Today we're heading to Malaysia — a country where the culinary traditions of Malays, Chinese, and Indians have woven together into a unique gastronomic symphony. We're cooking two iconic dishes without which the Malaysian table is unimaginable.
🍚 Nasi Lemak
Fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaves, served with spicy sambal paste, fried peanuts, anchovies, and a boiled egg. This is Malaysia's national dish — filling, aromatic, and incredibly popular for breakfast.
Ingredients:
• Jasmine rice — 300 g
• Coconut milk — 400 ml
• Water — 200 ml
• Pandan leaves (or substitute: 1 tsp vanilla extract) — 2 pieces
• Salt — 1 tsp
• Dried anchovies (ikan bilis) — 100 g
• Fried peanuts — 100 g
• Fresh cucumber — 1 piece
• Eggs — 4 pieces
• Vegetable oil — for frying
For sambal:
• Red chili peppers — 8 pieces
• Shallots — 4 pieces
• Garlic — 3 cloves
• Belacan (shrimp paste, can substitute fish sauce) — 1 tsp
• Tomato paste — 1 tbsp
• Sugar — 1 tsp
• Tamarind juice (or lemon juice) — 2 tbsp
• Vegetable oil — 3 tbsp
Preparation:
Step 1. Rinse the rice under cold running water 4-5 times until the water runs clear — this removes excess starch and prevents the grains from sticking. Transfer the rice to a thick-bottomed pot, add coconut milk, water, salt, and pandan leaves (or vanilla extract). Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to minimum, cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes. The rice is ready when all liquid has been absorbed and small steam vents have formed on the surface.
Step 2. While the rice cooks, prepare the sambal. Remove seeds from the chili peppers (leave 2-3 seeds if you like heat), chop them into large pieces. Peel the shallots and garlic, cut in half. Grind everything in a blender or food processor to a coarse paste — the texture should be slightly grainy, don't turn it into a smooth puree.
Step 3. Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium heat until a light haze appears. Add the chili paste and fry for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula. The paste should darken, become aromatic, and release oil — this is a sign the base is ready. Add belacan (or fish sauce), tomato paste, sugar, and tamarind juice. Cook another 5 minutes until thickened — sambal is ready when oil separates at the edges and the paste doesn't run off the spatula.
Step 4. Heat 2 cm vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat to 170°C (check with a wooden stick — there should be active bubbles). Pat the anchovies dry with paper towels, place in the oil, and fry 2-3 minutes until golden-brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. In the same oil, fry the peanuts 1-2 minutes until golden.
Step 5. Hard-boil the eggs: lower them into boiling water, cook 8 minutes, then transfer to ice water for 5 minutes. Peel and cut each egg in half lengthwise. Slice the cucumber into thin rounds 3-4 mm thick.
Step 6. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork to separate the grains and create an airy texture. Remove the pandan leaves.
Step 7. Serve the dish on a wide plate: place a mound of fragrant rice in the center, alongside arrange 1-2 tbsp sambal, halves of boiled egg, a handful of fried anchovies, peanuts, and cucumber slices. Serve immediately while the rice is warm — each ingredient is taken in small amounts and mixed with the rice right on the plate.
💡 Fact: Nasi lemak is so important to Malaysian culture that in 2013 it was officially proclaimed the national dish of the country. It's eaten at any time of day — from breakfast to late dinner, and street vendors wrap portions in banana leaves for convenience.
🍖 Rendang
Deeply braised beef in a rich coconut-spice sauce that simmers for hours until dark brown and an almost caramelized texture. The meat literally melts in your mouth, and the flavor is complex, layered, with notes of ginger, galangal, and lemongrass.
Ingredients:
• Beef shank or shoulder — 1 kg
• Coconut milk — 800 ml
• Shallots — 8 pieces
• Garlic — 6 cloves
• Fresh ginger — 40 g
• Galangal (or substitute ginger) — 30 g
• Lemongrass — 3 stalks
• Red chili peppers — 6 pieces
• Ground turmeric — 1 tsp
• Ground coriander — 1 tbsp
• Ground cumin — 1 tsp
• Cinnamon (stick) — 1 piece
• Star anise — 2 pieces
• Cloves — 4 pieces
• Kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest) — 4 pieces
• Unsweetened shredded coconut — 100 g
• Tamarind paste (or lemon juice) — 2 tbsp
• Palm sugar (or brown sugar) — 2 tbsp
• Salt — 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil — 3 tbsp
Preparation:
Step 1. Cut the beef into 4×4 cm cubes — large pieces won't fall apart during long braising and will retain juiciness. Pat the meat dry with paper towels to remove moisture — this ensures better searing. Peel the shallots, garlic, ginger, and galangal. Cut them into large pieces. Remove seeds from the chili peppers and cut in half.
Step 2. Grind in a blender the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, and chilies with 2-3 tbsp water until you get a smooth paste. Separately, toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until golden-brown and nutty aroma develops, stirring constantly. Grind the toasted coconut in a blender to fine crumbs.
Step 3. Heat vegetable oil in a thick-walled pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the spice paste and fry for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens, starts sticking to the bottom, and releases fragrant oil. Add turmeric, coriander, cumin, and fry another 2 minutes — the spices should release their aroma but not burn.
Step 4. Add the beef cubes to the pot and stir so each piece is coated with the spice paste. Fry for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally — the meat should change color on the outside but not cook through completely. Pour in the coconut milk, add the ground coconut, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and kaffir lime leaves.
Step 5. Remove the tough outer layers of the lemongrass, leaving only the tender core. Bruise the stalks with the back of a knife to release aroma, cut in half, and add to the pot. Add tamarind paste, palm sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to minimum, cover with a lid, and braise for 2.5-3 hours.
Step 6. Every 30 minutes, open the lid and gently stir so the meat doesn't stick to the bottom. After 2.5 hours, the sauce will reduce significantly in volume and thicken. Remove the lid and continue braising another 30-45 minutes, stirring frequently — the liquid should almost completely evaporate and the sauce turn into a thick, dark brown glaze coating the meat. Rendang is ready when stirring leaves an oily trail on the bottom of the pot, and the meat acquires an almost black color on the outside and easily separates with a fork.
Step 7. Remove the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass stalks. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary: add salt for depth, sugar for balance, or tamarind for tartness. Serve rendang hot with steamed jasmine rice or roti (flatbread). The dish becomes even tastier the next day when the meat fully absorbs the sauce.
💡 Fact: In 2011, rendang was named by CNN as the world's most delicious dish based on a poll of 35,000 readers. Traditionally it's prepared in Malaysia and Indonesia for special occasions and holidays, and the cooking process can take up to 8 hours — the longer the meat braises, the richer and deeper the flavor.