Food Porn – The Nasi Lemak

The only dish that I enjoy eating before I go for my 18 kilometer run, is the Nasi Lemak. Somehow, this combination of rice cooked in coconut milk, chili sambal anchovies, half a hard boiled egg, deep fried chicken, sambal squid, peanuts and cucumbers really gives me the boost I need to push that final km. No other meal quite cuts it, like the Nasi Lemak does.

Possibly the greatest dish ever created by Malaysians, nasi lemak can be found almost everywhere in our country – in the heart of the buzzing metropolis or in some remote, sleepy coastal town. The Nasi Lemak is Malaysia’s version of the English big breakfast, although it can, and is eaten, at all times throughout the day, really! The ingredients and the cooking process involved in creating this tasty meal is simple. Nasi lemak is rice cooked in coconut milk. Screwpine leaves, locally known as pandan leaves, are first washed and later added into the cooking pot to give the rice its signature fragrance. The rice is usually eaten together with anchovies fried till golden brown, crispy cucumber slices, roasted peanuts, half boiled egg and chilli paste known as sambal. I like to add a piece of fried chicken and squid for good measure – so I can run that extra kilometer.

The best way to serve Nasi Lemak is wrapped in or served on a banana leaf, as it lends an aromatic fragrance to the rice. When used to pack the steaming hot coconut milk rice, you just need to unravel the green, conical package and let your nostrils be assaulted by the most heavenly aroma on earth.

This is the Nasi Lemak.

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