How to Eat Nasi Lemak

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 31, 2022 Tested

Nasi lemak is a hearty and delicious coconut rice dish that’s native to Malaysia. This dish may seem complicated to make, but it’s simple when you cook the coconut rice and Sambal Ikan Bilis, or anchovy sauce, separately.^{[1]
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Research source} Visit your local Asian market to pick up some ingredients, then set aside an hour or so to whip this tasty dish!

Ingredients

Sambal Ikan Bilis

2 small packages (4 oz.) of anchovies
2-3 medium shallots
3 garlic cloves
1 onion, sliced
2 tsp (9.9 mL) of chile paste
3 tbsp (37.5 g) of white sugar
¹⁄₄ c (59 mL) of tamarind juice

Preparing the Rice and Garnishes

2 cups (450 g) of long rice
2 c (470 mL) of coconut milk
¼ tsp (0.4 g) of ground ginger
1 bay leaf
Fresh ginger, sliced
Salt
4 eggs
1 c (240 ml) of oil
1 cup (125 g) of peanuts
1 cucumber

Makes 4 servings

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making the Sambal Ikan Bilis

1
Brown 1 cup (125 g) of peanuts in oil and drain them on a paper towel. Pour 1 c (240 mL) of vegetable oil into a skillet, then turn the heat up a medium-high setting. Wait for the oil to heat up, then add your uncooked peanuts to the pan. Flip the peanuts over so they can brown easily, then take the peanuts out of the pan with a slotted spoon. Spread them out over a paper towel so they aren’t super greasy.^{[2]
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- You’ll use these peanuts as a topping for your dish.
- Don’t fry the peanuts all the way! Instead, just focus on browning them around the edges.
2
Fry a package of anchovies with the remaining oil and let them drain on a paper towel. Open a small package of anchovies and dump it into the remaining heated oil. Keep an eye on the fish—once they look crisp on 1 side, flip them over so the other side can cook. Once the anchovies look crispy, take them out of the skillet with a slotted spoon, then lay them over a clean paper towel.^{[3]
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- It’ll probably only take about 2 minutes for your anchovies to fry, since they’re small.^{[4]
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3
Saute shallots, garlic, and onions in a separate skillet for 5 minutes. Cut your shallots, onions, and garlic cloves into small pieces so they can blend into the sauce more easily. Pour a spoonful of oil over the bottom of the skillet to grease it, then dump your chopped onions, shallots, and garlic in.^{[5]
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Research source} Let them sauté for around at least 2 minutes until they’re soft and aromatic.^{[6]
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- Some recipes of nasi lemak don’t call for shallots. Use whichever ingredients you prefer for your dish!^{[7]
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4
Stir chile paste into the sautéed mixture for 10 minutes. Add a couple spoonfuls of chile paste into the skillet. Mix the paste into the onions, shallots, and garlic to create a base for your sauce. Set a timer for 10 minutes so the mixture can simmer and continue to cook.^{[8]
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- If your chile paste is really dry, mix in a spoonful of water into your sauce mixture.
- While you don’t have to stir constantly, do your best to mix the paste thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.
Open up another small package of anchovies and mix the fish in with the garlic, onions, shallots, and chile paste. Stir the ingredients together for around 5 minutes, giving the anchovies time to soak into the sauce.^{[9]
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Mix in sugar, salt, and tamarind juice for 5 minutes to finish the sauce. Add a pinch of salt and a few spoonfuls of sugar into the rest of your ingredients. Continue stirring everything together to create a smooth, even mixture.^{[10]
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- This sauce is known for being sweet and spicy, so it’s important to add sugar.
Pour your Sambal Ikan Bilis into a large bowl or container. Transfer the cooked anchovies and peanuts from the paper towels to the sauce, then use a spoon to lightly mix and toss the ingredients together. Once you’ve mixed everything, set the bowl aside.^{[11]
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Did You Know? You can refrigerate leftover Sambal Ikan Bilis for up to 1 week.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Preparing the Rice and Garnishes

1
Fill a saucepan with water, coconut milk, ginger, and rice. Rinse your long-grained rice and pour it into a large pan. Add in 400 mL (1.7 c) of water, along with coconut milk, ground ginger, fresh ginger, and a bay leaf.^{[12]
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- Some people prefer to cook several pandan leaves with the rice.^{[13]
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Turn your stovetop on to high heat, and wait for the water to heat up. Once the water is boiling, turn your stovetop down. Set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes so your rice can cook thoroughly.^{[14]
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3
Boil 4 eggs for 10 minutes in a small saucepan so they have a soft center. Fill a small pan at least halfway with water and 4 eggs. Turn up the heat and wait for the water to boil, then transfer the pot to a cooler area. Let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes before removing them from the pot completely.^{[15]
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- This cooking method helps your eggs have a slightly runny yolk on the inside.
4
Chop up a cucumber into 8 thin slices. Wash your cucumber, then slice it into thin pieces. Keep in mind that you won’t mix the cucumber slices in with the rice or sauce—instead, they’ll go around the edge of the serving bowl.^{[16]
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- It’s okay if you don’t use the whole cucumber for this.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Serving the Nasi Lemak

1
Place a large portion of rice on top of a pandan leaf. Transfer the rice to a colander to get rid of any excess water. Once all the water is gone, scoop some rice into a small bowl, then press and pack it into place. Flip the bowl over and transfer your packed rice into a larger bowl.^{[17]
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- The packed rice makes for a nice presentation, and makes the dish easier to garnish.
- The rice should absorb the coconut milk mixture, but drain your rice if it seems watery.
Cover the top of the rice with a heaping portion of Sambal Ikan Bilis. Try just to cover the top of the rice, as you want there to be an even ratio of sauce to rice.^{[18]
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3
Fan your cucumber slices around the rice and topping. Place each slice along the inner rim of the bowl, overlapping the slices when you can. Try to use around 8 slices for this, or as many slices as it takes to cover the sides of the bowl.^{[19]
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- The cucumbers are a refreshing garnish to the rest of the dish.
4
Peel and slice a boiled egg down the middle and place it in the bowl. Remove the shell from the boiled eggs, then use a knife to cut each egg into halves. Arrange 2 halves on each bowl to finish off your nasi lemak!^{[20]
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- You can also drizzle soy sauce over your eggs as a final touch.^{[21]
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