Nasi Lemak

Rinse the Jasmine rice under cold water until the rinsing water runs clear, then drain well.

Place the drained rice in a pot or rice cooker and add Coconut milk and Water along with a couple of Pandan leaves, a bruised stalk of Lemongrass and a few thin slices of Ginger; season with a pinch of Salt. Cook gently until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, then let it steam for 10 minutes off the heat.

Soak the Dried red chilies in hot water until softened, then drain and remove seeds if you prefer less heat.

Heat a little Neutral oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté sliced Small shallots, smashed Garlic and chopped Onion until translucent; add a piece of Belacan and fry briefly to bloom its flavor.

Transfer the sautéed aromatics and softened chilies to a blender or mortar, add a little Tamarind paste and Palm sugar, plus a small pinch of Salt to taste, and blend to a coarse paste; return this paste to the pan and fry over medium-low heat until fragrant and the oil separates from the sambal.

In a separate small pan heat more Neutral oil and shallow-fry the Dried anchovies (ikan bilis) until crisp and golden; remove and drain on paper towels. In the same oil, quickly fry the Raw peanuts until toasted and golden, then drain.

Place the Large eggs in boiling water and simmer to your liking (about 7–10 minutes for hard-boiled), cool under cold running water, peel and halve.

Slice the Cucumber into thin rounds or half-moons for serving.

To assemble, mound coconut rice on each plate and serve with a spoonful of sambal, a scattering of crispy anchovies and peanuts, a halved egg and cucumber slices. Offer extra sambal on the side for heat lovers.