One of the easier to make Malaysian recipes is Nasi Lemak, together with Roti Canai, the National dish of Malaysia.
Nasi Lemak
Ingredients:
* 300g long grain rice
* 2 shallots
* 2 slices ginger
* 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds (halba)
* 1 tsp salt
* 375-400ml coconut milk (from 1/2 a grated coconut)
* 2 pandan leaves, knotted
Method
Wash rice until clean then drain. Put rice, shallots, ginger, fenugreek and salt in a rice cooker. Pour coconut milk over the rice. (The level of the coconut milk should be 2cm above the level of the rice.) Cook rice until dry then use a wooden laddle to loosen the grains.
Sprinkle the rest of the coconut milk over the rice. Give it a stir with a pair of chopsticks to distribute the milk evenly. Stand for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the coconut milk. Keep rice warm before serving with other condiments.
Sambal Ikan Bilis: Malaysian Recipes - Nasi Lemak
* 1 bombay onion
* 1/2 cup dried ikan bilis (anchovies)
* 1 clove garlic
* 2 tbsps tamarind juice
* 4 shallots
* 8 dried chillies
* Prawn paste (belacan) (Optional)
* Salt and sugar to taste
Method
Fry the ikan bilis until crisp and put aside. Grind the prawn paste together with shallots, garlic, deseeded dried chilies. Slice the bombay onion into rings. Heat 2 table spoons oil in a pan and fry the ground ingredients until fragrant.
Add in the onion rings. Add tamarind juice, salt, sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally until the gravy thickens. Add in the ikan bilis and mix well. Serve with steaming hot Nasi Lemak.
Beef Rendang (Beef Chunks cooked in coconut milk)
Ingredients:
* 600g beef topside, cubed
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Grind together:
* 4 tbsp chilli boh
* 7 shallots
* 5 cloves garlic
* 4cm piece ginger
* 2 onions
* 4 stalks lemon grass, finely sliced
* 3cm piece galangal
* 1 tbsp cumin powder
* 1 tbsp fennel powder
* 1 litre thick coconut milk (extract from four grated coconuts)
* 1 litre water
* 1/2 cup kerisik (pounded dry-fried grated coconut)
* 1 tbsp finely-shredded daun limau purut (lime leaves)
Seasoning:
* 1 tsp salt or to taste
* 1 tsp brown sugar or to taste
Method
Combine beef, coconut milk, water and ground ingredients in a deep saucepan. Simmer over low heat for one and a half to two hours until beef turns tender.
Add kerisik and continue to cook until the gravy turns thick and dry. Add seasoning and daun limau purut. Cook until beef is almost dry.
Nasi Dagang
Ingredients:
* 1kg nasi dagang rice
* 750ml thin coconut milk
* 1 tablespoon fenugreek halba)
* 50g ginger, julienned
* 10 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
* 5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
* 250ml thick coconut milk
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Method
Wash the rice in several changes of water until water runs clear. Place rice in a large bowl and pour in enough water to reach 5cm above the rice. Allow to soak for 2-3 hours. Drain.
Prepare steamer and steam rice for 20-25 minutes, or until half-cooked.
Take rice off the steamer and stir in the thin coconut milk, followed by the halba, ginger, shallots and garlic. Set aside, covered, for 2-3 hours.
Reheat steamer. Mix thick coconut milk with the sugar and salt, and stir this through the rice. Steam until rice is well cooked. Serve warm with Gulai Ikan Tongkol, Fish Sambal and Spicy Eggs.
Tip
For perfectly cooked nasi dagang, use equal amounts of liquid (in this case, coconut milk) and rice.
Spicy Eggs
More like a sambal, the thick gravy is sweet, sourish and spicy. It is very appetizing and takes off the heavy edge from the nasi dagang.
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Ingredients
* 5 eggs, hard boiled
Ground ingredients:
* 5 cloves garlic
* 5 shallots
* 1 big onion
* 2cm knob ginger
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 2 tablespoons chilli boh
* 1 tablespoon vinegar
* 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
* 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
* 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Method
Shell the hard-boiled eggs and heat enough oil in a wok to deep fry the eggs until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Blend, or pound the ground ingredients to a paste.
Heat oil in a wok and sauté the ground ingredients until fragrant.
Add the chili boh. Fry until aromatic before adding the eggs, vinegar and tomato ketchup. Season to taste with sugar and salt.
Enjoy your Malaysian recipes cooking!