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Sunday, 31 July 2005 |
I have revised some of the criteria - after having received some feedback from readers - most notably Davy. Thanks guys.
Nasi Lemak (rice cooked with coconut milk) is one of Malaysia's staple
foods, being a complete meal in inself. You can either get the plain
variety (rice, sambal, ikan bilis, peanuts & egg served in banana
leaf) or get it fully loaded with all sorts of accompaniment like fried
chicken, curry chicken, fried fish, fish cutlet, beef rendang, etc
Most Malaysians consider nasi lemak a national dish because it transcends racial boundaries and Malaysians of all creed, colour, size and age just love it.
The benchmark for a good nasi lemak whether it's 50 sen or RM5, is that the following basic ingredients must be present.
1. The rice must be somewhat firm and not soggy, clumpy and sticky. Excellent nasi lemak rice is fluffy, with the rice grains separated or nicely loose. If it is sticky, then it's not well done.
2. Next, the rice must also be fragrant with the smell of coconut milk in it. A lot of places now serve nasi but not nasi lemak, there's hardly any aroma in the rice. Pandan leaves are also a must, otherwise it would lack the extra aroma that the pandan leaves bring to the rice.
3. The sambal (that's the chili sauce/paste that comes with it) needs to have a kick. But not to the point it becomes bitter. Some vendors use chili boh to make the sambal - that's usually a no no. Good sambal needs to be made from fresh ingredients - chili, ikan bilis (anchovies) and onions. Some sambal is a bit on the sweet side which doesn't quite appeal to me. I think sambal should just be spicy. I have been informed by Davy that the Penang variety comes with fresh chillies, lime or lemon juice, hehkoh and grilled belacan. Yummy!
4. The egg can either be hard boiled, fried or sunny side up. Whichever way you like it, that's fine. Nasi lemak is not quite the same without it. If you like, it could also be served as an omellete. I like it hard boiled or sunny side up.
5. The ikan bilis (fried anchovies) needs to be crispy and tasty. Some guys fry it too hard and it comes it bitter. If that's the case - spit it out! One interesting note is that I have found that the cheap anchovies (which are bigger) tend to work better in nasi lemak.
6. Roasted peanuts are a must in nasi lemak. It's just not nasi lemak without it. Most places get this right so if you come across any nasi lemak stall that does not have peanuts, they don't know what they are doing. Avoid it.
7. Cucumbers should have been treated so that they have had the bitterness taken out of it already. Eating a bitter cucumber is not a nice thing.
8. Nasi lemak is best served on banana leaf because the extra fragrance that comes from the banana leaf gives the nasi lemak an extra bit of flavour.
9. Fried chicken is the best complement to nasi lemak. Some may prefer curry chicken, fried fish, sotong or beef rendang. That's a matter of personal preference - I like it with fried chicken.
10. Finally, nasi lemak has to be served warm!!!!!
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