Nasi liwet

Nasi Liwet

Nasi liwet rice dish in rich coconut milk, chicken and egg.
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Indonesia
Region or state	Solo, Central Java
Created by	Javanese
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Rice cooked in rich coconut milk surrounded with side dishes

Nasi liwet is a succulent rice dish cooked in coconut milk, chicken broth and spices, from Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. Common steamed rice is usually cooked in water, but nasi liwet is rice cooked in coconut milk, chicken broth, salam leaves and lemongrass, thus giving the rice a rich, aromatic and succulent taste. Nasi liwet is a traditional Javanese way of cooking rice in coconut milk.

Nasi liwet is topped with a slice of omelette, shredded chicken that had also been cooked in coconut milk and a spoonful of a thick aromatic coconut cream called kumut. Served alongside nasi liwet is opor ayam (a delicate chicken in a mild white coconut milk based sauce scented with galangal and lime leaves), telur pindang (eggs boiled slowly with spices), tempeh and labu siam (chayote) as the vegetable.

Traditionally, the pan used for cooking was made of clay. The taste and aroma is generally better if it is cooked on a wood fire, but different regions have different ways of preparing it. Traditionally, it is served on a banana leaf or teak leaf. Frequently, people prefer teak leaves to plates, because of the natural fragrance of the leaf. Nasi liwet complements (side dishes) always consist of coconut milk.

In Solo, nasi liwet is usually eaten for breakfast, but also a popular choice for lunch or supper. In Keprabon subdistrict, Surakarta, nasi liwet is only served for supper at the nighttime. Similar rice-coconut milk dishes can be found in other parts of Indonesia, such as nasi uduk Betawi, nasi gurih Aceh, and neighboring nasi lemak from Malaysia.