Nasi lemak ( Jawi: ; ) is a dish originating in Malay cuisine that consists of

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

cooked in

coconut milk Coconut milk is a plant milk extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of the milky-white liquid are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ingred ...

and pandan leaf. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the

national dish A national dish is a culinary Dish (food), dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons: * It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs ...

. It is also a native dish in neighbouring areas with significant ethnic Malay populations, such as

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

and

Southern Thailand Southern Thailand (formerly Southern Siam and Tambralinga) is the southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand by the Kra Isthmus. Geography Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bo ...

. In Indonesia, it can be found in parts of

Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...

, especially the Malay regions of

Riau Riau (Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of the island of Sumatra, and extends from the eastern slopes of the Barisan Mountains to the Malacca Strait, including s ...

Riau Islands The Riau Islands () is a provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia consisting of a group of islands located in the western part of the country. It was established in 2002 after being separated from the neighboring Riau Province. The capit ...

, and

Medan Medan ( , ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of North Sumatra. The nearby Strait of Malacca, Port of Belawan, and Kualanamu International Airport make Medan a regional hub and multi ...

. It is considered an essential dish for a typical Malay-style breakfast. Nasi lemak can also be found in the

Bangsamoro Bangsamoro, officially the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM; ; ), is an autonomous region in the Philippines, located in the southwestern portion of the island of Mindanao. Replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Minda ...

region of

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...

, prepared by Filipino Moros, as well as in Australia's external territories of

Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an States and territories of Australia#External territories, Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean comprising the island of the same name. It is about south o ...

and the

Cocos (Keeling) Islands The Cocos (Keeling) Islands (), officially the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands (; ), are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and rel ...

History and background

Nasi lemak was mentioned as early as 1875 in a French–Malay dictionary compiled by Pierre-Etienne-Lazare Favre, a Roman Catholic missionary based on the Malay peninsula, and in a book titled ''The Circumstances of Malay Life'', written by Richard Olaf Winstedt in 1909. With roots in Malay culture and

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, List of cooking techniques, techniques and Dish (food), dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, ...

, the name of the dish in Malay literally means "fat rice" but is taken in this context to mean "rich", or "creamy". This is derived from the cooking process, which involves soaking the rice in coconut cream and steaming the mixture. The addition of pandan leaves give the rice its distinct flavour. Nasi lemak 01a

Traditionally, nasi lemak is wrapped and served in

banana leaves The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrappin ...

, together with a hot spicy sauce ('' sambal'') and various garnishes, including fresh cucumber slices, fried anchovies (''ikan bilis''), roasted peanuts, and hard-boiled or fried eggs. 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 Cuttlefish, or cuttles, are Marine (ocean), marine Mollusca, molluscs of the order (biology), suborder Sepiina. They belong to the class (biology), class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique ...

in chili), small fried fish, cockles, and '' rendang daging'' (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices). Other accompaniments include stir-fried water convolvulus (''kangkong'') and spicy pickled vegetable salad ('' acar''). Nasi lemak is widely eaten in

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

and

. Commonly eaten as breakfast in both countries, it is sold in

hawker centre A hawker centre (), or cooked food centre (), is an often open-air complex commonly found in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. They are intended to provide a more sanitary alternative to mobile hawker carts and contain many stall ...

s and roadside stalls. In Indonesia, nasi lemak is also common breakfast fare, especially in Sumatra (

, and

). In the

Palembang Palembang (, Palembang: ''Pelémbang'', Mandarin: 巨港 (Jùgǎng), Hokkien: 舊港 (Kū-káng), Jawi: ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River in the ea ...

and

Jambi Jambi is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the east coast of central Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of i ...

provinces, it is called '' nasi gemuk'', since in Palembang Malay, ''gemuk'' is a synonym of ''lemak''. On 31 January 2019,

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

released a Google Doodle celebrating nasi lemak.

Variations

In Malaysia and Singapore, nasi lemak comes in many variations, as it is prepared by different chefs from different cultures. In northwestern

Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...

, nasi lemak dishes typically incorporate

curry Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internatio ...

into their recipe. The sambal served with the dish varies in spiciness, ranging from mild to very spicy. Hawker centres usually wrap the dish in

to enhance its flavour. Roadside stalls sell it ready-packed, known as ''nasi lemak bungkus''.

