The ever popular Nasi Lemak Bungkus served with spicy anchovies, peanuts, hard boiled eggs, and cucumber slices wrapped in banana Malaysian and anyone who has ever lived in Malaysia for a period of time would know about Nasi Lemak. This ever popular and ubiquitous dish can be found at the humblest street corner stands to the poshest hotel restaurants. In the old days, one does not have to look far to get a taste of this dish. Vendors came round with baskets filled with little pyramid shaped packets of Nasi Lemak wrapped in banana leaves and newsprint during ball games and public events. Yet, it is still cooked at home for picnics, parties, and regular meals. Nasi Lemak – Malaysia’s de facto National DishMalaysians love their nasi lemak and can’t leave home without it. It is as popular abroad as it is in the homeland. You will likely find this dish in a gathering of homesick Malaysians and it is offered in every Malaysian restaurant I have encountered overseas. One can indeed say that Nasi Lemak is the de facto national dish of Lemak means creamy rice. The rice is cooked in coconut milk infused with pandan leaves. A little ginger is sometimes added. The most basic accompaniments to this rice are sambal ikan bilis spicy anchovies, hard boiled egg, slices of cucumber, and peanuts. Other popular add-ons include Chicken Curry, Beef Rendang dry beef curry, sambal sotong spicy squid, and acar spicy vegetable salad.Traditionally, Nasi Lemak is wrapped in newsprint lined with banana leaves. The banana leaves enhances the dish as it imparts a light fragrance to the rice when wrapped warm and allowed to sit for a short period of time. Nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaves are becoming scarcer as more and more vendors use waxed paper. Restaurants normally serve them on do eat my fair share of Nasi Lemak whenever I visit my parents in Malaysia. 😀 These pictures were taken in the summer of 2010. I also ate lots of Nasi Lemak Bungkus but unfortunately I did not take a picture of the pyramid shaped packages which I must remember to do so the next time I Lemak Bungkus – The Quintessential Malaysian BreakfastThe quintessential Malaysian breakfast is Nasi Lemak Bungkus accompanied by a cup of sweet kopi-o. When ordering coffee in Malaysia kopi-o means coffee with sugar only. If you just say “kopi”, it will come sweetened with condensed milk. By adding the words “kurang manis”, you will get it less sweet. For black coffee, say “kopi kosong” which is like zero coffee with no sugar and no milk. For iced coffee, say “kopi peng”.Malaysian CoffeeMalaysian coffee is strong coffee. For some it is an acquired taste. The beans are roasted with butter or margarine and sugar, giving it a slightly burnt smell. Coffee is made by pouring boiling water through ground coffee held in a cloth sock filter in a koleh or enamel mug. This resulting brew is thick, strong, and bitter. It can be drunk hot or iced. Do give it a try if you get a chance to is not much of a coffee drinker. So what kind of coffee does she drink in Minnesota? Löfbergs Lila Swedish coffee ….. err decaffeinated and brewed in a coffee brewer. 🙂Eating with FingersDon’t be surprise if you see someone doing this in the warong Malay eatery or Indian stall. Some Baba Nyonyas do eat with their fingers too but usually only at home. Always use your right hand even if you are left-handed. Food should never go above one’s knuckles. If other dishes are served together in a meal, use your clean left hand to take food with the serving spoon provided. Do clean both hands with the bowl or flask of water set on the table specifically for that purpose before and after the meal. I have known of visitors to Malaysia who have unwittingly drank from the hand washing bowl much to the consternation of the host!Similar Tools Used in Making This Nasi Lemak BungkusThis post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy Silex 1-1/2-Cup Food Chopper Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Spoon Set Cuisinart Professional Stainless Saucepan with Cover, Nasi Lemak Bungkus Coconut Flavored Rice with Spicy Anchovies Wrapped in Banana LeavesThe ever popular Nasi Lemak Bungkus served with spicy anchovies, peanuts, hardboiled eggs, and cucumber slices wrapped in banana leaves. Course Main Dish Cuisine Malaysian Keyword nasi lemak, nasi lemak bungkusPrep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Total Time 1 hour Servings 8 Calories 560kcal2 cups long grain rice equivalent to 2¾ cup rice cooker cup 400g2 pandan leaves knotted1 inch ginger crushed 30g¼ tsp salt2½ cups coconut milk 600ml½ cucumber thinly sliced4 hard cooked eggs sliced½ cup Spanish peanuts or roasted peanuts 85g8 pieces banana leaves measuring 10-inch x 8-inch each optional8 pieces newsprint measuring 12-in x 7-inch each optionalSambal Ikan Bilis4 oz ikan bilis / dried anchovies, trimmed and peeled 100g4 tbsp vegetable oil1 tsp tamarind concentrate¼ cup water 60ml1 tsp sugar¼ tsp saltSpice Paste6 dried chilies4 red chilies1 lemongrass white part only, sliced1 onion or 6 shallots½ inch cube belacanCooking rice using rice cookerWash and drain rice 4 to 5 times in rice cooker insert. Dry exterior of rice cooker insert. Add knotted pandan leaves, ginger, and salt. Pour in coconut milk. It should come up to about the 2¾ cups insert into rice cooker and press the start button. When rice is cooked, unplug the rice cooker and allow rice to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a pair of chopsticks or a fork before rice on the stoveWash and drain rice 4 to 5 times in rice cooker insert. Add knotted pandan leaves, ginger, and salt. Pour in coconut milk. Place pot on the stove over medium heat. When coconut milk comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and allow rice to cook until all coconut milk is absorbed. This will take about 10 minutes. Turn heat down to the lowest possible setting and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Let rice sit for 10 minutes before fluffing rice with a pair of chopsticks or a fork before Ikan BilisBreak dried chilies in half and shake off seeds. Soak in warm water for 15 minutes. Wash and soak ikan bilis separately for 15 minutes. Drain and blot dry with paper all spice paste ingredients until fine, adding a tablespoon of water if needed. Remove and set oil in a medium sized pan. Add ikan bilis and fry till golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and set remaining tablespoon of oil and spice paste in the same pan. Fry spice paste until fragrant, about 3 to 5 tamarind paste and water in a small bowl. Pour into pan and stir to get spices and tamarind juice well mixed. When it comes to a boil, add sugar and return fried ikan bilis** to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. ServePlace a bowl of rice on plate with half and egg, a few slices of cucumber, some peanuts, and sambal ikan bilis pile on top of place warm nasi lemak portion on a piece of newsprint lined with banana leaf. Banana leaf should be slightly longer but narrower than newsprint. Bring both long edges of banana leaf and newsprint to meet in the center with the one edge overlapping slightly on one end. Criss-cross the flaps in the center by placing bottom flap on the top on the opposite end. Fold both ends under to form a pyramid shape package of rice sit for 10 minutes before serving so that rice will absorb some of the banana leaf fragrance.**Alternatively, fried ikan bilis can be separate from the 560kcalUpdate June 19, 2016Today is Father’s Day and since this is Ro-Ri San’s favorite Malaysian breakfast, I got up early to make him some Nasi Lemak Bungkus. He was so delighted! 🙂This time I decided not to add the fried ikan bilis anchovies to the sambal so that it will remain crispy. You can do it either way. It will be just as also took this opportunity to add the step-by-step pictures for wrapping the Nasi Lemak Bungkus which was not there previously. Hopefully, you will find it also made him a cup of “white” coffee. He was a happy camper and so was I. 😉