Nasi Kerabu

Name: Nasi Kerabu
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 1 tsp Salt, fine; 1 Cucumber, small, julienned; 360g Long-Grain Rice, washed until water runs clear; 25 Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers, bunga telang; 650ml Water, boiling, to steep flowers; use infusion to cook rice; 2 leaves of Pandan Leaf, knotted; 1 stalk of Lemongrass Stalks, bruised; 8 Long Beans, finely sliced; also called yardlong beans; 1 cup Bean Sprouts, blanched and drained; 1 cup Green Cabbage, finely shredded; 1 Torch Ginger Bud, very thinly sliced; bunga kantan; 5 leaves of Kaffir Lime Leaves, very finely shredded; 1/2 cups Vietnamese Mint (Daun Kesum), thinly sliced; 1/2 cups Thai Basil Leaves, thinly sliced; 1 stalk of Lemongrass Stalks, tender inner stalk, very finely sliced; 4 Bird's Eye Chilies, thinly sliced; optional; 300g Ikan Kembung, simmered and flaked, bones removed; 2 cups Coconut, freshly grated; 8 Shallots; 3 cloves of Garlic Clove; 1 tsp Ground Turmeric; 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, minced; 1 tsp Galangal, finely chopped; optional; 7 Dried Red Chilies, soaked and deseeded; 1 tbsp Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka), grated; 1 tsp Salt, fine; 2 tbsp Cooking Oil; 4 tbsp Budu; 2 Limes, juiced; 4 Shallots, thinly sliced

Nasi Kerabu is a vibrant Malaysian rice dish featuring naturally blue, fragrant rice piled with a rainbow of fresh herbs, crunchy vegetables and aromatic toasted coconut. Serve with spicy sambal, grilled mackerel, salted egg and keropok for a beautiful, textural feast that balances floral, tangy and savory notes.

Nasi Kerabu is a vibrant Malaysian rice dish featuring naturally blue, fragrant rice piled with a rainbow of fresh herbs, crunchy ... Show more

Traditional Malaysian Recipe

Health Grade

B · Healthy

Rating

4.3

Time

1 hr20 min

Price

4,58 €

Calories

1697 kcal

nutritious

high protein

low sugar

comfort food

Method

Make the infusion

Rinse the Long-Grain Rice in a few changes of water until it runs clear, then drain well. In a saucepan, bring the Water to a boil with the Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers, Pandan Leaf, Lemongrass Stalks, and Salt, then lower the heat and let it steep for 10 minutes until the liquid is a vivid blue. Strain out the flowers and aromatics, leaving you with the colored infusion.

Cook the rice

Put the rinsed rice into a pot, pour in the blue infusion, and tuck the lid on tightly. Bring it to a gentle boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes; if you see steam escaping, keep the lid on so the rice cooks evenly. Turn off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes before fluffing.

Prep the ulam

Slice the Cucumber into thin matchsticks, finely cut the Long Beans, shred the Green Cabbage, and shave the Torch Ginger Bud as thinly as you can. Add the shredded Kaffir Lime Leaves, Vietnamese Mint (Daun Kesum), Thai Basil Leaves, and the tender inner lemongrass, then toss in the sliced Bird's Eye Chilies if you want extra heat.

Blanch the sprouts

Drop the Bean Sprouts into a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, just until they turn bright and slightly tender, then drain them well and spread them out so they stay crisp.

Poach the fish

Place the Ikan Kembung in a small pot, cover it with water, and simmer gently for 8 minutes until the flesh turns opaque and separates easily. Lift it out, let it cool just enough to handle, then flake the meat into bite-size shreds and pick out any tiny bones.

Soften the chilies

Cover the Dried Red Chilies with hot water and soak for 10 minutes until they are soft and flexible. Drain them well, then split open the chilies and shake out the seeds.

Cook the serunding

Warm the Cooking Oil in a wok over medium heat, then fry the Shallots, Garlic Clove, Fresh Ginger, and optional Galangal until fragrant. Add the softened Dried Red Chilies, Ground Turmeric, the flaked Ikan Kembung, and the Coconut, then keep tossing for 8 minutes more. Finish with the Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka) and Salt, and keep stirring until the mixture looks dry, crumbly, and lightly toasted.

Pound the sambal

Crush the Belacan (Shrimp Paste) in a mortar and pestle with the Red Chilies and bird's eye chilies to a coarse paste. Mix in the Lime Juice, Sugar, and Salt until the sambal tastes sharp, salty, and bright.

Mix the budu

Stir together the Budu, juice from the Lime, sliced Shallots, bird's eye chilies, and Sugar until the dressing tastes salty, tangy, and just a little sweet.

Fry the mackerel

Pat the Mackerel (Ikan Kembung) dry, rub it with a little salt, and fry it in a thin layer of hot oil over medium-high heat for 4 minutes per side. Turn it only once, and cook until the skin is deep golden and crisp and the flesh flakes cleanly.

Fry the keropok

Fry the Keropok Ikan in the remaining hot oil in small batches for 1 minute or until they puff and turn crisp. Lift them out straight away and drain on paper so they stay light.

Assemble and serve

Mound the blue rice on each plate and arrange the ulam around it. Add the serunding, fried Mackerel (Ikan Kembung), halved Salted Duck Egg, and crisp Keropok Ikan, then spoon over the sambal belacan and serve the budu dressing on the side.