Fragrant nasi lemak or coconut rice makes a favorite dish for breakfast or any time of the day. Serve this with Javanese fried chicken, fried egg, and chili sauce for a delicious flavor of Indonesia.
If you remember my post about hometown food, this nasi lemak makes a perfect pair with bihun kampung. This dish is popular and can be found everywhere from the markets, food stalls, and street food to hotels.
Nasi uduk in Indonesia
Nasi lemak or coconut rice is a popular dish in Singapore and Malaysia. It’s also known as nasi uduk in Indonesia. In some markets, you can spot nasi uduk served with fried rice vermicelli and peanut chili sauce. It’s a simple dish that doesn’t require lots of side dishes if you don’t want to.
The ingredients
- Rice. Jasmine rice or any white long-grain rice is the best for coconut rice
- Coconut milk, water. Be sure to use coconut cream
- Pandan leaves, lemongrass, and only use fresh ingredients for both
- Salt to season the rice
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How to make nasi lemak
There are two ways to cook nasi uduk. First, cook nasi lemak in a rice cooker. Basically, you add all the ingredients and start the cooking process.
Second, cook nasi uduk in a heavy-bottom pot.
- In a heavy-bottom pot, add water, coconut milk, pandan leaves, lemongrass, and salt to a boil, then turn the heat down to low
- Add the rice and bring it back to a gentle simmer. Close the lid and cook for 15-20 minutes with the lid on until the rice is cooked. Add more water if needed. Wait for 10 minutes, covered, then fluff the rice
Garnish
I like adding slices of cucumbers and tomatoes on the side for some colors and freshness.
Best side dish for nasi lemak
I usually go with fried chicken, beef rendang, fried egg, and sambal terasi on the side. However, this humble dish also goes along with fried rice vermicelli and peanut chili sauce. You can also add sambal teri kacang (anchovies peanut chili) or sambal sotong (squid).
Storing
Nasi uduk makes a good option for meal prep. You can store this in a container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
The amount of time and work that goes into making nasi lemak a complete meal is truly a labor of love, but also makes it a quintessential favorite!
Nasi Lemak Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 4 cups jasmine rice or any white long-grain rice
- 1 can (400 ml) coconut cream
- 1 stalk lemongrass white part, bruised
- Few pandan leaves screwpine leaves-knotted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3½ cups water
Instructions
Rice cooker method
- Add all the ingredients and start the cooking process
Stovetop method
- In a heavy-bottom pot, add water, coconut milk, pandan leaves, lemongrass, and salt to a boil, then turn the heat down to low
- Add the rice and bring it back to a gentle simmer. Close the lid and cook for 15-20 minutes with the lid on until the rice is cooked. Add more water if needed. Wait for 10 minutes, covered, then fluff the rice
I had a similar dish to this in Singapore and when I tasted this coconut rice, it transported me right back there – delicious!
This rice is so delicious! I loved it!
This was so good and paired so nicely with our meal. I loved how easy it was to cook, too! Yum!
I had this recently when I was out for brunch (with a fried egg on top) and it was so delicious that I had to try and recreate it.
Thank you for such a yummy recipe, it was just like I had 🙂 🙂 🙂
Can’t wait to make it again.
This Nasi Lemak took me back to our trip to our hotel’s breakfast buffet in Kuala Lumpur. So delicious! It’s mild enough for my kids to enjoy too.
So delicious, we love coconut rice. I haven’t tried cooking it with lemongrass and pandan leaves before, but now I know what the missing ingredients are!
Wow! All the flavor from the lemongrass and coconut, this was awesome! Thank you