Coconut Rice with Spicy Tomato Sauce (Nasi Lemak with Sambal Tomat)

Coconut rice is popular throughout Southeast Asia. Sambal means "sauce" in Malay, and this spicy tomato condiment is great with rich, sweet rice. If you can find pandan (screwpine) leaves (also known as pandanus or daun pandan), use two of them tied together in place of the bay leaves; they lend distinctive woody and floral undertones to the rice. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup rice and about 1/4 cup sambal)

Ingredients

• Rice:
• 3  cups  light coconut milk
• 2  cups  uncooked long-grain white rice
• 2  bay leaves
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 
  Sambal:
• 8  red Thai chiles
• 1  tablespoon  peanut oil
• 1  cup  peeled and quartered shallots (about 4 large)
• 2  teaspoons  minced garlic
• 1  tablespoon  brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon  grated lime rind
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, undrained, seeded, and chopped
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt

Preparation

1. To prepare the rice, combine coconut milk, rice, and bay leaves in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Let stand 5 minutes; discard bay leaves. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt.

2. To prepare sambal, seed 7 chiles; leave seeds in 1 chile. Mince chiles. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add chiles and sugar to pan; sauté 1 minute or until fragrant. Add rind, juice, and tomatoes to pan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve sambal over rice.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

399 (21% from fat)

Fat:

9.3g (sat 6.3g,mono 1.6g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:

9g

Carbohydrate:

72.8g

Fiber:

2.6g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

4.5mg

Sodium:

375mg

Calcium:

62mg