Even in Muslim Java, this traditional festive dish remains popular, and is accompanied by sambal trasi, classic grilled chicken, and eggs in fragrant lemongrass sauce.
Ingredients for Indonesian Nasi Kuning
- 2 inch fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced and two tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 cup water
- 1.5 (300 g) cup uncooked rice, washed and drained
- 1.5 cups (375 ml) thin coconut milk
- 1/2 cup (150 ml) chicken stock or 1/4 tsp chicken stock granules dissolved in 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1 salam or pandanus leaf
- 1 stalk lemongrass, thich bottom third only, outer layers discarded, inner part bruised
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh galangal, peeled and sliced
- 1 tsp salt
Accompaniments for Indonesian Nasi Kuning
Freshly sliced cucumber and tomato- 1 portion sambal trasi
- 1 portion grilled Indonesian chicken
- 1 portion sambal goreng tempeh
- 1 portion eggs in fragrant lemongrass sauce
- Emping (melinjo nut wafers)
Procedure for Indonesian Nasi Kuning
- Grind the turmeric and water in a mortar until fine. Strain through a sieve to extract all the juice. Discard the solids. If using ground turmeric, dissolve the powder in two tsp of water
- Combine the rice, turmeric juice, coconut milk, chicken stock, salam or pandanus leaf, lemongrass, galangal, and salt in pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer cooked until the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the rice is dry and fluffy. Remove from the heat and mix well. Alternatively, cook the rice and ingredients in a rice cooker.
- Discard the salam or pandanus leaf, lemongrass, and galangal.
- Press the cooked turmeric rice into a cone shaped, if desired. Serve the cooked rice with the accompaniments on the side.