My family has been enjoying (I hope!) nasi lemak for the past 3 Sundays...cooked by yours truly. It's a dish I can eat all day long!
Visit kuali.com if you need a recipe for cooking the rice but do use basmati rice instead of normal long grain. Basmati rice grains stay separate when cooked and are dry and fluffy, perfectly complementing the lemak taste of coconut milk.
Use only fresh coconut milk as you will never achieve the same effect with tinned milk. Don't stinge on pandan leaves either. The subtle fragrance of steamed pandan leaves intermingling with the rich aroma of coconut milk is heavenly and will have you reaching for second and third helpings.
I like to brighten my nasi with a bit of colour. If I am feeling industrious, I will pound pandan leaves to extract the juice. The pale green colour enhances the appearance of the dish significantly, especially if served on plain white porcelain plates. When I just want a quick meal, I use a little food-grade green colouring instead.
Every foodie knows the chilli paste is as important as the rice in nasi lemak. I have yet to discover the perfect chilli paste recipe so I am using a brand of nasi lemak chilli called AT, made in Malaysia. I bought it from a wet market stall and it is quite close to the real thing. Contains dried chilli, candlenuts, shallots, onions and lemon grass. Unfortunately, it also contains preservatives so I am still on the lookout for a great chilli paste recipe.
