20 Delicious Ways to Enjoy Malaysian Nasi Lemak

A Malaysian Nasi Lemak is coconut milk rice wrapped in banana leaves are little parcels of joy.

You open it up, and the visual display of creamy white rice, fiery red sambal, fried crispy anchovies, toasted peanuts, and cool cucumber – makes you drool!

The question I get asked most from my American friends is this.

What do Malaysians eat for breakfast?

Most Western friends were surprised that we have a rice dish instead of cereal and cold milk in Asia.

<I smile when he offers me cereal and milk.>

Malaysians love their staples. Not necessary in this order – Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, and Toasts with Egg and Noodles.

For me, Nasi Lemak wins hands down. Morning, Noon, Night and after Midnight.

I was with my friends from the USA, and they were intrigued that Malaysians can eat so many meals in a single day.

I retorted that we only eat ONE meal, broken up by conversations, drinking, traveling, walking, shopping, and breathing.

Which inevitably brings us back to eating so MUCH rice and still staying so slim?

Malaysians and Singaporeans love flavored rice.

You May Also Like To Eat These Rice Dishes:

• Eating Village Park Famous Nasi Lemak at Damansara Uptown
• Angus Pares – Filipino Beef Pares Delight
• Pickled Mustard Greens Soup – Yam Rice Combo

It is the rich creaminess of coconut milk-infused rice that keeps us going for more.

The moment the fragrant coconut rice hits the air, I perk up.

When hot coconut cream rice is paired with spicy, flavourful, red rich sloppy Sambal Manis, I can feel the rush of saliva in my mouth.

I drool as I write this. Seriously.

Malaysian Nasi Lemak: 20 Delicious Ways to Enjoy

Malaysian Nasi Lemak is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed at the entire day.

What is Nasi Lemak to a Malaysian?

Short answer: BLISS!

Nasi lemak is a Malay fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and scented with a knotted pandan or Pandanus leaf (Screwpine).

The rice is Lemak, which means fatty and richly so. It is delicious to the last grain!

Nasi Lemak is considered the national dish in Malaysia, and it is also popular in other Asian countries, including Southern Thailand, Singapore, and Brunei.

Optimal Nasi Lemak Meal Times

Here are some popular occasions, the best to have it at all hours.

Even though Nasi Lemak is primarily a breakfast meal, some Malaysians love this dish so much that they enjoy making it at home for lunch and dinner.

Breakfast
Nasi Lemak is traditionally eaten for breakfast, providing a hearty and flavorful start to the day.

Brunch
It can also be enjoyed as a mid-morning meal, combining breakfast and lunch.

Lunch
Nasi Lemak makes for a satisfying lunch option, especially when paired with additional side dishes or protein.

Snack
Some people enjoy Nasi Lemak as a midday snack, offering a quick and tasty bite.

Dinner
While less common, Nasi Lemak can be a fulfilling dinner choice, particularly for those craving a comforting and flavorful meal.

Ultimately, the best time to eat Nasi Lemak depends on personal preference and schedule. It’s a versatile dish that can be enjoyed throughout the day!

Some stalls make this for Breakfast, and the best and most fragrant are wrapped in banana leaf squares.

For Breakfast, I love these two stalls, which involve queuing like mad.

You will want to check out the Ultimate Penang Halal Food Guide for Muslim Travelers for some pointers too.

Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang

Here in Penang, we get to eat this six days a week.

Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang is the ultimate pit stop for office workers in the Central Banking District along Beach Street.

Mounds of hot coconut-infused rice piled on banana leaf squares is a sight to behold.

Ali Nasi Lemak Daun Pisang
Sri Weld Food Court, Beach Street, Penang
OPENING HOURS | Mon-Sat: 6.00 PM – 11.00 PM, closed Sundays
SPECIALTIES | Malay Cuisine, Nasi Lemak with Add-Ons.
PHONE | 016-407 0717

Village Park Famous Malaysian Nasi Lemak

Eating the Village Park Famous Nasi Lemak at Damansara Uptown feels like a victory when you finally get into the restaurant.

Village Park Restaurant
5, Jalan SS 21/37, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Opening Hours Daily: 6.30 AM – 7.30 PM
Specialties Malay Cuisine, Nasi Lemak, Soto Ayam with Toast Bread Phone +60 3-7710 7860

Nasi Lemak Liverpool

Nothing is more satisfying for the supper crowd than chowing down on Nasi Lemak with hot fried chicken drumsticks and watching a good game.

