Nasi Minyak - From My Lemony Kitchen ....: Nasi Minyak/ Savoury Rice - Pages

Nasi Minyak - From My Lemony Kitchen ....: <b>Nasi Minyak</b>/ Savoury Rice - Pages

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From My Lemony Kitchen ....: <b>Nasi Minyak</b>/ Savoury Rice - Pages Posted: 05 Sep 2011 08:28 PM PDT In my previous post, I mentioned that Ayam Masak Merah is a special dish for Malay weddings... and I shall continue with another 'Wedding Dish' ~ Nasi Minyak or Savoury Rice to compliment Ayam Masak Merah. In villages or kampongs... Malay weddings are celebrated as a community activity. Relatives and neighbours would get together to help out in the preparations, cooking, serving as well as cleaning up after the big event. Men are assign with back-breaking task such as chopping fire woods, put up tents, arrange tables and chairs while ladies help out in peeling onions, removing rice husks from the rice grains, clean and cut-up chickens and kilos of beef, boil hundreds of eggs, make litres of syrup. Some would be in-charge of decorating the dais for the happy couple to sit and be blessed by elders and guests, and some would be in- charge with decorating the 'bridal' suite... Big woks and pots are put to good use. Frying and sautéing would be done on the eve.. with major cooking are done early in the morning on the wedding day. My nieces in their traditional wedding attire... Left ~ the beautifully decorated dais for the happy couple. Right ~ the bridal suite... A typical Malay wedding banquet in small villages... Left ~ a beautiful diamond ring for the bride. Right ~ traditional Malay musical instrument known as 'Kompang' to welcome the bride and groom  As a kid, I loved to tag along my mom to weddings. I remembered Mom would put on her best Baju Kurung (traditional Malay attire for ladies), adorned in her finest jewellery. Then we would make our way to the wedding... I would sit with my mom at the table... waiting anxiously to eat. The 'Mentara' or waiters/ waitresses would placed the dish... one by one...  I would go 'eyeing' each dish... a typical wedding feast would have Beef Korma, Ayam Masak Merah, fresh salad of cut-up pineapples, cucumber, onions and chillies, Beef Dhal Curry or Dalca... and finally plates of Nasi Minyak or Savoury Rice would be placed in front of me...   The aroma of Nasi Minyak wafting through the air was so irresistable.... The sweet aroma of ghee... creamy savoury taste of the rice would make my tummy go wild. But I had to exercise self-control and refrained from reaching out... must not start eating before the adults... and if I 'accidently' did... I would get a good 'secret' pinch on my thigh.... ouch!! Bunga Telur signifies Fertility... guests wishing the newly-wed ~ a happy marriage and be blessed with offsprings Finally... when everyone done feasting and chatting... the host would  present us with their token of appreciation by handing out 'BungaTelur' ~ a nicely presented hard boiled egg wrapped in a beautiful sachet filled with 'Bunga Rampai' (Bunga Rampai is made out of semi dried finely sliced screwpine leaves mix with rose petals and few drops of rose water.. its the Eastern 'Pot-Pourri'). I would go home, happy and contented that I had my fill of wedding feast... and proudly carrying home my fragrant Bunga Telur... ------------------------------------------------------- Last but not least.... I am submitting this to Sharon of Test with Skewer for her Muhibbah Malaysian Monday. My thanks to my nieces and nephews for the wedding photos... Recipe (for 4-5)  2 inch ginger julienne 2 tablespoon ghee 1 can evaporated milk (375ml) 1 screwpine leaves knotted 2 cups of rice (500ml) 1 cup of water (additional 1/4 cup if required) 3 cardamons 4 shallots - thinly sliced a pinch of saffron Bouquet garni 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 star anise 5 cloves 1 cinnamon stick Wrap fennel seeds, star anise, cloves and cinnamon in muslin cloth. Secure with cooking string. Wash and drain rice. Place the rice in Rice Cooker with the knotted screwpine leaves and Bouquet Garni. Heat up pan and  melt the ghee. Saute cardamon and shallots until fragrant. Add in julienne ginger. Add evaporated milk, water and season with salt. Gently pour the mixture in the rice cooker.  Add saffron on few spots on the 'about to cook' rice (approximate10 minutes before the rice is done) for the 'yellow' tinge. Gently fluff up the rice. Serve.

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