The Recipe · No.722 · Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak, and Where to Source It

The rice has to be fragrant and distinct, so you cook it in coconut milk with a knot of pandan and a few slices of ginger, and keep the liquid measured so it steams into separate grains rather than a coconut porridge. The plate then turns on the sambal, a slow-cooked chili paste caramelized until it is jammy, sweet, and deeply hot.

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Published July 2026 · Sourcing verified 5 Jul 2026

Prep20 min
Cook30 min
Makes4 servings
CuisineMalaysian
Part One
The Ingredients — and where to get them
Jasmine rice
Cooked in coconut milk with pandan; long-grain jasmine stays separate and perfumed.
2 cups
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Coconut milk
The richness of the rice; a full-fat coconut milk with no gums cooks cleanest.
1 can
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Dried chilies
Soaked and pounded into the sambal, the hot heart of the plate.
10
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Dried anchovies and peanuts
Fried crisp for the salty, crunchy garnish. Ikan bilis and roasted peanuts.
1 cup
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Eggs and cucumber
A fried or boiled egg and cool cucumber slices round the plate. Fresh.
4 eggs
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One list, with a link to where to buy each one.
Part Two
The Method
  1. Cook the riceCook the rice in coconut milk with a pandan knot, ginger, and salt until fluffy and fragrant.
  2. Cook the sambalPound soaked chilies with shallot and garlic, then fry the paste low with tamarind and sugar until dark and jammy.
  3. Fry the crunchFry the dried anchovies and peanuts separately until crisp and golden.
  4. Build the plateMound the rice with sambal, anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, and a fried egg alongside.
Part Three
The Toolkit

Rice cooker · Wok · Mortar

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