Nasi Uduk – Lemongrass-Scented Coconut Rice
My attempt at the Indonesian spice cake called spekkoek was a complete disaster, so weaseling my way into the this month’s edition of WTSIM means that I have to go with Plan B.
There is no Plan B, so let’s see what’s in the fridge:
- Sriracha – Not much use in Indonesian cookery as far as I know.
- Sourdough starters – Can’t remember the last time I fed these. Must feed self first.
- Curdled white goo – A closer look reveals that it’s just yogurt.
- Tempeh – Quintessentially Indonesian, but I don’t feel like frying anything at the moment.
- Lemongrass – We may be on to something here…
Since being Filipino means that I hoard coconut milk cans like squirrels do acorns, I humbly serve a side dish of fragrant nasi uduk, rice steamed with lemongrass and coconut milk. This barebones version suggests an optional parboiling step before steaming, if you ever feel like trying it with brown rice.
Waiter There’s Something In My… Indonesian
hosted by Andrew of Spittoon Extra
recipe adapted from James Oseland’s Cradle of Flavor
Nasi Uduk
Indonesian Lemongrass-Scented Coconut Rice
makes 4 to 6 servings
Lemongrass and Coconut Milk
2 cups white or brown rice (14 ounces/400 grams), thoroughly rinsed
3 lemongrass stalks
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Notes:
- If using brown rice, parboil for about 10 to 15 minutes in a large pot of boiling water, as if cooking pasta, before continuing with the recipe. The brown rice grains should be slightly softened but still uncooked in the center.
Instructions:
Chop off and discard the bottom inch and bristly tops of the lemongrass. Remove the outer 2-3 layers of the lemongrass stalk. Using a heavy blunt object, bruise the lemongrass stalks lightly, just until flexible enough to tie into knots.
In a lidded saucepan, stir together the rice, lemongrass knots, water, coconut milk, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat while continuously stirring to prevent the bottom from scorching. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, ensuring that the lemongrass knots are completely immersed in the rice and liquid.
Cover tightly with the lid and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. Remove from the heat and let steam for an additional 10 minutes by keeping the saucepan covered. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
Remove and discard the lemongrass knots. Fluff the rice with a fork or spoon and let cool slightly before serving.
The richness of nasi uduk pairs well with the acidity of vinegared Filipino adobos, be it pork, chicken, or beef.
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October 1st, 2008 at 2:25 am
Delicious! I love such frangrant and delicate tasting rices!
Cheers,
Rosa
October 1st, 2008 at 6:09 am
gosh, I love lemongrass. and I loved your description of coconut milk hoarding.
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October 1st, 2008 at 6:53 am
Lemongrass has such a wonderful smell. Between that and the coconut, I’m sure your kitchen was one happy place
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October 1st, 2008 at 9:34 am
I can imagine that would be a lovely flavored & scented rice
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October 1st, 2008 at 9:51 am
Now that is a very interesting way to serve rice. I don’t think I’ve ever had Indonesian food before. This could be a tasty first dish for me.
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October 1st, 2008 at 9:51 am
This looks delicious and fragrant. I like your descriptive instructions on how much to bruise the lemongrass
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October 1st, 2008 at 11:26 am
this looks a nice and interesting recipe
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October 1st, 2008 at 2:10 pm
That sounds great. I’m sure it smelled fantastic while it was cooking! Can’t wait to try it with my adobo.
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October 1st, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Ah, you’re using the lemongrass like pandan. Do you think this recipe would work in a rice cooker?
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October 1st, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Very beautiful dish! Yummy!
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October 1st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
The lemongrass in my herb garden is ready to be harvested, so I’m delighted to find a new (to me) recipe that uses it!
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October 1st, 2008 at 7:34 pm
That rice looks great! What happened to your cake though? Did you use the recipe from Cradle of Flavour? I have that book and have been meaning to make the cake. Should I avoid it?
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October 1st, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I love lemongrass, but I can only find it dried… Otherwise I would certainly use it more often!
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October 1st, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Rosa, Adam, Kat – Smells so good while steaming.
Cheryl – That reminds me.. I only have a few gallons left.
Ben – The rice had just enough to not completely fade into the background
Jessica – Good thing I have alot of blunt objects around.
Snooky – Fairly simple, too, and easy to throw together in a pinch.
Nate – Nasi uduk + adobo = best dinner in a while.
Marvin – It should work, although I’m not sure if the coconut milk will scorch or not.
Van – It went pretty fast.
Lydia – Wow, freshly plucked lemongrass must be so aromatic!
Y – It’s not the recipe, it’s me
. I’m just going to say that a makeshift bundt pan is a bad idea.
Hannah – I wonder how to substitute dried for fresh lemongrass (if you can)
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:51 am
Looks and sounds great, Jude. I must be Filipina too
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October 2nd, 2008 at 6:57 am
I’m sure this is fantastic. I’ve made something very similar recently to go w/ a curry dish: Cardamom-Scented Wild Rice with Coconut Milk. Really the only difference was I used cardamom pods instead of lemongrass and had to pick them out to eat the rice. Looked fantastic though, and tasted great. Another variation on the dish was to saute wild rice in ghee, then cook it in coconut milk, season w/ s/p and a touch of cayenne, and when the rice was finished, I tossed in toasted pumpkin seeds. Hey, I need to put those on my blog at http://www.lifechef.net!
October 2nd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Being Brasilian I nurture a life long passion for rice and this dish has brought me to my knees. I believe that it is quite fragrant. Must take note and reproduce.
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
This looks gorgeous – I *love* the lemongrall knots!
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Umm….. that would be lemongraSS!! D’oh!
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October 2nd, 2008 at 7:04 pm
You know I am definitely going to try this
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October 3rd, 2008 at 12:36 am
This sounds great and something I could try at home. I love to cook with lemongrass and coconut milk.
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October 3rd, 2008 at 4:03 am
Spekoek is the most difficult cake to bake and very laborious. That’s why they are so extremely expensive in shops. So don’t feel bad. Keep on trying.
I love nasi uduk. We have that at least twice a week on breakfast. If you add pandan leaves and tie it into a knot like the lemongrass, it will give the rice a hint of sweetness. A real kick. That’s what they do at home.
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October 4th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Simple it may be but looks great and I bet it tastes just as good!
Many thanks for the entry to waiter.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
how interesting! i love lemongrass and using it to infuse rice sounds like a wonderful idea!