Nasi lemak

Nasi lemak

Nasi lemak served with anchovies, peanuts, boiled egg, lamb curry, cucumber, and traditional chili paste.
Course	Main course, usually for breakfast
Place of origin	Malaysia
Region or state	Malaysia, Riau Islands, Singapore and Brunei
Associated national cuisine	Malaysian
Created by	Malay cuisine
Serving temperature	Hot or room temperature
Main ingredients	Rice cooked in coconut milk with leaves of Pandan screwpine and served with traditional anchovies chili paste, cucumber, and various side dishes

Nasi lemak is a Malay fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish; it is also popular in neighbouring areas such as Singapore;Riau Islands, Brunei, and Southern Thailand. Nasi Lemak can also be found in the Bangsamoro region of Mindanao prepared by Filipino Moro. It is considered one of the most famous dishes for a Malay-style breakfast. It is not to be confused with nasi dagang, sold in the Malaysian east coast states of Terengganu and Kelantan, although both dishes are often served for breakfast. However, because nasi lemak can be served in a variety of ways, it is often eaten throughout the day.

In March 2016, nasi lemak was mentioned as one of the 10 healthy international breakfast foods by TIME magazine. This opinion however, might be misleading, since the writer might be referring to its relatively "healthier" and smaller version and in comparison to large American breakfast (fried bacons, eggs, pancakes/hash browns). A single, full size serving of nasi lemak with additional fried chicken, meat or fish, can be between 800 to well over 1,000 calories. The savoury coconut milk-infused rice also contains saturated fat, an ingredient connected to health problems, including diabetes.

Nasi lemak was mentioned in a book "The Circumstances of Malay Life", written by Sir Richard Olof Winstedt in 1909. With roots in Malay culture and Malay cuisine, its name in Malay literally means "oily or fatty rice", but is taken in this context to mean "rich" or "creamy". 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.