Hello you delicious foodies! Now that were in the midst of the millionth lockdown, people will be spending more time in the kitchen. So during that time I decided to search for and plan this cheat Nasi Lemak recipe.
What is Nasi Lemak?
For those who don’t know, Nasi Lemak is legitimately the national dish of Malaysia. Nasi Lemak consists of fragrant and creamy coconut rice, glass shatteringly crispy, sweet and salty fried ikan bills (anchovies), sambal (a rich, super-concentrated, savoury and spicy chilli paste), sliced cucumbers, toasted peanuts and a soft, oozy boiled egg. To those who haven’t tried it, all of these little ingredients pack a powerful punch of flavour and textures which work in absolute harmony. Plus, it’s so simple and cheap to make over there yet can be challenging and more costly here in the UK. For instance, some restaurants charge a whopping £8-14 for the basic version of this dish WITHOUT the meat/chicken.
But when it comes to Nasi Lemak and Malaysian fried chicken home recipes, the ingredients can be difficult to get hold of. For instance, ingredients such as pandan leaf, galangal, lemongrass and ikan billis (Which is unfortunately missing from this version).
Now Let Me Introduce The Cheats Way…
My version is the easy way out if you cannot get a hold of these ingredients! Plus, it can be incredibly complex making authentic satay sauce and sambal from scratch. So with these everyday Chinese takeaway essentials, I’ve used these to make the perfect Nasi Lemak recipe with something special – Spicy Malaysian satay fried chicken.
Traditional Malaysian fried chicken has a ton of complex and exotic ingredients. So I’ve simplified this and made my version – And trust me, this cheat Nasi Lemak recipe works! Especially if you love anything nutty or spicy.
And the best part? You don’t have to make your sambal from scratch! As there are many amazing store bought ones to save you time. I highly recommend sambal strictly from Teans Gourmet or Dollee which can be bought in any Asian supermarket (or online below!).
Please trust me on this one, you’ll be cutting down time without cutting corners in terms of flavour. Plus, you’ll be saving a ton of money as these ingredients will last you a good amount of time!
Ingredients & Brands Used for This Cheat Nasi Lemak Recipe:
Nasi Lemak With Malaysian Satay Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- For the Malaysian satay fried chicken wings:
- 8 chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon of chilli oil
- 1 tablespoon of satay sauce
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of chilli power
- 1 pinch of pepper
- 100ml of sunflower oil
- ——————————
- For the Nasi Lemak:
- 2 cups of Thai fragrant rice
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk
- 2 inch slice of ginger peeled
- 1 handful of peanuts
- 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil (for frying peanuts)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon of shrimp sambal
- 5 slices of cucumber
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- For the Nasi Lemak:
- 1. Rinse thai fragrant rice until water runs clear.
- 2. Peel one piece of ginger which measures around 2 inches then add coconut milk to the rice into a rice cooker. Then add put your finger into the bowl then add some additional water up to the first knuckle of your finger and cook for 30 minutes (Classic Asian household trick to ensure enough moisture for the rice!).
- I also recommend the Aroy-D brand as other coconut milk brands don’t provide the right sweetness and consistency.
- 3. In the meantime while the rice is cooking, fry some peanuts in some light oil until they’re crispy and golden. Finish off with a sprinkle of salt.
- Now that the nuts are toasted and while the rice is cooking you can start working on the wings…
- (Nasi Lemak to be continued…)
- For the chicken wings:
- 1. Wash the chicken wings in water with a touch of lemon juice or vinegar and rinse clean.
- 2. Marinate wings in 1 tablespoon of chilli oil, 1 tablespoon of satay sauce, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of chilli powder with a pinch of pepper. Leave to marinate for at least 15-30 minutes.
- Tip: It’s highly recommended that you use Lao Gan Ma crispy chilli in oil and Jimmy’s satay sauce as these are used by many takeaways and would give a rich, spicy and nutty flavour. Plus, Jimmy’s is the authentic real deal when it comes to satay sauce! All the exact ingredients I used can be found at the bottom of the page!
- 3. Dredge all of the marinated wings in a bowl of potato starch. This will give a light yet crispy coating.
- 4. Fry in some sunflower oil on a medium to high heat for at least 15-20 minutes. Make sure that there is enough oil to cover the wings to make sure that they’re cooked through. Also make sure not to turn them over too much since this will prevent the heat from cooking the wings thoroughly.
- 5. Once crispy and brown, serve on a kitchen towel and store in a the oven on the lowest gas mark to keep them warm while you prep the Nasi Lemak.
- Now back to the Nasi Lemak prep…
- 6. Slice 5 pieces of cucumber in thick slices then halve/quarter them – You can cut these however you like!
- 7. Boil your eggs for exactly 4 and a half minutes – Make sure to measure the boiling time for when the water starts to boil – Not when the water is cold! If you don’t like them soft, extend the time to 5-7 minutes. Then slice in half.
- 8. Once the rice is done, scoop the rice into a round bowl and press the rice down. Then gently place the bowl on top of your service plate, not to worry as the coconut milk holds the rice dome together!
- 9. Gently place the nuts, chicken wings, cucumber, sliced boiled eggs around the rice dome.
- 10. Simply add a teaspoon of shrimp sambal on the side of the coconut rice.
- 11. Bon appetite!
Nutrition Facts
Nasi Lemak With Malaysian Satay Fried Chicken
Serves: 2 Persons
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 Portion
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 915 kcal | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 50.47 g | 77.6% | |
| Saturated Fat 17.993 g | 90% | |
| Trans Fat 0.027 g | ||
| Cholesterol 706 mg | 235.3% | |
| Sodium 2764 mg | 115.2% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 292 g | 97.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 4.4 g | 17.6% | |
| Sugars 5.8 g | ||
| Protein 44.83 g | ||
| Vitamin A 1178 IU | Vitamin C 113.1 mg | |
| Calcium 128 mg | Iron 9.08 mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Amy Jane Travels
Finally, I want you all to remember that this is not the standard version of Nasi Lemak as it’s missing some ingredients. Plus, it’s also used with shrimp sambal as opposed to traditional ikan billis. But either way, it works pretty well and still packs a powerful punch of flavour.
In future, I will attempt another version from complete scratch and share the recipe. But for now, this will save you a ton of prep time and money.
I hope that you enjoyed this recipe and find it useful. I would love to hear your feedback and thoughts!
I never tried Nasi Lamak but this cheat recipe sounds delicious and absolutely doable! I am very interested in the sambal! Really hope I will get a chance to try one when travelling x
Author
Thanks for your comment. And you really don’t need much sambal as it’s very rich in flavour. Malaysian restaurants are becoming more popular around the world so I’m sure you’ll grab the opportunity!
Amy Jane x
Hi Amy, I’m Fadima from Malaysia too. Nasi lemak is Malaysians’ most favourite dish. Thank you for sharing this cheat recipe. Hope to see you again.
Author
Hello and nice to meet you! We will definitely keep in contact.
Amy Jane x
Now this looks like my kind of dish, great recipe, I’ll need to try it out x