Sambal:
- In a blender, blend soaked dried chillies, shallots, ginger, shrimp paste and a few tablespoon of water into a fine paste. Set the paste aside.
- Fry the anchovies until crispy then remove and set aside.
- Fry the sliced red onions then remove and set aside.
- Heat up 1/4 cup of oil in a pan then pour in the blended paste and 1/2 cup of water. Add in sugar, salt and tamarind juice and mix well. Fry until fragrant.
- Then stir in the fried anchovies and red onions. Mix to combine well and let the mixture simmer over low heat until it has thicken up.
- Once the mixture has thicken up, remove and set aside at room temperature to be served later.
Rice:
- Soak rice for 30 minutes.
- In a rice cooker, add in the rice (drained), coconut milk, water, ginger, garlic, shallot, lemongrass, salt and pandan leaf and let the rice does it’s magic.
- Once cooked, fluff the rice with chopstick or fork.
Fried Chicken:
- In a blender, blend onion, garlic and water.
- Using pestle and mortar, pound the lemongrass and ginger.
- In a big bowl, mix the blended and pounded ingredients with the drumsticks.
- Then add in the fennel powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, meat curry powder, chilli paste, turmeric powder, cornflour, shredded coconut, salt, sugar. beaten egg and curry leaves. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
If possible, marinate for at least an hour to let the flavours infuse.
- Fry the chicken for abut 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
- Then fry the leftover marinade to be used to garnishing (they taste great too!)
Serve the rice, fried chicken and sambal with hard boiled eggs, fried anchovies, peanuts and cucumber. Malaysia’s favourite nasi lemak, sorted!