Nasi Lemak with Mamak Fried Chicken/ Cauliflower

Nasi lemak, with all its trimmings! The rice(nasi) gets its richness from being cooked with coconut milk (lemak). In Singapore, you can get nasi lemak with all sorts of toppings, the most basic being salty crunchy roasted peanuts and anchovies, cool cucumber and a boiled or fried egg. For a top-tier plate though, I would add a spiced fried chicken, aka ayam goreng. Our Mamak Curry Leaf & Roasted Cumin Paste makes a punchy marinade for the fried chicken, or cauliflower if you’re veggie. My only other non-negotiable is a sweet, spicy sambal tumis to tie together the coconut rice and all the other elements on your plate.

Serves 2-3

For the coconut rice

1 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup (125ml) Rempapa coconut cream
1/2 cup (125ml) water + a bit left from washing the rice
1/2 tsp salt
1 lemongrass stalk (skip if you can’t find)
2 pandan leaves (skip if you can’t find)

Wash the rice twice, tipping away the milky water. There will be a bit left in the pot. To that, add the coconut milk, water, salt and lemongrass/ pandan. 

Pop everything into your rice cooker to cook. Or if cooking in a saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, until most of the water’s gone and you see little craters. Then cover with a lid, and turn it down very low for 15 mins. Turn the heat off and let it finish steaming in the residual heat for another 5 mins.

Fluff with a rice paddle and serve with the toppings below.

For the fried chicken/ cauliflower

250g chicken thigh fillets, or cauliflower
2 heaped tbsp Rempapa Mamak pastę
75ml coconut cream 
3 pinches of sea salt
100g cornflour
any neutral oil, for frying
1 sprig fresh curry leaves (optional, for garnish)

Cut the chicken into 2.5cm pieces. If using cauliflower, break into big bite-sized florets.

Mix the Mamak paste with the coconut cream and a pinch of salt. Add the chicken/ cauliflower and coat well. Marinate for 1 hour, or overnight. Remove from fridge 30 mins before cooking.

Heat 2cm of oil in a wok or frying pan. Test with a wooden spoon: steady (not furious) bubbles should form immediately. If using curry leaves, add now to fry. Once they crackle and darken, scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside on kitchen paper.

Mix the cornflour with 2 pinches of salt on a tray. Lift the chicken/ cauliflower out and coat in the flour to form a craggy batter. Drop gently into the oil and shallow fry for 3-5 minutes, flipping once, until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve garnished with the crispy curry leaves.

Other toppings:
2 eggs, fried or boiled
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 handful of roasted peanuts
1 handful of dried anchovies, pan-fried in a bit of oil until golden (skip if you can’t find)
Rempapa Sambal Tumis

This recipe will leave you with extra Mamak paste, try it in your next curry or dal. Sambal is yummy over fried eggs or anything and everything really! Check out our other recipes for more ideas.

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