Nasi Gurih (Steamed Rice with Coconut Milk)

I still have about 500 ml left over coconut milk in my refrigerator.  I have to use it as soon as possible before it turns bad. I was thinking to make some cake, or cookies, or something like that. But 1 batch of cake or cookies only needs about 200 ml coconut milk. 500 ml is way too much for this. Finally i decided to make nasi gurih out of it. Easy and delicious for our dinner. I just need to cook the rice together with the coconut milk. Nasi means rice, and gurih means savory. The coconut milk will give savory taste to the rice. It is very popular in Indonesia. Some of us call it nasi uduk. In Malaysia, it is popular as nasi lemak.

There are 2 ways to make this rice. With or without rice cooker. I know some of you do not have rice cooker. So I will explain how to cook it in 2 ways. Let's get started.

Ingredients :

• 2 cups of rice
• 1 can (400 ml) coconut milk
• 200 ml water
• 1 lemon grass
• 1 bayleave, cut into 3 parts
• 1 pandan leave, cut into 3 parts
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preparation (without rice cooker) :

1. In a big bowl, wash the rice, and drain the water. Do it repeatedly 2 or 3 times.
2. Transfer the rice into a big pot or pan
3. Add coconut milk, water, pandan leave, bayleave, lemongrass, and salt
4. Stir lightly and level out the rice.
5. Turn on the stove and bring the water to boil. Do it on medium heat and with uncover pan/pot. You will see the bubbles forming gently in the edge of the pot/pan.
6. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and let it steamed for about 20 min until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft. Be careful not to burn the rice.
7. Turn off the heat, do not uncover it, and let the rice sit in the pan/pot for about 10 min.
8. After 10 min, open it and fold the rice few times with plastic or wooden paddle to mix all the fat from coconut milk that left on the surface of the rice. 

Preparation (with rice cooker) :

1. In a big bowl, wash the rice, and drain the water. Do it repeatedly 2 or 3 times.
2. Transfer the rice into rice cooker bowl. 
3. Add coconut milk, water, pandan leave, bayleave, lemongrass, and salt
4. Stir lightly and level out the rice.
5. Turn on the rice cooker and cook the rice until it's done.
6. When it's done (usually there's an indicator in the rice cooker when the rice is cooked), do not open the rice cooker, and let the rice sit for about 10 min.
7. After 10 min, open it and fold the rice few times with plastic or wooden paddle to mix all the fat from coconut milk that left on the surface of the rice. 

Tip : My mother taught me how to measure the water when i need to cook rice. It is ancient way but it is

always work for her and for me. Maybe for you as well? After transfer the pre-washed rice into the pan or pot or rice cooker bowl, add the water, and level out the rice. Place the tip of your middle finger on survace of the rice. The height of the water's surface should be as same as your first knuckle of your middle finger. 

Nasi gurih is usually served with assortment of side dishes such as chicken, egg, beef, stir fry vegetables, anchovy, peanuts, tempeh, tofu, starch crackers, and sambal (ground chilli sauce). 

For my dinner, i served it with ayam panggang bumbu rujak, string beans stir fry, oseng tempe tahu, sliced cucumber and tomato, and fried shallot.