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Recipe: Fragrant Coconut Rice (Nasi Lemak)

Side Dishes - Rice, Grains
FRAGRANT COCONUT RICE (NASI LEMAK)

"Each grain of rice is saturated with lightly sweet coconut milk. A knotted pandan leaf is commonly cooked in with the rice to perfume it. Coconut rice, usually served for breakfast, is usually accompaniment by fried peanuts, fried small fish, a hardboiled egg, chili sambal, and sliced cucumbers. In Malaysian and Singaporean eateries, guests select a myriad of curries, sambals, vegetables and other dishes to eat along with the rice. These determine the ultimate cost of the meal. Typically, the coconut rice is piled on a swatch of banana leaf, and all the other items are spooned on. Guests then eat right off of the leaf, or fold it up into a packet to go."

2 cup Jasmine rice
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water

Rinse rice under running water in a strainer or fine sieve for 30 seconds, massaging gently to remove any talc or dust. Drain well, and then let the rice sit for 30 minutes before cooking.

In a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, combine rice, coconut milk and water; stir. Add a knotted pandan leaf, if desired. Bring quickly to a boil, cover pan, lower heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

Fluff gently with fork. Serve with traditional accompaniments (see headnote above).

HOW AND WHY:

1. Using a strainer to rinse the rice helps measure the water accurately. If rinsed rice is tilted to remove excess water, some water inevitably remains hidden in pot (between rice grains or below the metal plate in the bottom of a rice cooker), so it is inconsistent; Draining in a sieve ensures that all excess moisture is removed before adding measured amount of water.

2. Do not uncover the rice immediately after cooking. When a rice cooker "pops" (an indicator of doneness based on moisture content), or a cooking pot is removed from the heat, the water has still not been completely absorbed, so the starchy rice is very hot and soft. Letting it rest allows excess moisture to be absorbed into the grains. The rice firms up, so it will fluff into separate grains.

Serves 4 to 6 as part of multi-dish meal
Source: Southeast Asian Flavors by Robert Danhi
MsgID: 0311962
Shared by: Betsy at Recipelink.com
Board: International Recipes at Recipelink.com
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