Nasi Dagang

Hi everyone. It's already the 17th day of October & this is my first post for the month..... not looking good.. The year-end madness at work is compelling me to devote more time on my school work even when I'm at home. Besides that, I also need to attend to my ten-year-old son whose exam is also around the corner....

Last Tuesday was Hari Raya Haji & I cooked nasi dagang, a traditional rice from Trengganu & Kelantan states of Malaysia. It's something like nasi lemak except that it's more flavourful with the added ginger, garlic, shallots & fenugreek. The authentic nasi dagang uses a kind of rice specially for cooking the rice but since it's not readily available in the southern part, it's often replaced with long grain Thai  & glutinous rice. The accompanying dish is often spicy & coconut-based chicken or fish (often tuna). I cooked Lemak Pedas Ikan  to serve with the rice.

Nasi Dagang
Recipe by Hjh Babyah Mahmood from Goodness Gracious Absolutely Delicious... by Asmah Laili.

Ingredients:
1 kg best Thai rice
300 g glutinous rice
1 tsp fenugreek, washed & strained
1 thumb-size young ginger
10 shallots
 cloves garlic
2 cups thick coconut milk squeezed from 1 white grated coconut
a little salt & sugar
6 pandanus leaves
banana leaves

Method:

1. Combine the two types of rice & soak for 6 hours. 
2. Slice ginger, shallots & garlic finely & set aside.
3. Place coconut milk, salt & sugar in a pan & allow to boil only once (stir continuously to prevent curdling).
4. Line base of steamer with banana leaves. Drain both the combined rice, place on the banana leaves & steam until cooked. Remove cooke rice into a large bowl. Then pour in the coconut milk, mix evenly & at the same time sprinkle fenugreek & sliced shallots, garlic & ginger.
5. Pour the mixed rice back into the steamer & steam until rice is soft & tender. Spoon a little rice onto a piece of banana leaf, arrange the accompanying dishes & then wrap it up.

I'm linking this post to the Cook-Your-Books No 5 event organised by Joyce @ Kitchen Flavours.