Lemang

Often paired with a meat or vegetable dish, Lemang is a Malaysian delicacy made through a combination of glutinous rice and coconut milk cooked in bamboo. The time-consuming process to make lemang starts by lining hollowed-out shoots with banana leaves. The bamboo is left over a fire to slowly cook the rice in a process known as tapai.

The result is sticky, wet rice that can, and regularly does, make a nice substitute for plain rice.

How to Make Lemang

Ingredients

600ml Glutinous Rice, wash and drain off excess water

1 Can (400ml) Coconut cream

200ml Water

1 Screwpine leaf or pandan leaf, knotted

Salt, to taste

Banana leaves

Cooking string

Directions

1. Put the coconut cream, water, knotted screwpine leaf and salt into a pot. Bring to a quick boil. Add the glutinous rice. Stir until the glutinous rice has absorbed the coconut cream mixture and no liquid is left. Turn off the heat and put it aside to cool.

2. Wipe clean your banana leaves and lay ithem flat on the work surface, with the lines on the leaf running from left to right.

3. Divide the glutinous rice mixture into 5 parts.

4. Ladle the glutinous rice mixture onto the leaves. Roll them into a cylindrical shape and secure both ends with cooking string, making sure there is no tear in the banana leaves.

5. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, and gently submerge the wrapped lemang into the water. Boil for at least 20-30 minutes (this process will further cook the glutinous rice).

6. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).

7. Transfer the lemang into the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the banana leaf wrappers are slightly dried out.

8. Leave them to cool before slicing.