NASI KEBULI.

Well, since the cooks and chefs out there clamor for it, I’m putting here the recipe, though it may not turn out nice for some (I hope not) if the conditions or local do's and don’ts are not followed.

As mentioned in the web-page on Nasi Kebuli, when cooking this traditional Malay rice dish, you must be properly attired or dressed. Make sure you do. Don’t wear your smelly shirt, for one. And when cooking this rice dish, act as if you are a top chef (pretend if you must), and feel like one.

The ingredients will feel for you, too, and hey, they like to be part of a top undertaking. They will ensure that your cooking will turn out good. (But don’t take my word for this, you know yourself better!).

Anyway, here’s the nasi kebuli recipe that I got from a makcik (aunty) from Kuala Lipis, when I tried the nasi kebuli dish at her foodstall (But, only later I realised that perhaps you have to reduce the ingredients proportionately. 3 kg of rice is probably for more than 30 people at a foodstall?).

THE NASI KEBULI RECIPEINGREDIENTS.

3 kg basmuthi rice (washed and cleaned) (basmuthi rice is preferred to maintain its "dryness").
400 gm ginger - }.
200 gm onions - }sliced into thin pieces.
400 gm garlic - }.
200 ml cooking oil.
1 tablespoon thick salty soy sauce.
Cashew nuts, raisins, cloves and spring onions.

Ingredients "A".

80 gm salt.
10 gm mint leaves.
1 cup of water.

Ingredients "B".

150 gm fennel.
75 gm black pepper powder.
30 gm cardamom.
150 gm cummin.
300 gm coriander seed.
piece of cinnamon stick '.

COOKING METHOD.

1. Boil the "A" ingredients together until you get about ¼ cup of the mixture.
2. Mix the rice with the resulting "A" mixture, and add the "B" ingredients and the soy sauce.
3. Then add the cooking oil and mix them until they blend nicely.
4. Put some water in the cooking pot up to the rice level, and put in the mixed rice.
5. Boil and cook the rice until it is almost dry and then put in the spring onions, ginger, garlic, raisins and cashew nuts.
6. Heat until the rice mixture is cooked and dry. (In the villages, the mixed rice is cooked in a kuali (wok) for easier stirring and mixing of the rice and ingredients.

SERVING CHOICE

Nasi Kebuli is eaten together with other traditional dishes like beef or chicken rendang, acar timun or nenas pacheri. (Aww, I’m drooling already!!).

Sometimes, the chicken or beef is boiled and cooked first and then added with the cashew nuts, etc. into the rice mixture when cooking.

Well, I better let you try the recipe and see whether it is to your taste.

If it didn’t turn out right, check - did you follow the part about wearing clean apparels when cooking it? Or pretending you’re a great chef?.

Anyway, you can still eat whatever mixture it turns out to be. Just tell your friend (or whoever) that it’s your own nasi kebuli recipe, and it tastes better than the original... a little fibbing helps the world, really!

Well, I leave you with your unique Nasi Kebuli, and as always,