Nasi uduk

Nasi uduk is a steamed rice dish cooked in coconut milk and fragrant spices, traditionally eaten with a set of small side dishes. It comes from the Betawi cuisine of Jakarta.

What it really is

The rice is washed, then cooked with coconut milk, lemongrass, pandan leaf, ginger, and bay leaf until the grains absorb the liquid and become soft and aromatic. Salt is added for seasoning. The rice is usually served as a mound on a plate or banana leaf, not as a loose pile of plain rice.

The classic accompaniments include fried shallots, fried egg, sliced cucumber, fried tempeh or peanuts, fried anchovies, and a sambal. Nasi uduk is often sold as a street-food or breakfast dish from carts and stalls. It is related to nasi lemak from Malaysia, which is also rice cooked in coconut milk, but nasi uduk is a Betawi dish with its own set of accompaniments and spicing.

How it's served

• Eaten at breakfast or as a light meal, often from a street cart or a warung.
• Served as a mound of rice on a plate or a sheet of banana leaf.
• Accompanied by fried shallots, fried egg, cucumber, and sambal.
• Often eaten with the fingers or a spoon, with the side dishes arranged around the rice.

How to write it on the menu

• Name it as nasi uduk and list coconut milk rice with fried shallots, fried egg, cucumber and sambal.
• Flag the dish as containing egg, and peanuts if peanuts are served in the side dishes.
• State the sambal heat level and whether fried anchovies or tempeh are included.
• Specify any variant with chicken, beef or fish as an added protein.