Nasi lemak: What is the Malaysian dish and why is it being celebrated?
Fried fish, anchovies, sliced cucumber, a hard-boiled egg, water spinach and crispy peanuts all feature
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Nasi lemak, a celebrated national dish in Malaysia, has been paid the tribute of a Google Doodle.
Traditionally eaten for breakfast, it consists primarily of rice cooked in coconut milk (santan) and infused with pandan leaves.
Toppings such as fried fish, anchovies, sliced cucumber, a hard-boiled egg, water spinach and crispy peanuts are then added.
A key ingredient is sambal (hot sauce), "the soul of the dish" that "brings together all the various toppings", according to the Rasa Malaysia food blog.
Sambal is considered as essential to the making of nasi lemak as coconut milk and pandan leaves, without which "a nasi lemak will not be authentic", the blog notes.
Nasi lemak is typically served in a banana leaf in which the rice and all accompaniments can be encased and kept warm.
The dish remains one the cheapest offerings in street markets and food courts, according to the National Library Board of Singapore, and it is considered Malaysia's national meal.
The rice going into nasi lemak is usually steamed rather than heated directly, in order to keep the coconut milk from burning.
Some aficionados employ a rice cooker, swapping the water for milk.
Other tactics include cooking the rice at night, then adding pandan leaves and coconut milk the following morning.
Cooks have been tweaking the original recipe with renewed creativity since the 1980s, experimenting with more condiments beyond the traditional combination of anchovies, cucumber, and hot sauce.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments