In most Asian countries, rice is the basic diet. Who knew there were so many various ways to prepare it to create whole distinct dishes? Here are a handful of Malaysia’s best rice dishes.

Nasi Lemak

Nasi lemak is a rice dish cooked in coconut milk and eaten with sambal (chili paste), fried anchovies, peanuts, boiled egg, and cucumber slices in Malaysia. These are the required accompaniments for this dish, but you can also serve it with chicken, beef, or any other side dish of your choice.

The breakfast version is usually wrapped in banana leaves and laminated paper and has a lesser serving. At the morning, it can be found in practically any cafe, restaurant, or street seller. But today it’s also on the menus of fine dining establishments, where it can be ordered at any time of day (or night).

Nasi Dagang

Nasi Dagang is popular on Peninsular Malaysia’s east coast, especially in the states of Kelantan and Terengganu. It’s created using husked red rice (or a blend of jasmine and glutinous white rice) cooked in coconut milk. Spicy fish curry, acar (pickled vegetables), hard-boiled eggs, sambal, and fish crackers are common accompaniments to Nasi Dagang. Breakfast is a popular choice.

Nasi Kandar

Nasi Kandar is a dish associated with Penang and the Muslim minority in India. It’s basically white rice with a simple blend of vegetables, meats, and curries, but it’s a favorite comfort food for many. And these individuals are willing to travel to Penang in search of the best nasi Kandar. The merchants used to carry the rice and its seasonings around in a basket attached to a long pole (kandar) that they wore over their shoulders, hence the name.

Chicken Rice

Rice cooked in chicken broth and seasoned with ginger is known as chicken rice. Chinese traders from the Hainan province were the first to bring it to Malaysia. The Hainanese chicken rice is still the most popular variety in Malaysia today. It comes with boiled and steamed chicken, a lot of ginger and garlic, soy sauce, red chili sauce, cucumber slices, and sometimes bean sprouts, as well as a bowl of chicken broth.

The chicken is immersed in cold water after being steeped in hot water until fully cooked to ensure that it retains its softness. The chicken can alternatively be grilled as an alternative. The Malay people have developed their own variation, in which star anise is used to cook the rice and the chicken is fried in spices.

Nasi Goreng

Nasi goreng means “fried rice” in English. However, this is not the case in Malaysia. Nasi goreng can be prepared in a variety of ways. In fact, almost every Malaysian home has its own fried rice recipe. Click here to see the ten most common types of nasi goreng found in Malaysia.

It’s fantastic because it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, work, or cooking experience. With only leftovers and overnight rice, almost anyone can make a wonderful nasi goreng supper.

Nasi Kunyit

Nasi kunyit, which literally means “turmeric rice,” is frequently cooked to commemorate momentous occasions such as weddings, graduations, the birth of a child, or the entrance of a notable guest. So you should feel really special if you go to someone’s house and they make this for you! Nasi kunyit is a traditional Indonesian dish made with sticky rice and served with meat curry or rendang.