Malaysia

Traditional Malaysian version

A traditional Malaysian nasi lemak calls for rice and a serving of sambal, anchovies, peanuts, and boiled egg. While the dish is typically made using white rice, brown rice can also be used. Cooked with fresh coconut milk, with pandanus leaves thrown in, the dish is served on banana leaves.

Alor Setar variant

Also known as ''nasi lemak kuning'' ("yellow nasi lemak"), or ''nasi lemak royale'', this version is prevalent around parts of northern

Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...

, especially in

Alor Setar Alor Setar ( Kedah Malay: ) is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is home to the third-tallest ...

, as well as in the state of

Perlis Perlis (Kedah Malay language, Kedah Malay (Perlis dialect): ''Peghelih'') is a Negeri, state of Malaysia in the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. The state borders the Thai ...

. The rice is yellow in colour and commonly eaten with curries. As both variations of nasi lemak are widely available in northern Kedah and Perlis, locals commonly refer to the traditional dish as ''nasi lemak daun pisang'' ("banana leaf nasi lemak").

Terengganu variant

In the east-coast state of

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...

, ''ikan aye/aya/tongkol'' ("

mackerel tuna ''Euthynnus affinis'', the mackerel tuna, little tuna, eastern little tuna, wavyback skipjack tuna, kawakawa, or tongkol komo is a species of ray-finned bony fish in the family (biology), family Scombridae, or mackerel family. It belongs to the ...

") is often added to the dish.

Malacca variant

Malacca Malacca (), officially the Historic State of Malacca (), is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca ...

, '' kangkung'' is usually served together with nasi lemak, a contrast from the

cucumber The cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.Chinese stalls and restaurants selling nasi lemak, there is a non-

halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...

version that contains pork, sold in towns and cities such as

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

Perak Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...

, and certain parts of

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

Malaysian Indian variant

The

Malaysian Indian Indo-Malaysians are Malaysian of South Asian ancestry. Most are descendants of those who migrated from India to British Malaya from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries. Most Malaysian Indians are ethnic Tamils; smaller groups include the ...

variation is similar to the original one. As many Malaysian Indians are

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

, however, and thus do not eat beef, their variant of nasi lemak is often served with chicken curry, fish curry, or lamb curry, as well as with dishes like chicken masala or chicken varuval.

Vegetarian variant

In certain parts of Malaysia and Singapore, hawkers and restaurants may offer

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

nasi lemak. In this version, the dried anchovies and the shrimp paste for sambal are replaced with vegetarian substitutes. Vegetarian nasi lemak can also be served with stir-fried vegetables and plant-based imitation fish or

meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...

Strawberry variant

This variant is usually regarded as a unique Cameron Highlands specialty, where

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit is appreciated f ...

are commercially grown. The fruit is added to the sambal, and the rice is coloured dark pink.

Indonesia

Across the

Malacca Strait The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, long and from wide, between the Malay Peninsula to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connecting the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pa ...

, the

Malay Indonesian Malay Indonesians (Malay language, Malay/Indonesian language, Indonesian: ''Orang Melayu Indonesia''; Jawi script, Jawi: ) are Malays (ethnic group), ethnic Malays living throughout Indonesia. They are one of the indigenous peoples of the country ...

s of the Sumatran east coast share a common heritage and

with their Malaysian counterparts. As a result, nasi lemak is also native to the provinces of

and

Riau Islands variant

In the Riau Archipelago, nasi lemak is considered a native Malay dish as well as a favourite breakfast food. Being an archipelagic region,

seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...

is usually added to nasi lemak, including ''ikan tamban'' ('' Sardinella longiceps''), ''ikan selar kuning'' ('' Selaroides leptolepis''), ''sotong'', ''cumi-cumi'' (

squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

), or

shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

Riau variant

Stamp of Indonesia - 2008 - Colnect 385171 - Nasi Lemak

Pekanbaru Pekanbaru is the capital city of the Indonesian province of Riau, and a major economic center on the eastern side of Sumatra, Sumatra Island with its name derived from the Malay language, Malay (Indonesian language, Indonesian) word for 'new mar ...

city, Riau province, locally caught freshwater river fishes are commonly used to accompany nasi lemak. These include ''ikan selais'' (''

Kryptopterus cryptopterus ''Kryptopterus cryptopterus'' (blue sheatfish) is a species of catfish, the type species of the genus ''Kryptopterus''. It can be distinguished from all its congeners, with the exception of the newly split '' Kryptopterus geminus'', by the almost ...

