Authentic Malaysian Nasi Lemak recipe

Rinse the rice and drain it. Place the rice in a rice cooker.

Take 1/4 of the thick coconut milk and dilute it with some water in a measuring cup. Add salt and sugar, and stir well to combine. Pour the coconut milk mixture into the rice cooker along with 6 cups of water.

Crush the ginger and lemongrass, and add them to the rice cooker. Also, include the screw pine leaves. Turn on the rice cooker. Once the rice reaches the warming stage, add 150 ml of the thick coconut milk. Stir the rice, close the lid, and continue cooking until it's done. Fluff up the rice and serve it hot.

Blend the soaked and deseeded dried chillies into a chilli paste and set it aside.

Blend together the shallots and garlic, and keep the mixture aside.

Rinse the dried anchovies with cold water and let them dry completely.

Heat some oil in a wok until it's almost smoking. Fry the anchovies over low heat until they become light brown and crisp. Strain them and set them aside. Reserve a portion of the fried anchovies as a side dish to serve with the nasi lemak.

Slice the onions into rings.

Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to extract its flavour into the water. Using a strainer, remove the pulp and keep the tamarind juice.

To fry the sambal, heat some oil in a wok. Add the prawn paste and fry until it releases its flavour. Then, add the chilli and spice paste and fry until fragrant. Add the onion rings and fried dried anchovies, and stir well. Pour in the tamarind juice and season with salt and sugar. Simmer over low heat until the gravy thickens.

Rinse the raw peanuts and drain the water.

Heat a clean wok until it starts to smoke. Add the raw peanuts and stir-fry constantly for 5 minutes. Add a few drops of vegetable oil and continue frying until the peanuts turn brown and are coated with oil. Remove them from the wok and set aside.

Pour water into a pot and add the eggs. Turn on the flame. When the water starts boiling, cover the pot and switch off the flame. Let the eggs cook for another 15 minutes. Remove the eggshells while they are still warm. Slice the eggs in halves.

Cut off both ends of the cucumber, peel it, and slice it into thick pieces.

Serve the hot coconut milk rice on a plate with hard-boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers, roasted peanuts, fried anchovies, and spicy sambal. Enjoy!