Entree: Malaysia – Malay Peninsula – Nasi Kerabu (Blue rice served with a mix of fresh herb salad, fried fish, crackers, and spicy condiments)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 35 min

Cook 35 min

Additional 10 min

Total 1 hr 15 min

Ingredients

- 2 cups (400 g) long-grain rice
- 1/4 cup (8 g) dried butterfly pea flowers
- 2 cups (480 ml) boiling water (for steeping flowers)
- 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
- 1 pandan leaf (optional)
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 whole mackerel, approx. 8 oz (225 g) each, cleaned and butterflied
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) ground coriander
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded cabbage
- 1 cup (100 g) bean sprouts, rinsed
- 1 cup (100 g) cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup (10 g) daun kesum or fresh mint, shredded (substitute: basil or cilantro if unavailable)
- 1/2 cup (45 g) roasted grated coconut (kerisik) or toasted desiccated coconut
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) budu (fermented anchovy sauce) or fish sauce
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sambal belacan or sambal oelek
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil for frying fish
- 2 oz (60 g) keropok ikan (fish crackers) or shrimp crackers
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

Instructions

1. Steep the butterfly pea flowers in 2 cups (480 ml) boiling water for 10 minutes until deep blue, strain and reserve the blue liquid. Rinse the rice, then combine rice, 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk, 1 cup (240 ml) of the reserved blue liquid (add more water if needed to reach the rice's required liquid level per package), pandan leaf, and 1 tsp (6 g) salt in a rice cooker or pot; cook until rice is tender and blue. While rice cooks, rub mackerel with 1/2 tsp (1 g) turmeric and 1/2 tsp (2 g) ground coriander and a pinch of salt; heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high and grill or pan-fry the fish 3–4 minutes per side until cooked through and lightly charred. Toss shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber, and daun kesum with 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice and a pinch of salt to make the ulam.
2. Prepare condiments: mix 3 tbsp (45 ml) budu with 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice if desired and set sambal belacan on the side. Fluff the blue rice and arrange on plates with a portion of ulam, a fried mackerel, a quartered hard-boiled egg, 2 tbsp (30 g) roasted grated coconut, and 2 oz (60 g) keropok ikan. Serve with budu and sambal on the side so diners can add to taste.