History of nasi lemak

Nasi lemak was mentioned in a book "The Circumstances of Malay Life", written Sir Richard Olof Winstedt in 1909.^[9] With roots in Malay culture andMalay cuisine, its name in Malay literally means "oily or fatty rice",^[10][11] but is taken in this context to mean "rich" or "creamy".^[12] The name is derived from the cooking process whereby rice is soaked in coconut cream and then the mixture steamed. The rice is normally cooked with pandan leaves that gives it a distinctive flavour.^[10]

Traditionally, nasi lemak is served with a hot spicy sauce (sambal), and usually include various garnishes, including fresh cucumber slices, small friedanchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, and hard-boiled or fried egg.^[10][13] As a more substantial meal, nasi lemak may also be served with an additional protein dish such as ayam goreng (fried chicken), sambal sotong (cuttlefish in chili), small fried fish, cockles, and on special occasions rendang daging (beef) stewed in coconut milk and spices).^[13][14] Other accompaniments include stir fried water convolvulus (kangkong),^[15] and spicy pickled vegetables salad acar. Traditionally most of these accompaniments are spicy in nature.

Nasi lemak is widely eaten in Malaysia and Singapore. More commonly consumed as breakfast in both countries, it is commonly sold at hawker food centres and roadside stalls in Malaysia and Singapore. In Indonesia, nasi lemak is a favourite local breakfast fare; especially in Eastern Sumatra (Riau Islands, Riau and Jambi provinces).^[16]In Palembang, it is also a favourite local dish with the name "nasi gemuk". In palembangnese malay, "gemuk" has the same meaning as "lemak". This unique dish often comes wrapped in banana leaves, newspaper or brown paper, or it in some shops served on a plate. However, owing to its popularity there are restaurants which serve it as a noon or evening meal, making it possible for the dish to be eaten all day. Nasi lemak kukus which means "steamed nasi lemak" is another name given to nasi lemak served with steamed rice. In Malaysia, nasi lemak also can be found in a pasar malam (night market) with a variety of dishes.