Nasi lemak

SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 35 mins MORE EFFORT

vegetable oil, for frying

For the coconut rice

500g jasmine rice

175ml coconut milk

2 pandan leaves, or 2-3 drops

of pandan essence 1 lemongrass stalk

For the sambal

50g shallots, peeled

10g candlenuts, pounded 25g dried chillies, soaked for 30 mins, deseeded and cut into chunks

25g fresh chillies, deseeded and

cut into chunks

10g belachan (shrimp paste) 10g sliced galangal, or 1 tsp

galangal paste

10g lemongrass, white part only,

sliced

½ tbsp tamarind paste

For the toppings

70g raw unsalted peanuts 100g dried anchovies

4 eggs

1 cucumber, thickly sliced

1 First, to prepare the rice, wash thoroughly in a sieve until the water runs clear. If you’re using a rice cooker, put all the ingredients for the coconut rice in along with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and 350ml water. When the rice is ready, leave the lid on for 10 mins before opening, then fluff the rice with a fork. If you’re cooking rice on the hob, use a pan with a lid. Put all the ingredients for the rice in with 450ml water, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar on a high heat, bring to the boil, then cover. Simmer on a low heat for 10 mins, or until the liquid has evaporated. Let the rice sit with the lid on for another 10 mins. You should be able to see the individual rice grains. If the rice looks a bit wet, spread it out on a tray or into a colander to dry out before serving.

2 To make the sambal, tip all the ingredients, except the tamarind paste, with a big pinch of salt in a food processor, then blitz to a paste. 3 Stir-fry the sambal paste over a medium-high heat for 10-15 mins. The colour of the paste will darken and the oil will separate. Stir in the tamarind paste, and season to taste with salt and sugar. Leave to cool. 4 Heat enough oil in a pan to coat the base, then fry the peanuts until brown, and the dried anchovies until crisp. (You can also use roasted peanuts and skip frying them, if you like.) Remove the nuts and anchovies from the pan, then fry the eggs to your liking.

5 Divide the rice between plates – you can simply spoon it on, or fill a small bowl with a portion, then turn it out onto each plate. Top with the anchovies, peanuts, sliced cucumber, fried eggs and sambal.

GOOD TO KNOW folate • vit c • gluten free • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 915 kcals • fat 33g • saturates 11g • carbs 113g • sugars 9g • fibre 4g • protein 39g • salt 5.6g