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In the spirit of Bangsa Malaysia I’m gonna post this article I received in my inbox on nasi lemak. This dish has my vote for national dish because it transcends beyond race, religion, class and culture. It’s shared by all without some declaring that they have a right to eat it more than the other. It’s hearty and yummy. It’s great :)

But before that, I wanna share a cute story that happened to me earlier this year.

On my flight back to KL from UK, I sat behind a bunch of British children. When the stewardess came to serve dinner, I overheard her telling them that one of the choices was “fragrant coconut rice with spicy shrimp paste”.

I was like wahlau, I wondered what on earth can it be. It sounded soooo exotic.

When she came towards me, gave a look up and down and went, “Nasi lemak?”

:)

The Dish: Nasi Lemak
The Origins and the Secrets of the Meal That Makes Kuala Lumpur Tick
By JOHN KRICH (WALL STREET JOURNAL)

If there’s one dish that embodies a place, then in Kuala Lumpur it has to be nasi lemak. Thoroughly Malay yet thoroughly enjoyed by Chinese, Indians and expats alike, originally a breakfast staple but now consumed as a snack throughout the day and even into the night, rice cooked in coconut is the crossover dish for the capital of a crossroads land. While Malaysia’s different communities have different dietary rules, practices and preferences, they do agree on this: nasi lemak is the cat’s pjs, carbohydrate numero uno, life’s staple and backup, the side and the main. Acquire a taste for this spiced-up comfort food and you may never want to leave town.

The History
This is a dish that’s as old as the paddy fields. It must have started in the kampungs, or Malay farming villages, which is what Kuala Lumpur itself was before tin mining helped transform it into the center of British colonial administration.

“To understand how nasi lemak evolved is to understand where we came from,” says Malaysian TV food personality Redzuawan Ismail, widely known as Chef Wan, the host of popular shows including “Seafood Odyssey” and his own late-night talk show. “A poor family could always bring down a coconut from a tree to flavor the morning rice, make a chili paste with leftovers, (and) add a heap of dried anchovies, which were a main source of protein.” Presumably, this was all wrapped in a banana leaf to take out into the fields and consume during work breaks. “But today, we have all sorts of gourmet nasi lemak,” Chef Wan waxes, “with up to 15 choices of accompaniments — more like a whole rice meal.”

The Setting
In Kuala Lumpur’s concrete jungle, nasi lemak is now sold even in gas
station convenience stores. It comes “bungkus,” or packaged for easy carrying - wrapped in triangles of newspaper or in plastic in place of banana leaf - as well as scooped into plastic bowls, or even on sumptuous wide pottery plates in chic eateries. Large families still cook it at home, especially as a Sunday brunch. But usually, nasi lemak is something to be grabbed on the go. Somehow, it tastes best when served outdoors beneath a highway overpass or in stalls set up on pathways in public parks.

The Judgment
Nothing could sound more simple: nasi (rice) and lemak (coconut) - coconut-flavored rice. But it’s a bit more complex than that. Take the plainest white rice, steam it in water mixed with fatty coconut cream and a few whole leaves of the smoky-earthy pandan. Then add dabs of a scorching sambal (chili-fish paste), hopefully home-simmered and not from a jar; some fried peanuts; some ikan bilis (tiny, crispy anchovies); some stir-fried kangkung greens (otherwise known as water spinach); some cucumber; and the obligatory half a hard-boiled egg. The more a nasi lemak stall’s origins are in northern Malaysia, the more chance that ginger and lemongrass may also be added to the pot. More or less any side dish can add to the cost and the fanciness, but most common are batter-fried chicken or fish or, better yet, slow-cooked rendang stews, soot-colored and redolent of a panoply of Asian spices.

But what’s the main criterion for rating a nasi lemak? Is it the rice, which ought to be warm but not hot, scented with, while not drenched in, coconut, and fluffy, not sticky or mushy? Or is it the sambal, that should bite but not burn and balance fishiness with the grilled flavor of the chilies? Or is it how lean or fatty are the accompanying side dishes? One thing’s for certain: The fried accompaniments must be crisp.

The Sources
Here are three of the best spots to judge for yourself what makes a great nasi lemak. Most places selling it are informal food stalls; this isn’t a dish you buy with a credit card.

Nasi Lemak Tanglin
Line up early in the morning in the park for this pure, unadulterated rice-steamer - one of Kuala Lumpur’s oldest. • No. 3, Jalan Cenderasari 3 (off Jalan Tanglin), Lake Gardens. Hours: Mornings only, closed Sunday. Price: $1 per person.

Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa
A popular late-night hangout along a food strip in one of Kuala Lumpur’s most characteristically Malay areas. Known mainly for its bustle and table full of side dishes, “Antarabangsa” means international, but this spot couldn’t be more local.
Jalan Raja Muda Tiga, Kampung Baru. Hours: 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., closed Sunday. Price: $3 per person.

Warung Nasi Lemak Rindu
A stall near a subway stop that has gained attention for the special care given to the sambal and the fried chicken.• Alley opposite Pantai Dalam Commuter Station, Pantai Dalam. Hours:6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., closed Friday. Price: $2 per person.

And for kicks, here are all the nasi lemak pictures I’ve manage to dig up from my photo library . . .

Nasi lemak meal in Bristol, over a year ago.

Nasi lemak at Dome Cafe, PJ in June ‘06.

My fave, mom’s nasi lemak, last Saturday!

* * *

On that note, I wanna let everyone know I love my mom very much. Doctor’s report says her lump is malignant. Puts everything in perspective and the concept of mortality to the test. Not sure what my mom will go under . . . chemotheraphy, mastectomy? Family will have a meeting soon enough.

Things are going to change. Anything for mom.