''), ''ikan patin'' ('' Pangasius''), and ''ikan lomek'' ('' Harpadon nehereus''). The fish are usually cooked in Minang-style ''lado ijo'' (green chili pepper), minced and fried as ''perkedel ikan'', or just plain fried. Other than fried fish, Pekanbaru's nasi lemak might also be served with fried

tempeh Tempe or tempeh (; , ) is a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. A fungus, '' Rhizopus oligosporus'' or '' Rhizopu ...

, beef prepared as '' gulai'' or '' rendang'', and also stir-fried long beans, often cooked in spicy coconut milk.

Medan variant

The

'' Melayu Deli'' version of nasi lemak is usually served with a choice of side dishes, either ''rendang'' (beef or chicken) or '' balado'' (egg or shrimp in chili sauce). It may additionally include a sprinkle of crispy fried

shallot The shallot is a cultivar group of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the difference was t ...

, slices of omelette, '' kripik kentang balado'' (spicy potato chips), ''tempe orek'' (seasoned fried tempeh), '' perkedel'' (fried potato patties), sambal chili paste, and slightly bitter '' emping'' crackers. Next to ''rendang'' and ''balado'', the vegetable dish ''sayur masak lemak'' (vegetables including long beans, cabbage, and long green chilies in coconut milk) is also offered. It is a popular

street food Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

in Medan, sold in small '' warung'', usually together with '' Lontong Medan''.

Singapore

Singaporean Chinese variant

Retaining the familiar aroma of pandan leaves, the Singaporean Chinese variation of nasi lemak comes with a variety of sides that include deep-fried chicken drumsticks, chicken

franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...

, fish cake, curried vegetables, and tongsan luncheon meat.

Similar dishes

Nasi lemak's closest analogue is probably the Sumatran '' nasi gemuk'' (lit. "fatty rice"), commonly found in the Indonesian cities of

and

. The two dishes are essentially the same, and they differ mainly in name, where ''lemak'' is synonymous with ''gemuk'' in

and Palembang Malay. Other, similar regional dishes that use rice cooked in coconut milk include '' nasi uduk'' from Jakarta, '' nasi gurih'' from

Aceh Aceh ( , ; , Jawi script, Jawoë: ; Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, Old Spelling: ''Atjeh'') is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capit ...

, and the Javanese ''

nasi liwet Nasi may refer to: Food Dishes Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian and Malay word for ''cooked rice'', featured in many Southeast Asian dishes *Nasi goreng, a popular rice dish often simply called ''nasi'' *Other Southeast Asian ''nasi'' dishes: **Nasi ...

''.

'' Nasi lemuni'' is a similar savoury rice dish traditionally found in northern Peninsular Malaysia. Its preparation is similar to that of nasi lemak, though the inclusion of ''lemuni'' leaf ('' Vitex trifolia'') makes it distinctive. '' Nasi katok'' is another similar dish, this one from Brunei Darussalam, which uses plain white rice rather than coconut rice.

Health

In March 2016, nasi lemak was mentioned as one of the healthy international breakfast foods by ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine. However, a single, full-size serving of nasi lemak, with the addition of fried chicken, meat, or fish, can be between 800 and well over 1,000 calories. The coconut milk-infused rice also contains

saturated fat A saturated fat is a type of fat in which the fatty acid chains have all single bonds between the carbon atoms. A fat known as a glyceride is made of two kinds of smaller molecules: a short glycerol backbone, and fatty acids that each cont ...

, an ingredient connected to health issues such as

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

References

External links

{{Singaporean cuisine, state=collapsed Malay cuisine Malaysian rice dishes Indonesian rice dishes Singaporean rice dishes Philippine rice dishes Bruneian cuisine Thai rice dishes National dishes Malay words and phrases Foods containing coconut Steamed foods Christmas Island cuisine Cocossian cuisine