Description
Nasi Lemak Bungkus is a traditional Malaysian dish featuring fragrant steamed coconut pandan rice served with crispy fried anchovies simmered in a tangy tamarind sambal, garnished with crunchy peanuts, fresh cucumber, and quartered hard-boiled eggs, all elegantly wrapped in banana leaves for a flavorful and aromatic meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Rice and Coconut Mixture
- 2 1/2 cups White Rice
- 1 1/4 cups Coconut Milk
- 1 1/4 cups Pandan Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
Sambal Ikan Bilis (Anchovy Sambal)
- 100 grams Dried Anchovy
- 1 tablespoon Tamarind Paste
- 1 tablespoon Water (for tamarind mixture)
- Oil (as needed for frying and stir-frying)
- Salt (to taste)
- Granulated Sugar (to taste)
- Water (to taste)
- 60 grams Shallot
- 1 Lemongrass stalk
- 1 inch Fresh Ginger
- 6 Dried Chili Peppers
Garnish and Wrap
- 1 Cucumber
- 30 grams Peanuts
- 2 Eggs
- 8 Banana Leaves
- Cooking Oil (as needed)
Instructions
- Steam the Rice: Combine the white rice, pandan extract, coconut milk, and sea salt in a steamer bowl or tray. Steam the mixture for 40-50 minutes until fully cooked and fluffy. Fluff the rice with a fork or chopsticks and keep warm in the steamer.
- Air Fry the Anchovies: Coat dried anchovies with oil and air fry them at 160°C (320°F) for 10-15 minutes until they turn crispy and golden brown. Set aside.
- Prepare the Spice Paste: Finely grind shallots, lemongrass, fresh ginger, and dried chili peppers together until smooth to form a flavorful spice paste.
- Mix Tamarind Liquid: Combine tamarind paste with one tablespoon of water to create a tamarind mixture.
- Cook the Sambal: Heat oil in a wok and add the prepared spice paste. Stir fry until the paste is fragrant. Add water to adjust consistency and the tamarind mixture. Next, add the fried anchovies, season with salt and granulated sugar to taste, and simmer on low heat until the liquid reduces slightly. Add more water if the mixture becomes too dry. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the Banana Leaves: Layer banana leaves on top of newspaper to soften and prepare them for wrapping.
- Assemble Rice Packets: Press the steamed rice firmly into a bowl, invert the bowl, and place the rice onto the center of each banana leaf. Cover the rice with a smaller piece of banana leaf, then spoon the sambal ikan bilis on top.
- Boil the Eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a pot and cover with cold water by about an inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 8-10 minutes. Drain, cool in ice water, peel, and cut into quarters.
- Add Garnishes: Garnish each rice packet with quartered hard-boiled eggs, peanuts, and slices of fresh cucumber.
- Wrap the Packets: Fold the banana leaves securely around the rice and fillings to create neat packets.
- Serve: Present the wrapped Nasi Lemak packets and enjoy this authentic Malaysian classic.
Notes
- Steaming the rice with pandan extract infuses it with a unique fragrant aroma essential to authentic Nasi Lemak.
- Air frying the anchovies instead of deep frying reduces oil usage and results in a lighter, crispy texture.
- The acidity from tamarind paste balances the rich coconut milk in the rice, creating a well-rounded flavor profile.
- Soften banana leaves by layering on newspaper or briefly warming to prevent tearing when wrapping.
- Hard-boiled eggs can be prepared in advance to save time during assembly.
- Adjust chili quantities according to your preferred spice level.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Malaysian
Keywords: Nasi Lemak, Malaysian cuisine, coconut rice, banana leaf wrap, sambal ikan bilis, air fried anchovies, tamarind sambal
