Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is a common breakfast meal served in Malaysia. It is not really my favourite though. I go for toast. Simpler & less the cholesterol. Anyhow, I will never in this world refuse my mom's nasi lemak. She makes the best both the rice & the sambal.

My mom loves to use basmathi rice for this recipe. Other types of rice should be OK, as long as the measurement of water or in this case coconut milk is ample.

First is to wash the rice & transfer to a rice cooker. Since I'm using basmathi the ratio is 1 : 1.5 which means 1 cup of rice needs 1 & a half cup of coconut milk.

Add in a little bit of salt & pandan leaves for aroma. Switch on the rice cooker.

Rice is almost ready.

Here is the Nasi Lemak.

What is nasi lemak without the sambal (spicy condiment). I prepare my sambal with lots of shallots.

Blended shallots.

Saute the blended shallots with ample cooking oil.


Once turning brownish, add in chilly paste.




Stir well & add in chopped onions.



Keep stirring until the paste is cooked. Add salt to taste & your sambal is ready.



This is how I like my nasi lemak served with my favourite condiments - cucumber, fried anchovies, fried egg & fried chicken.

Mee Goreng Mamak

This style of fried noodle was taught to me by a colleague. I was actually visiting & she was about to cook her signature fried noodle mamak style. So, there I was in her kitchen with hands-on lesson. For the record, mamak is Indian Muslim. This style of fried noodle is dry compared to Chinese style. OK, let's get to my kitchen...

First is to fry sliced tomatoes with cooking oil until softened. I normally use 3-4 depending on size for a packet of 450gm yellow noodle.

Next is to add in beef. I normally boil my beef first before the cooking process. I hate the long wait. But since not much water is used in this recipe, I boiled the beef in ample water. You can also add in chicken but the boiling process is not required. The amount of beef and/or chicken is really up to you.

Wait for the beef and/or chicken to tender. After that join in sliced shallots (2-3 cloves), sliced garlic (1-2 cloves) & chilly paste (2-3 tbs). Stir together.

Cook for 5 minutes & join in sawi (chinese mustard) stems.

Next, add in oyster sauce & soy sauce (1-2 tbs each)

Combine the sawi leaves in the wok.

Once the sawi is well stirred, add in 2-3 eggs. Mamak style fried noodle uses a lot amount of eggs but I choose to use only 3 for 1 cooking.

Add salt to taste.

Next is to put in cut fried tofu. If you have the mamak cake which is used for rojak, add that in
too.

Before joining in the yellow noodle, run hot water onto the noodle to get rid off the chalky taste. Stir well.

Add in another 1-2 eggs. If you like you may add some sweet soy sauce.

Join in sliced fresh chillies & continue stirring.

If it is less salty, you can add in salty soy sauce.

Mee Goreng Mamak . Serve while it's hot.

Garnish with coriander leaves or chinese celery & spring onions.

Masak Lemak Ikan & Petai

I always prefer chicken to fish. Not really a fish lover... but married to one who is particular about a balanced diet, I am now slowly appreciating this source of protein. This recipe is one of the many signature dishes of my grandma & whenever she cooks this, I forget that fish is not my favourite ;-)

First is to combine, shallots (about 4 but the more the better) & bird eye chilly paste.

Bird Eye Chillies

This is the chilly paste. Fresh turmeric & bird eye chillies blended together.

My mom loves to use Ikan Parang (wolf herring) for this recipe. HB however does not fancy this fish though how tastier & sweeter it is. So, I normally opt for a less bone fish - Ikan Senangin (threadfin).

Ikan Senangin

On slow fire, add in the fish & small amount of diluted coconut milk.




Add in dried asam keping (dried slices of tamarind fruit).

Asam Keping

After like 5 minutes, join the rest of the diluted coconut milk & keep the thick one aside for later ( I use a box of coconut milk for this recipe) & do not stop stirring at all, still on slow fire. Add in petai (twisted cluster bean or stink bean). But the skin should be scraped out first.

Petai

Petai with skin scrapped

Next, pour in the remaining coconut milk. Keep on stirring.

I do not like my masak lemak to be too sourish. So, I normally take out the asam keping. Add salt to taste & ready to be served.

Enjoy your Masak Lemak Ikan Senangin & Petai