55

INGREDIENTS

NASI LEMAK

1 cup rice, rinsed

375 ml (1

1

/

2

cups) water

125 ml (

1

/

2

cup) coconut

milk

A pinch of salt

3 pandan leaves, tied

into knots

1 stalk lemongrass,

halved

CRISPY RICE

NOODLES

125 ml (

1

/

2

cup) oil, or

as needed

1 small bunch dried rice

noodles, cut into roughly

1-cm lengths

SAMBAL CHILLI

1 Tbsp oil

1

/

2

onion, peeled and

chopped

1 Tbsp dried wakame,

crushed (optional)

1

/

3

cup vegan sambal

chilli (see page 26)

1 heaping scoop

tamarind paste, about

the size of a table tennis

ball, soaked in warm

water

ACCOMPANIMENTS

3 Tbsp oil

1

/

4

cup peanuts

2 blocks firm tofu, cut

into bite-sized cubes

1 tsp light or regular

soy sauce

1

/

2

cucumber, sliced

1

/

2

tomato, sliced

nasi lemak

Serves 2

METHOD

1.

Place rice in a pot. Add water, coconut milk, salt, pandan leaves and

lemongrass. The liquid should cover the rice completely, with about

4–5 cm to spare.

2.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for

15–20 minutes until the cooking liquid is fully absorbed and holes

appear on the surface. Turn off the heat, keep covered and set aside

for 10 minutes before serving.

3.

For the crispy rice noodles, heat oil in a frying pan. Take a few

longer noodle pieces in your hand and dip just the ends in the oil.

If they puff up, the oil is hot enough. With a spatula at the ready,

gently drop handfuls of noodles into the oil. When they bloom,

which should be in a few seconds, quickly flip them once, then

transfer onto paper towels to drain and set aside. Do not cook for

more than a few seconds to avoid burning.

4.

For the sambal chilli, heat oil in a frying pan or wok. Add onion

and wakame, and sauté until onion is translucent. Add sambal,

then sauté for 10–15 seconds until fragrant. Add tamarind juice,

then simmer over low heat until mixture is reduced and thickened.

Remove from heat and set aside.

5.

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry peanuts

until brown, transfer to drain on paper towels and set aside. Ensure

there are no crumbs in your pan to avoid burnt bits.

6.

By now, the oil should have absorbed the fragrance of the peanuts.

Add the remaining oil and fry tofu pieces until golden brown on one

side. Drizzle soy sauce over tofu, flip and fry until the other side is

golden brown. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.

7.

To assemble, place rice in the centre of a plate. Arrange tofu,

peanuts, crispy rice noodles, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes on

the side. Serve hot with sambal chilli.

NOTES

•

Nasi lemak is best served on a banana leaf, as it imparts extra fragrance

to the dish. It also pairs well with a cup of teh tarik (page 128).

•

You can use any sambal you like. In a dish where the sambal is the star,

I prefer to refresh the chilled sambal by cooking it a bit first.

•

If you have black salt, sprinkle it over the fried tofu for an extra egg-like

umami flavour.

•

In Singapore, vegan nasi lemak usually comes with crispy mushroom stems

in place of anchovies. But as this option may not be widely available, I used

common pantry ingredients to create something with a similar crispiness.

The crispy rice noodles are puffy and absorb the sambal well!

•

Allium-free option: the onion can be replaced with 2 Tbsp toon paste.

•

Gluten-free options: swap the soy sauce for tamari or liquid aminos.