the sauce thicken a bit, neither too runny nor too thick. Remember, timing is everything for preparing that chef-kiss dish.
When the chicken is ready, you can fry it in shallow oil for succulent chicken pieces.
Plating: assemble everything on the platter for that extra look. You can also add more side dishes like cucumber, chili sauce, anchovies, and much more.
Eat it fully and appreciate the way you cooked Nasi Lemak. Just saying!
While enjoying the Nasi Lemak, a diet fond person might worry about the balance and imbalance of this dish. All of the processes like marinating, frying, or even boiling can affect the diet plan, but you don’t need to worry about the calculation of the whole fibers and vitamins as I am providing them in the table below for your ease.
Nutritional value:
Every 210-gram serving of Nasi Lemak contains each of the following:
| Nutritional value | Serving (per 210g) |
| Calories | 494 KCal |
| Protein | 13 gram |
| Fat | 14 gram |
| Saturated fat | 7.6 gram |
| Dietary fibers | 6.5-gram |
| Carbs | 80-gram |
| Cholesterol | 76 mg |
| Sodium | 838 mg |
what does nasi lemak consist of?
It is a Malaysian cuisine made with fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves, served with a spicy sauce called sambal, including eggs and anchovies as side dishes. These are the components that make Nasi Lemak a whole-flavored meal.
is Eating nasi lemak Daily unhealthy?
Although this dish is packed with energy and cholesterol-free, it should not be eaten daily as it contains high amounts of fat, saturated fat, and sodium; it is also low in fiber. If you are willing to ruin your special diet, you should munch it occasionally.
what is the difference between nasi lemak and nasi goreng?
In Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, Nasi Lemak and Nasi Goreng are served in the same pattern. The only difference is that Nasi Goreng has fried rice. It gives an extra crunch to the rice grains, thus standing out from Nasi Lemak.
You can find out more about Nasi Goreng here:
what do you serve nasi lemak with?
This Malaysian dish is served traditionally with sambal (a hot spicy sauce) and side garnishes like sliced cucumbers, fried small anchovies (Ikan Bilis), roasted peanuts, and a fried egg or hard-boiled egg.
what is the main ingredient in Malaysian food called nasi lemak?
Nasi Lemak is an exquisite dish containing bloomed rice, cooked in coconut cream and the secret ingredient: pandan leaves, which give it a grassy hint, with rose, almond, and coconut in total for the mouth-burstingly tasty dish.
what is sambal sauce?
A basic sambal sauce is made up of red chilies, vinegar, and salt. It could be said that it is like Sriracha but has a chunkier texture and doesn’t contain any sugar, which will give it a bright and appealing spicy taste for lovers of chilies and spices.
Sometimes homemade sambal gives a naturally sweetened taste extracted from the chilies.
can you eat nasi lemak In Breakfast?
Though you can, it’s important to know that there’s a lot of fat in the single serving, which doesn’t make it ideal to start your day with.
If we put aside the fat portions, which are high, we can say that Nasi Lemak contains beneficial nutrients and ingredients such as manganese, sodium, and fiber.
is nasi lemak good for weight loss?
The Nasi Lemak is served with sambal, which is made up of chili, and you will be surprised if I tell you that many nutritionists believe that chili increases your metabolism while burning your fat more quickly. That’s good news if you are looking forward to losing weight or maintaining your diet.
is nasi lemak Malaysian or Indonesian?
Nasi lemak is a Malay dish, considered one of the national dishes in Malaysia.
It is now making its way around Singapore and Indonesia, particularly in Samba’s northern region, with a little difference. This dish is famous in the streets and is served hot in banana leaves with your choice of side dishes and garnishes.
Summary
Nasi lemak is a Malay dish, considered one of the national dishes in Malaysia. It is now making its way around Singapore and Indonesia.
The first possible origin story is of the daughter who accidentally spilled the coconut cream into the cooking rice. When the mother inquired about the fragrant smell, the daughter replied, “Nasi Le, Mak,” meaning “rice, mother.” Hence, the dish was named Nasi Lemak.
It is served with a basic sambal sauce made up of red chilies, vinegar, and salt. It could be said that it is like Sriracha but has a chunkier texture and doesn’t contain any sugar, which will give it an appealing spicy taste for spice lovers.
Side garnishes like sliced cucumbers, fried small anchovies (Ikan Bilis), roasted peanuts, and a fried egg or hard-boiled egg also go wonderfully with the dish.
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