AI-generated image
Nasi berlauk Kelantan
Rice with tuna curry
Nasi berlauk: Kelantan breakfast rice with tuna curry, salted egg and cucumber
In Kota Bharu and the villages of Kelantan, breakfast stalls open early with trays of nasi berlauk: plain rice with lauk (side dishes) such as a spicy gulai of tuna, a salted duck egg, crisp cucumber and often solok lada, green chillies stuffed with fish and coconut. This home version keeps the heart of it, a rich, tangy fish curry with toasted coconut paste (kerisik). The usual mistake is stirring the fish once it is in the gravy, which breaks it into shreds. Chef's tip: toast the kerisik until it is the colour of milk chocolate; it thickens the gravy and gives the famous east-coast nuttiness.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish curry
- 1 ⅛ lb tuna or mackerel steakscut into 4 pieces
- 6 shallotspeeled
- ¾ in fresh ginger
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 lemongrass stalkbruised
- 1 ¼ cups coconut milk
- 1 tbsp tamarind pastemixed with 150 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
To serve
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine ricehot
- 2 salted duck eggshard-boiled, halved
- 1 cucumbersliced
- 1 handful ulam herbs such as Vietnamese mint (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Blend 6 shallots, 3 garlic cloves, ¾ in fresh ginger and 1 tsp ground turmeric with 2 tbsp water to a smooth paste.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and fry the paste with 2 tbsp dried chilli paste (cili boh) and 1 lemongrass stalk for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and the oil separates.
8 minStep 3: Pour in 1 tbsp tamarind paste and 1 ¼ cups coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar.
3 minStep 4: Slide in 1 ⅛ lb tuna or mackerel steaks in one layer, spoon the gravy over and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes without stirring, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily in the centre.
12 minStep 5: Stir 2 tbsp kerisik (toasted coconut paste) into the gravy around the fish and simmer for 2 minutes more until thick and glossy. Taste for salt and sourness.
2 minStep 6: Serve the curry over 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine rice with a half of the 2 salted duck eggs each, 1 cucumber and 1 handful ulam herbs such as Vietnamese mint.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nasi berlauk Kelantan take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Indian
Khao kluk kapiShrimp paste rice
Everything on this central Thai plate is arranged in little heaps around a mound of rice tossed with garlic and fermented shrimp paste: sticky caramelised pork (moo wan), threads of sour green mango, shallots, chillies, sliced long beans, crisp dried shrimp and ribbons of thin omelette. You mix a bit of each into every spoonful, so salty, sweet, sour and hot arrive together. It's a favourite at Bangkok's curry-and-rice shops and a clever way to use up yesterday's rice at home; lime wedges and cucumber cool it down. Chef's tip: use day-old jasmine rice straight from the fridge, because freshly cooked rice clumps and smears the shrimp paste instead of coating each grain.
Thai
Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani
Hyderabad's biryani grew up in the kitchens of the Nizams, and the kacchi style is its proudest form: the chicken goes into the pot raw, in a thick yogurt, mint and fried-onion marinade, and cooks only in the steam trapped under part-cooked basmati. In the old city it is wedding and Eid food, ordered in huge copper deghs, and at home it's the Sunday showpiece, served with mirchi ka salan and a cooling raita. Because the meat cooks without being stirred, small bone-in thigh and drumstick pieces work best. Chef's tip: marinate overnight in the fridge — the yogurt tenderises the chicken and the flavours go right to the bone.