Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)

The Swallow's family enjoy Nasi Lemak. A traditional meal of Nasi Lemak, which is also known as Coconut Rice, in Singapore is usually served during breakfast. It is accompanied by sambal (a cooked chilli paste), fried peanuts, fried anchovies , a few cucumber slices and a few slices of hard-boiled eggs. Additional dishes can be added to this and the dish eaten during lunch or dinner.

Preparing the Nasi Lemak meal at home is a process that takes some time, but the smiles on the her family's faces...priceless! The process is also made easier with the use of a rice cooker, and doing meal preparation over a few days rather than a few hours.

NASI LEMAK (COCONUT RICE) (serves 4 - 6)

Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)

Ingredients

2 cups long grain rice
100 ml coconut cream
water
1/2 tsp salt
A bunch of pandan leaves, rinsed and tied together in a knot (optional)

Method

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Placed the washed rice in a rice cooker. Add the coconut cream and enough water to reach the '3 cups' mark in the rice cooker. Add salt and mix well.
2. Do not cover the pot yet. Cook the rice according to manufacturer's guidelines. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. When the water is boiling, cover the lid and let the rice cook until the rice cooker switches off automatically. 
4. Once the rice cooker signals its readiness, remove the lid and fluff the rice. Return the lid and switch off the heat.

Putting it together

1. To serve, place the amount of rice to be consumed on a plate.
2. Add the sambal e.g. Sambal Tumis or Sambal Ikan Bilis.
3. Add cucumber slices.
4. Add fried peanuts, fried anchovies and hard-boiled eggs.
5. Add other optional items like fried luncheon meat, fried chicken, fried fish.

Notes

1. Sambal can be made in advanced, cooled and kept in the fridge for up to five days. Re-heat before serving it with the rice.
2. As different rice cookers may bring different results, experiment. If a different texture is preferred for the rice, adjust the water amount.
3. The amount of coconut cream added also plays a part in the end result. Adjust as needed.

Glutinous Rice

Glutinous Rice is a dish much enjoyed by the Swallow and her mate.  It is made from glutinous rice, fried with several other ingredients then steamed until the rice becomes soft and sticky.  When the Swallow's young ones were introduced to the dish, they enjoyed it too.  It became a regular staple for one of the young ones whenever the family patronized a neighbourhood shop which sold this dish.

After sampling some other Glutinous Rice dishes by her mother and her friends, the Swallow decided to be adventurous and cook this dish from scratch.  The adventure turned out better than expected although one of the young ones was quick to comment that she liked the rice to be more sticky. With her comment in mind, the Swallow experimented and finally, something that met her young one's criterion.

GLUTINOUS RICE (serves 3 - 4)

Glutinous Rice

Ingredients

300 g glutinous rice
6 pieces dried black mushrooms
1 tbsp dried shrimps
4 pieces Chinese sausages (3-inches long)

3 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp light soya sauce
1/2 tsp dark soya sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Chinese wine
2 cups of water
Garnish
2 stalks spring onions, chopped
Fried peanuts
Fried shallots
2 red chillies, chopped

Method

1. Soak glutinous rice overnight or for at least 10 hours.  Drain the rice and set it aside.
2. Wash and rinse black mushrooms.  Soak the mushrooms until they are soft.  Drain and set aside the water.  Slice the mushrooms.
3. Wash and rinse the dried shrimps.  Soak the shrimps until they are soft.  Drain and set aside the water.
4. Remove the outer layer from the Chinese sausages.  Cut the sausages into cubes.
5. Chop the garlic and shallots.
6. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat.  Add chopped garlic and chopped shallots.  Fry until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
7. Add the shrimps and fry for 1 minute.

   

   Clockwise from top: Glutinous rice,
   chopped shallots, chopped garlic,
   dried shrimps, cubed Chinese sausages
   & sliced mushrooms

8. Add the mushrooms and fry for 1 minute.
9. Add the Chinese sausages and fry for 1 minute.
10. Add the glutinous rice and fry for 5 minutes.
11. Add the seasonings until all the ingredients are well mixed.
12. Add the water and mix well.
13. Transfer the rice mixture into a steaming dish (an aluminium 8-inch round baking tray with a 2 1/2-inch depth works well). 
14. Place the dish on a steamer rack, over briskly boiling water, and steam over high heat for 30 minutes.
15. Allow the rice to be kept warm if not eaten immediately.
16. Garnish with chopped spring onions, fried peanuts, fried shallots and chopped red chillies before serving.
17. Serve with Garlic Chilli sauce on the side.

Notes

• The amount of water used to cover the rice mixture will determine the texture of the rice. Ensure water covers the rice but the rice is not swimming in it. More water can be added after the steaming time but it cannot be removed. The rice should be sticky and chewy but not lumpy.
• When steaming time is over, check the texture. If a softer texture is preferred, add more water (about 2-3 tbsp) and continue steaming for another 10 minutes.
• The steaming water must be boiling briskly to ensure a steady steam.  Add more boiling water if necessary.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Previously, the Swallow shared the recipe for 'Garlic Chilli Sauce'.  The Swallow mentioned that the chilli sauce can also be used as a dipping sauce whenever Steamboat is served.  But that is only a secondary usage.  So what is the first?

For chicken rice of course!

There will always be a time when the whole family craves for Chicken Rice, and when this happens, the Swallow will cook Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Set

Although it is called Hainanese Chicken Rice, apparently it did not originate there. Anyway, the recipe used here consists of 3 parts:

• the Chicken
• the Rice
• the Chilli sauce

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE (serves 4 - 6)

The Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, about 1.5kg
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 pieces ginger
• boiling water
• 2 tsp salt
• sesame oil
• 1 Japanese cucumber
• Coriander & parsley, if desired

Method

1. Clean the chicken.  Place the garlic and the ginger inside the chicken.
2. Pour enough boiling water into a pot to cover the chicken.  Bring the water to a boil again at high heat, lower the fire to medium heat and simmer the chicken on for about 20 minutes.  DO NOT COVER THE POT as the chicken may be tough.  Turn the chicken over occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, halve the cucumber and slice it diagonally.
4. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat but leave the chicken in the boiling water for another 5 minutes.  Then remove the chicken and season it with salt and sesame oil (just enough to make the chicken glisten).  Use the remaining stock to cook the rice.
5. Cut the chicken into pieces and arrange it on the bed of cucumber slices.  Garnish with the coriander and parsley, if desired.

The Rice

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp onion, chopped
• 3 cups rice
• 2 tsp salt
• 6 pandan leaves, tied into a knot
• 1/2 chicken stock cube, if desired
• chicken stock from cooking the chicken

Method

1. Wash and drain the rice.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan.  Fry the chopped onions until light golden brown.
3. Add the rice and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
4. Put the rice in the rice pot.  Add the salt, the knotted screwpine leaves, chicken stock cube (if desired), and stir well.
5. Add enough chicken stock to cover it, and set the rice pot to cook.
6. When the rice is ready, remove the screwpine leaves and fluff the rice.
7. Serve hot with the cut chicken and chilli sauce.

Notes

• If the chicken is not fully consumed, the Swallow uses the remaining cooked chicken for another dish 'Hakka Salted Chicken'.