Nasi Lemak Liverpool
92, Jalan Tan Sri Teh Ewe Lim, Jelutong, 11600 Penang
Opening Hours Daily: 7.00 pm – 2.00 am
Specialties Malay Cuisine, Fried Chicken, Nasi Lemak
Review Alfresco seating. Great for watching football. Liverpool Fans!
Phone 017-455 5797

Popular Nasi Lemak Main Pairings

• Hot Fried Chicken
• Fried Small Fish
• Assam Prawns
• Sambal Prawns
• Sweet and Spicy Cuttle Fish

Extra Crunch

• Fried Ikan Bilis (Anchovy)
• Fried Peanuts
• Salted Fish

Vegetables

• Sliced cucumber wedges
• Boiled Okra (Lady’s Fingers)

Condiments

• Sambal Belacan

The Peranakan will not eat this rice dish without the must-have condiment of hand-pounded Sambal Belacan. Some will add a little crunch that goes so well with Nasi Lemak.

Home Enjoyment – Malaysian Nasi Lemak

My friends often ask if I can cook.

The answer is yes, but my Nyonya hot wok and ladle-wielding Mama take center stage in our tiny kitchen—I am relegated to eating, tasting, and commenting.

When I was working away from Penang, I would prepare some simple meals and sometimes breakfast.

The lucky ones who live (LOL) after that meal will attest to my culinary skill set.

When it comes to individual sureties in life, let’s say I write better than I cook and a whole gazillion better than singing!

Eating Nasi Lemak: A Guide

You can eat with your hand or use a spoon to eat Nasi Lemak.

Mix the sambal ikan bilis with the steamed coconut milk rice, cut the hard-boiled egg, and spoon this into the mouth.

If you are using your hands, after mixing things around a bit, you sort of smush a chunk together to make it slightly compact before inserting it into your mouth.

Malaysian Nasi Lemak

We love our rice at home, with the full force of the coconut—very, very LEMAK – rich tasting.

Lemak is a Malay word for creamy, think cheesecake, and you get the idea.

So the only way to enjoy this treat is to cook at home. My delight, I mean, we have it once a week.

If we have it daily, it’s called a staple.

And yes, I can at it 4X a day!

Creamy Hard-Boiled Eggs

If you have been following this blog and SmartDory FB Page – You will notice that I often get disgusted (totally DISGUSTED) with hard-boiled eggs with that oxidized green ring around the yolks.

So not SEXY!

My sincere wish is that all cafes and restaurants learn to do the basics right, and the rest will follow.

Serving the halved hard-boiled egg, yolk side down for Nasi Lemak will get a smirk from me.

So totally unimpressed!

There is a way to make eggs this creamy, I assure you.

You will want to eat at least two whole eggs with your Nasi Lemak.

I eat this with the yolks mashed in a bit of soy sauce and Sambal Udang gravy.

And if I am lucky, (YES) a tad of that sweet Assam Prawn sauce.

Assam Prawns (Assam Hare)

We like a double prawn dish for our treat meal.

Fat, juicy pan-fried Sea Prawns coated in thick, gooey, sweet tamarind infused with the black sauce.

Chew on the Prawn head, and you will know what I mean.

Quality control is cooking just enough for a meal and not rushing and watching the fire.

Sambal Udang

Small prawns cooked in red sweet Gulai gravy with sliced cucumber and fragrant Limau Parut (kaffir Lime) leaves.

Essential Condiment – the Sambal Belacan

Sambal is a spicy hot, pungent condiment best served with hot rice.

The sound that never fails to draw me near is the pounding of mortar and pestle for first the Sambal Belacan, and then the rest is a wonder!

The best condiment for Nasi Lemak in a Nyonya home is thick red sambal made by hand pounding the chillies in a Batu Lesong.

The louder and more intense the noise, or if a Nyonya pounds it in anger, the hotter the sambal will taste!

Nothing quite equals toasting Belacan over a charcoal stove at the crack of dawn.

No one gets up annoyed but instead smiles with anticipation.

If you don’t have a charcoal stove, don’t worry.

Use a non-stick pan to toss the Belacan until fragrant!

