Nasi lemak with sambal and anchovies

Ingredients

For 4 servings.

1 cup = 240 ml; 1 tablespoon = 15 ml; 1 teaspoon = 5 ml. Use metric quantities where stated. Times and servings are indicative.

• 2 cups raw rice
• 360 ml water and 120 ml coconut milk for the rice
• 1 tsp salt and 3 knotted pandan leaves
• 4 shallots, 1 garlic clove and 8 deseeded medium dried chillies
• 1 tsp belacan shrimp paste
• 1 piece tamarind pulp about the size of a table-tennis ball
• 240 ml water for tamarind and 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup cleaned dried ikan bilis anchovies
• 480 ml frying oil
• 1 red onion, sliced into rings
• 2 boiled eggs, 1 cup roasted peanuts and 1 small cucumber
• 3 cleaned small sardines or mackerel, optional

Step-by-step method

1. Rinse and drain rice. Put it in a rice cooker suitable for coconut milk with 360 ml water, coconut milk, salt and pandan; cook using the appropriate programme.
2. Soak tamarind pulp in 240 ml water for 15 minutes; squeeze and strain, reserving the liquid.
3. Blend or pound shallots, garlic, chillies and belacan into a paste.
4. Briefly rinse anchovies and dry thoroughly. Fry in oil until lightly golden and crisp; drain.
5. Transfer 2 tbsp frying oil to a pan and cook the paste over medium-low heat until aromatic and reddish.
6. Add onion, tamarind water and sugar; simmer until thickened. Add anchovies to the sauce or reserve them to serve separately.
7. If using fish, season and fry in the remaining oil until cooked. Remove pandan from rice and divide among plates.
8. Serve with sambal, anchovies, egg, peanuts, cucumber and optional fish.