Nasi Lemak and Sambal Ikan Bilis

Nasi Lemak  is a delicious coconut rice, normally served with sambal, fried anchovies, fried peanuts, sliced cucumber, tomato, and egg (hard-boiled/omellete/fried egg). Nasi Lemak is originally a Malay dish but now it is a common dish in Singapore and other parts of South-east Asia. This dish is cooked in coconut milk and knotted screwpines (pandan leaves) are thrown in for fragrance. Spices such as ginger or lemongrass may be added for additional fragrance.

Ingredients to make nasi lemak (coconut rice)

• 2 cups long grain rice
• 2 screwpine leaves (tie them into a knot)
• 1-1/2 cup water   1 cup water
  
• 1/2 cup coconut milk   1 cup coconut milk
  
• a pinch of salt

(It is still ok to use just 1-1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup coconut milk but the rice is not too creamy (lemak)..)

Like making steamed rice, rinse the rice and drain.
Add the coconut milk, a pinch of salt, and water.
Add the screwpine leaves into the rice and cook the rice.

Ingredients to make Sambal Ikan Bilis recipe

• 120 g dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons tamarind pulp with 100 ml water (to get tamarind paste)
• 110 ml vegetable oil
• 1 sliced large-sized red onion
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
  
• a pinch of salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 5-1/2 shallots
• 1-1/2 sliced into rounds medium-sized onion
• 5 tablespoons chili paste
• 1-1/4 teaspoon shrimp paste (belacan)

Blend shrimp paste, garlic, chili paste, shallots and sliced round onions in a blender until it becomes ground paste. Set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok and fry the dried anchovies until crispy. Remove and drain the crispy anchovies on absorbent towels. Add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in the same wok and saute the ground paste. Add sugar, tamarind paste, red onions and salt. Cook until sambal ikan bilis gravy thickens.

Lastly add the crispy anchovies and mix well.

Other ingredients
Hard boiled egg / omellete (slice to triangle shape) / fried egg
slices of cucumbers
slices of tomatoes
fried chicken wing (optional)
sausage (optional)