← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 300 g jasmine or long-grain rice, rinsed
• 250 g beef or chicken mince
• 2 Onion, roughly chopped
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 5 cm piece Ginger
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 Star anise
• 4 Cardamom, lightly crushed
• 4 Cloves
• 2 tsp Ground coriander
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds, ground
• ½ tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 Lemongrass, bruised and knotted
• 2 tbsp Dried shrimp, soaked 10 minutes and chopped
• 2.5 l hot water, plus extra
• 1 Sweet potato, peeled and diced (optional)
• 200 ml Coconut milk
• 1 tbsp Salt, to taste
• ½ tsp White pepper
• 4 tbsp Crispy fried shallots
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 2 Spring onion, chopped

Method

1. Blend the onions, garlic and ginger with a splash of water into a paste.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Fry the whole spices for 1 minute, add the paste and fry for 5 min until fragrant and lightly golden, then add the ground spices, lemongrass and dried shrimp and fry for 2 min more.
3. Add the beef and stir-fry for 3–4 min, breaking it up, until browned.
4. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute, then pour in the hot water. Bring to the boil, then simmer over low heat for 50–60 min, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the rice breaks down into a thick porridge. Add the sweet potato (if using) halfway, and more hot water if it gets too thick.
5. Stir in the coconut milk, salt and pepper and simmer for 5 min. Serve topped with fried shallots, coriander and spring onion, with sambal or kicap on the side.

Tips

• It thickens a lot as it stands. Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate within 2 hours and reheat until piping hot, loosening with hot water.
• Contains shellfish (dried shrimp); leave them out if needed.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Nomadette Singaporean Malaysian Recipes