Shen Tan, a private dining chef, grew up eating plenty of $1 nasi lemak packets and pays tribute to this wonderful dish with this new creation.
Ingredients
- 500g rice, soak for at least 90 mins
- 250g fresh coconut milk
- 250ml water
- 2 slices of ginger
- 1 tbsp red onion, chopped
- ½ tsp fenugreek
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
- 2 stalks pandan leaves, tied into a knot
- ½ tbsp coconut oil
PORK RENDANG
- 1 kg pork belly, cut into 5-cm cubes
- 750 ml coconut milk
- 1 turmeric leaf
- 2 sticks lemongrass, cut off ends and break in two
- 5 pcs kaffir lime leaves
- 3 tbsps chilli powder
- ⅓ tsp garam masala
- 1 bay leaf
REMPAH
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 10 shallots, peeled
- 1.5-cm piece blue ginger, peeled
- 1.5-cm piece of ginger, peeled
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsps fish sauce
SAMBAL BELACHAN
- Prep 45 mins
- 500g big red chilli
- 300g chilli padi
- 500g peeled shallots
- 200g sugar
- 200g belachan, cut into 1-cm thick slices
- Lime juice, to taste
Steps
Strain the rice and place rice in a steamer with the onions, ginger, lemongrass and pandan leaves. Steam until cooked, about 1 hour.
Remove cooked rice and soak in the mixture of coconut milk, water, salt and fenugreek for an hour, or until the rice has absorbed all the moisture.
Place the rice mixture in the steamer and steam for another 45 mins.
Blend the rempah ingredients in a food processor until it has a fi ne paste consistency. Empty into a dutch oven.
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Add the dry ingredients (except for the pork) and coconut milk to the blended rempah. Bring it to a boil, and let it simmer and reduce by a third.
Add the pork belly cubes and place the lid on the dutch oven.
Place in oven, and cook rendang for about 2 hrs, until meat is tender.
Pre-heat oven to 160 C. Lay fl at the belachan and toast for 10 mins.
In a food processor, blend the chillies together with the shallots, belachan and sugar.
Add in lime juice, to taste, before serving. Store leftover belachan in airtight container in fridge; it keeps for about a week.