Restaurant Hacks for a Malaysian Feast: Nasi Lemak, Rendang, Lamb Curry & Onde-Onde

A couple of weeks ago, a friend from church bought some Handcrafted Dry Cooking Kits from me for the first time, then reported back that she’d burnt  them in her stainless steel pan.

Since she was incidentally coming over to my place for a meal the following week, I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone – film some content around different ways to use my Handcrafted Dry Cooking Kits (something I’d been meaning to do), and simultaneously serve her and the rest of our lunch guests the food from this filming session to prove first hand that my kits work when used correctly.

While I was at it, I decided to also make some Onde-Onde (glutinous rice flour dumplings stuffed with gula melaka and rolled in shredded coconut), the kit for which you will soon be able to buy from my online store – Shop.JackieM.com.au (along with others).

My aim was to demo different cooking methods using the Handcrafted Cooking Kits – rendang in the oven, lamb curry in the ThermoCook, sambal ikan bilis (tweaked from my Sambal Belacan kit by adding garlic, sliced onion, sugar and coconut cream) in a stainless steel wok.

Here’s the 40-minute Live broadcast demo-ing each of these, plus the Nasi Lemak rice and the Onde-Onde, with my narration that explains all the Malaysian restaurant shortcuts I have developed and used over the last 30+ years –

1. Oven Method (also works in a Slow Cooker but increase the cooking time to 5-6 hours)

Easy Beef Rendang 

1.2 kg beef, cut into 2.5cm cubes (chuck or chuck crest, brisket, etc.)
1 Family-Size pack of Jackie M’s Handcrafted Dry Rendang Kit
1 cup water
4-5 TBSP oil
1 cup coconut cream

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160’C.
2. Place beef cubes in an oven-proof dish.
3. Add all other ingredients and mix well.
4. Cover with foil or lid and cook in oven for 3 hours or until meat is tender.

I would suggest checking halfway through to see if it’s too saucy or too dry; if the former, remove the lid so it reduces, and if the latter, just add more liquid (water and/or coconut cream).

2. ThermoCook/Thermomix Method

Easy Malaysian Lamb Curry

1.2kg lamb, cut into 2cm cubes
1 Family-Size pack of Jackie M’s Handcrafted Dry Meat Curry Kit
1/2 cup water
4-5 TBSP oil
1 cup coconut cream

METHOD

1. If using a ThermoCook, insert the stirrer in the mixing bowl.
2. Combine all ingredients in bowl, then cook (for ThermoCook – 130’C for 50 mins; for Thermomix – 120’C for 45 mins on Reverse Stir) until meat is tender.

I would suggest checking after about 30 minutes to see if it needs more liquid (water and/or coconut cream) and adjust as necessary.

If you’re in the market for a ThermoCook, you can buy one through my affiliate link here – JackieM.com.au/ThermoCookBuy – drop me a message with a copy of your receipt when you do, and I’d be happy to give you one year’s membership to my online Malaysian Cooking Club, where you get access to my twice-weekly cook-alongs on Zoom.

3. Stovetop Method

Sambal Ikan Bilis with Coconut Cream

100g ikan bilis (dried anchovies), rinsed, then fried until crispy (substitute – prawns or squid, which you can precook or cook in the sauce below)

Sauce –
1 Mini-Pack of Jackie M’s Handcrafted Sambal Belacan 5-Minute Version
1/4 cup water
3 TBSP cooking oil
2 tsp minced garlic (optional)
1/2 onion, sliced (optional)
1/2 cup coconut cream/coconut milk (optional)
2 TBSP sugar (or to taste)
Dash of lemon juice/lime juice/tamarind extract
Dash of soya sauce (optional)

METHOD

1. Mix contents of pack with water.
2. Heat oil in a pan, then add the Sambal Belacan paste and sauté for a couple of minutes, until oil separates.
3. Add all other ingredients, simmer, adjust seasoning (it should have a sweet-sour vibe), and serve with ikan bilis tossed in or on the side.

Note that I’ve listed the garlic, sliced onions and coconut cream/coconut milk as optional since the version I made at my restaurant back in the day didn’t contain them anyway. This recipe shared here is what we grew up eating at home as cooked by my stepmom.

Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)

4 cups jasmine rice
5 cups water
1/3 cup coconut milk powder
1 tsp salt
2 pandan leaves, tied in a knot (optional)

METHOD:

1. Combine all ingredients except coconut milk powder in a saucepan or rice cooker; cover and cook until done – about 20 mins.
2. If using a saucepan + lid, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest setting and continue cooking until all the water is absorbed and rice is fluffy. Do NOT remove lid or stir the rice at any point until it’s fully cooked.
3. Transfer rice into a large mixing bowl, add coconut milk powder and stir well. Remove pandan leaves (if using) and serve.

Onde-Onde Recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 cups glutinous rice flour
Water to make a soft, non-tacky dough
Several drops pandan concentrate OR 1 TBSP pandan powder OR enough pandan leaf extract to produce a green dough
1 cup desiccated coconut
100g gula aren/gula jawa/gula melaka, grated
Water for boiling the dumplings

METHOD:

1. Place glutinous rice flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Optionally remove 1/4 cup of the flour and to that, add some boiling water and mix into a starchy paste. Note that this is an extra step that I occasionally take, to help prevent the dumplings from splitting too easily when they’re being boiled. It seems to help but it’s not that big a deal. Set aside.
3. Add pandan colouring/extract/powder (whichever you’re using) to the mixing bowl.
4. Gradually add water while mixing the glutinous rice flour by hand, then knead until you get a soft, non-tacky mixture. Return the starchy paste from Step 2 into the mixing bowl, and knead further until well blended.
5. Start heating up some water in a pot.
6. Roll up the grated palm sugar into marble-sized balls.
7. Pinch the dough and roll into balls about 2cm in diameter.
8. Stuff the dough with the palm sugar, seal, then drop into boiling pot of water.
9. Repeat, making sure the onde-onde balls don’t get stuck on the bottom of the pot.
10. Remove with slotted spoon when balls float to the top and remain there for 20 seconds.
11. Transfer into bowl with desiccated coconut and toss.
12. Remove and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Did you already grab my PDF collection of recipe ideas for my Handcrafted Dry Cooking Kits? If not, you can do so here – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RyIGtoIwWkwDoPbXJ811aa8T15Olt2HA/view?usp=sharing