nasi lemak

Nasi lemak is Malay: nasi (cooked rice) and lemak (fat, rich, creamy). The rice is cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaves, lemongrass, ginger, and sometimes fenugreek. The coconut milk makes it rich, fragrant, and slightly oily — the 'fat' in the name. It is served with sambal (chili paste), fried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, sliced cucumber, and a hard-boiled or fried egg.

Nasi lemak is Malaysian. Singaporeans eat it too, and this causes arguments. Malaysia considers nasi lemak a national symbol — it appears on the country's postage stamps and is mentioned in political speeches. When Singaporean or Indonesian outlets claim nasi lemak as their own, the response from Malaysia is fierce. The dish has been the subject of diplomatic commentary. Food is politics.

The traditional form is nasi lemak bungkus — wrapped in a banana leaf or newspaper, creating a compact, portable package sold from roadside stalls for as little as two ringgit (about forty-five cents). The banana leaf imparts a subtle flavor to the rice and keeps it warm. Malaysians eat nasi lemak bungkus for breakfast, tearing open the leaf on the way to work. The meal is complete: starch, protein, fat, spice, and crunch.

Upscale versions of nasi lemak have appeared in Malaysian restaurants — nasi lemak with rendang, with fried chicken, with lobster. These elaborate versions are popular, but the original bungkus remains the standard. No amount of lobster can improve on the version wrapped in a banana leaf and eaten before 8 AM.