Nasi lemak info

Nasi lemak is a dish that comprises rice made fragrant with coconut cream and pandanus leaves. A light meal that is believed to be Malay in origin, it is traditionally accompanied by fried anchovies, sliced cucumbers, fried fish known as ikan selar, and a sweet chili sauce. Modern-day variations on the dish now offer an extensive array of other side dishes.

Description
Nasi lemak is Malay for “rice in cream”, a reference to the rice being cooked in coconut milk, or “richly flavoured rice”. The rice is lightly salted and made fragrant with a knot of pandanus leaves (locally known as pandan leaves) added while the rice is still cooking. It is the ordinary man’s breakfast, traditionally served with fried fish known in Malay as ikan selar kuning, local anchovies known as ikan bilis, kangkong (also known as water spinach or water convolvulus) and a dollop of sambal (a type of chilli paste). The ikan kuning is fried so crisp that it can be eaten whole. Nowadays, the anchovies are fried with salted peanuts, the dish topped with thin slices of cucumber and an egg, fried or boiled. The rice and all its condiments and side dishes are kept warm in a banana leaf folded into a conical pocket.

The sambal is the dish’s signature condiment. Malays prefer their rice with sambal ikan bilis (a chilli paste made of local anchovies) while Peranakans prefer sambal belacan (chilli shrimp paste). The sambal is a combination of dried chillis, shallots, garlic and belacan with sometimes sliced lemon grass added. Sugar and tamarind give the chilli sauce a sweet and tangy taste. 

The rice is traditionally steamed because if it is cooked over a hot fire, the coconut milk can easily burn. Modern cooks use a rice cooker and replace water with the coconut milk instead. Some secrets to good nasi lemak include cooking the rice halfway the night before, then adding the coconut milk and pandan leaves the following morning before completing the cooking process. 

The dish remains one of the cheapest meals offered in local food courts and hawker centres. While many stalls sell the dish as a set meal, with the basic accompaniments, others offer a wide variety of side dishes that can be added on.

Source:http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1739_2010-12-13.html