Nasi Arab

Serves 5-6 people

Takes ~1 hour to prepare

Ingredients

a third of chicken (clean and cut into small pieces; can use beef or mutton)

1 packet Nasi Arab (buy from Pulau Melaka market): contains

  - 1 packet of Beras Basmathi (about 4.5 pots rice)

  - 1 packet of Nasi Arab curry powder (rempah nasi Arab)

2 tablespoonful cooking oil

2 tablespoonful of butter (ghee or margarine)

1 inch cinnamon

2 cloves

2 cardamom pods

3 pieces of star anise (bunga lawang)

1 big white onion (slice)

1 inch ginger (or 2 ginger slices; slice thinly)

3 pips garlic (slice)

warm/hot water

2 medium red tomatoes (diced)

2 limau kasturi (need 2 tablespoonful juice limau kasturi)

2 tablespoonful tomato sauce

1.5 tablespoonful sugar

1 tablespoonful salt

Method

1. Wash and soak rice for 15-20 minutes. Drain and place inside rice pot
2. Heat oil and butter in kuali
3. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise. Fry till fragrant
4. Add onion, garlic, ginger and fry till fragrant
5. Add tomato sauce, limau kasturi juice, and diced tomatoes.
6. Add chicken pieces and stir to mix
7. Add sugar and salt, and stir
8. Add 3/4 cup water to cover chicken pieces
9. Let chicken cook till done (masak empuk)
10. When the chicken pieces are cooked, separate the chicken pieces from gravy
11. Add all gravy to rice in rice pot. Stir to mix. Add 800 ml (~4 cups) hot water till 5 mark level
12. Add 1 piece daun pandan and 1 stalk daun kari
13. Cook rice till half done and add chicken pieces to rice. Stir and continue to cook rice for 20 minutes until rice is done.
14. Serve Nasi Arab while still hot. Serve with dalca and acar timun.