Nasi Lemak

One of the Singapore’s best known local foodies is K.F. Seetoh, the creator and author of the Makansutra guidebooks (similar to Zagat) in Asia. In his native Singapore, Seetoh is hailed as the Street Food Guru. Scroll down to see Chef Seetoh's recipe for Nasi Lemak, which has four different components: sambal chili, coconut rice, fried chicken wing and marinade and crispy mackerel. See more recipes by Chef Seetoh by visiting his featured chef page: Chef K.F. Seetoh

For Sambal Chili

3 ounces peeled garlic
1 ounce peeled ginger
3 ½ ounces peeled shallots
3 ½ ounces dried chili, soaked in water for 10 minutes
1 piece Belachan (shrimp paste)
3 ½ ounces dried shrimp, soaked in water for 10 minutes
1 cup water
1 tablespoons tamarind or lime juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
3.5 ounces dried anchovies
1 cup raw peanuts, deshelled

For Coconut Rice

2 ¼ cups Basmati rice
2 cups water
¾ cup thick coconut milk
3 leaves Pandan leaves, knotted, lightly bruised
1 stick lemongrass, bruised
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon sugar 

For Chicken Wings and Marinade

3 eggs
½ tablespoon turmeric powder
½ tablespoon salt
½ tablespoon white pepper powder
2 tablespoon ginger, minced
3 tablespoon corn flour
6 tablespoon rice flour
8 pieces chicken wings

For Crispy Mackerel Fish

1 tablespoon rice four
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
5 pieces baby mackerel fish, about 5 inches long

For Sambal Chili

1. Place all ingredients, except anchovies and peanuts, in blender, and blend till roughly fine.

2. Fry the blended paste over low-to-medium heat in pan or wok for about 5 minutes, adding about 3 tablespoons of water as you do so to avoid burning the paste. The resulting sambal should be moist and pasty. Set aside to cool.

3. Soak anchovies in water for about 5 minutes, and allow to dry completely. Deep-fry the anchovies over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Set aside.

4. Pan-fry peanuts with a spoonful of oil and a pinch of salt for about 1 minute. Mix with fried anchovies and set aside.

For Coconut Rice

1. Wash and rinse the grains and place all ingredients in rice cooker for about 25 minutes or until grains are softly al dente.

2. Loosen rice and open the lid to allow excess moisture to escape.

3. Allow rice to cool and firm softly before serving.

For Chicken Wings and Marinade

1. Mix ingredients to form marinade and batter, and allow to settle for about 10 minutes. 

2. Dip the chicken wings in mixture, and fry until golden brown and crispy over medium heat for about 4 minutes. 

3. Set aside to cool in airy conditions.

For Crispy Mackerel Fish

1. Mix the flour and spice.

2. Make sure fish is dry, then coat with the flour mixture.

3. Deep-fry fish over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until crispy and browned. Allow to cool and dry for about 20 minutes. Fry again for another 3 minutes for extra crispiness if desired. Fish should be consistently crispy from head to tail. Set aside.

* All photos courtesy of Makansutra Singapore

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