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Nasi Kuning (Indonesian Yellow Rice)

Nasi kuning is Indonesia's celebration rice, the golden centrepiece of birthdays, weddings and thanksgiving feasts, where it's often shaped into a towering cone called a tumpeng. The colour comes from turmeric, and the richness from coconut milk infused with lemongrass and lime leaves.

The flavour is gently savoury, creamy and aromatic, which makes it the perfect partner for fried chicken, tempe orek, sambal and a fried egg. Build a plate around it and you've got a warung-style feast.

It cooks just like your usual pot of rice, on the stove or in a rice cooker, so it's an easy way to make an ordinary dinner feel like an occasion.

Servings
6
Prep Time
10
mins
Cook Time
25
mins
Ingredients
12
Total Time
35
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Pantry bits

  • Heavy-based saucepan with tight-fitting lid, or rice cooker
  • Fine sieve for rinsing rice
  • Whisk
  • Fork for fluffing

Ingredients

  • 400g jasmine rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
  • 250ml coconut milk
  • 375ml water
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and knotted
  • 3 kaffir lime leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2cm piece fresh ginger, bruised
  • Fried shallots, to serve
  • Cucumber slices, tomato wedges and hard-boiled egg, to serve

Instructions

  1. Put the rinsed rice in a heavy-based saucepan or rice cooker.
  2. Whisk the turmeric into the coconut milk and water until smooth, then pour over the rice.
  3. Add the lemongrass, lime leaves, bay leaves, ginger, salt and sugar and give everything one good stir.
  4. On the stove, bring to the boil, then cover tightly, drop the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes. In a rice cooker, just press start.
  5. Turn off the heat and let the rice steam, lid on, for 10 minutes. No peeking.
  6. Remove the aromatics and fluff the rice gently with a fork, scraping up the rich coconut layer at the bottom.
  7. Mound onto a platter, scatter with fried shallots and serve with cucumber, tomato and boiled egg, plus fried chicken or tempe orek if you're going the full spread.

Other recipes

Opor Ayam (Chicken in Coconut Curry)
Martabak Telur (Savoury Stuffed Pancake)
Sop Buntut (Indonesian Oxtail Soup)

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