A vegan version of the Malaysian national dish, Nasi Lemak. Fragrant coconut rice, spicy & briny sambal, roasted peanuts, and fresh cucumbers come together to create a flavor explosion.
Nasi Lemak (“creamy rice”) is traditionally served and/or cooked with anchovies, dried shrimps, squid, and hard boiled eggs. To vegan-ize the dish, I’m borrowing that funky, seafood-y flavor from a couple of plant-based ingredients, namely doubanjiang (fermented spicy bean paste), miso paste, nori (dried seaweed), and kombu dashi.
The result? Truly a flavor explosion. You get the spicy & seafood-y tang from the sambal, floral fragrance from the coconut rice, nuttiness from the roasted peanuts, caramelized sweetness from the crispy shallots, and coolness from the fresh cucumbers. Not to mention the fried tofu, which is a meaty, fulfilling source of protein that completes this hearty plate.
Vegan Nasi Lemak
Course: LunchCuisine: MalaysianDifficulty: Easy3
servings40
minutes15
minutesA vegan version of the Malaysian national dish, Nasi Lemak. Fragrant coconut rice, spicy & briny sambal, roasted peanuts, and fresh cucumbers come together to create a flavor explosion.
Ingredients
- Coconut Rice
1.5 cups white rice
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups water
5 pandan leaves, tied into a knot
1 lemongrass stalk
3 whole cloves garlic (optional)
- Vegan Sambal
1 red onion, roughly chopped
20 dried chilis (up to 25, if you’d like)
1/4 cup hot water (for soaking)
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon gochugaru, or red chili flakes
1 sheet nori (dried seaweed), roughly torn
1 tablespoon doubanjiang
2 teaspoons light brown miso
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Toppings
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
100 grams fried tofu, cubed
1 piece fried tofu pouch (prepared as this recipe)
crispy fried shallots (prepared as this recipe)
Directions
- Prepare the Coconut Rice. Rinse rise as per usual and drain well. Add rice into rice cooker (or large saucepan), followed by coconut milk, water, pandan leaves, lemongrass stalk, and garlic cloves. Cook the rice covered until all liquid evaporates and all the grains are tender & fluffy.
- Prepare the Vegan Sambal. First, soak dried chilis in boiling hot water for 10 minutes. Drain the chilis and remove the seeds (keep a few seeds for flavor & extra spice). Add chilis and all the sambal ingredients *EXCEPT for vegetable oil* into a food processor, and process until smooth. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the paste and fry until fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning to finish.
- Prepare Toppings. Assemble a plate with roasted peanuts, crispy shallots, thinly sliced cucumber, your choice of egg replacer (I used abura-age that’s lightly simmered and seasoned with black salt), and your choice of protein (I used fried tofu cubes). Serve on banana leaf for the most authentic presentation (if you have any).
Hi George! Thank you v much for veganising one of my favourite dishes on the planet. It looks amazing, cannot wait to cook this 🙂
Hi Claudia!! Considering I’m seeing this late, you’ve probably tried it already!! I hope it lived up to your standards xxx
Hi George! this looks amazing! Can you make the sambal with fresh chiles? Thanks!
Hi Anna!! Yes, the sambal should be perfect with fresh chiles~
Hello,
This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Where can I find the panadan leaves in UK (London)?
Hi Fowz, I’m not sure about the UK, as I’ve never lived there! My best guess is an Asian market. If you can’t find pandan leaves there either, perhaps you can look for pandan extract!
Looks delicious! Is there a good substitute for pandan leaves? I cannot find those in my city.
Hi Zeph! If you can find pandan extract, I recommend using that. Some say that vanilla extract is also a good substitute, but I haven’t tried it myself.