Only use premium quality Belacan; otherwise, everyone will run in the opposite direction. Away from the kitchen!

After that, all you need is just elbow grease to pound away.

Simple Sambal Belacan Recipe

• 20 red chili
• Ten bird-eye chills
• 3 – 4 slices of Belacan (tossed in a pan until fragrant)
• Add a pinch of sugar

1. Pound frantically.
2. Serve with a halved Limau Kasturi (Calamansi Lime) and a pinch of sugar.

Cultural Tips: Sometimes, we add rice to the Batu Lesong to clean up the leftover sambal.

If you go to Tanjung (out to town) after eating this, you are guaranteed to get the runs.

Could you not ask me why?

It just happens oddly enough times to my neighbor that we never try this. LOL.

If all you can think about is Nasi Lemak, perhaps you want to check out your Nasi Lemak personality.

Discover Your Nasi Lemak Personality – How Do You Like Yours?

There is more than one way to eat Malaysian Nasi Lemak, all of which are equally delicious.

Are some better than others?

#1 Malaysian Nasi Lemak Bungkus (wrapped in banana leaves!)

#2 Great as a rice dish for dinner

#3 I like it dry with red spicy Sambal Belacan mixed in the rice

#4 Malaysian Nasi Lemak banjir with lots of gravy

#5 I like it with three types of meat and two types of vegetable dishes

#6 Got to eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper

#7 I MUST have it with TehTarik!

#8 Telur Mata (Sunny Side Up Eggs) over boiled eggs

#9 It must be cukup LEMAK

#10 I HATE the crunchy bits. No peanut and No Ikan Bilis, please!

#11 Assam Prawns…. <drools>

#12 I like it with Fried Fish.

#13 Make mine hot from the wok Fried Chicken.

#14 I like it for picnics.

#15 A must-have at buffets, parties, and a potluck.

#16 Nasi Lemak Burger, anyone?

#17 I like Malaysian Nasi Lemak Cake.

#18 Malaysian Nasi Lemak Sushi, seriously?

#19 I like Malaysian Nasi Lemak Cheese Cake.

#20 A Malaysian Nasi Lemak Dress!

Alas, I can’t promise to help you prepare the above out-of-the-world fantastic Nasi Lemak Ideas.

Seriously, Malaysians are so darn creative.

I’m so impressed <touched> Eventually, I will try to taste all the new ideas.

Some Nasi Lemak variants sound weirdly tempting.

Preparing Rice for Malaysian Nasi Lemak

In Asia, there are three other ways of cooking deliciously fragrant and creamy rice.

1. Pot
2. Rice Cooker
3. Steamer

The first is boiling the rice with coconut milk in a covered pot (it takes some skill to get it right).

The second is to use an electric rice cooker.

The third preparation method, called Nasi Lemak Kukus (Steamed), makes the rice more fragrant.

The richness is from sprinkling over with more santan when the cook checks it periodically.

The stall that I like but don’t get to eat that often is Pulau Tikus.

Jin Hoe Cafe Nasi Lemak
46, Jalan Cantonment, Pulau Tikus, Penang
Opening Hours Daily: 8.00am – 12.00pm
Specialties Nyonya Cuisine, Steam Nasi Lemak with Assam Prawns, Fish, Fiery Sambal Belacan

Another exciting way to savor Nasi Lemak is to fry the rice, as you would when making fried rice with overnight, cooked rice.

This santan-infused cooked rice is fried in a wok-like Nasi Goreng and served with fried chicken and sambal gravy.

Embark on an Exciting Malaysian Nasi Lemak Adventure!

I’ll make my way to this stall in PJ Old Town one of these days to try this version.

Ah Boy, Paul says it’s pretty tasty, as it was a staple for the college kids.

You can beat me to this place, check it out, and let me know how you like it.

Nasi Lemak Goreng Chef Fauzey
Jalan Sentosa 3/57, Petaling Jaya Old Town,
46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Opening Hours Mon-Sat: 6.00 pm – 11.00 pm Closed Sun
Specialties Malay Cuisine, Fried Nasi Lemak
Phone 019-376 5886

Let’s have a conversation.

What other ways do you eat Nasi Lemak?

Let me know, and I would love to add more info. and share with my readers.

Source:

How to Eat Nasi Lemak