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Key Ingredients:

White rice: Steamed with pandan leaves for a fragrant aroma.

Chicken in soy sauce (ayam masak kicap) or coconut milk (opor ayam): Slow-cooked chicken seasoned with spices.

Javanese sambal goreng: A mix of fried tempeh, tofu, long beans, and vermicelli sautéed in spicy sambal.

Grated coconut (serunding kelapa): Spiced and toasted.

Fried noodles or vermicelli: Stir-fried with vegetables and seasonings.

Vegetable salad (urap): Boiled vegetables mixed with spiced grated coconut.

Fried salted fish: Crisp and savoury.

Potato patties (pegedil): Mashed potatoes formed into patties and fried.

Crackers (rempeyek): Thin batter with peanuts and spices, fried until crispy.

Boiled eggs: Hard-boiled and served whole.

Equipment:

Large tray (tampah) lined with banana leaves for serving.

Cooking pots for rice and soups.

Frying pans for preparing side dishes.

Cutting boards and knives for ingredient preparation.

Cooking Steps:

Rice Preparation: Wash the rice and steam it with pandan leaves to enhance its aroma.

Side Dish Preparation:

Chicken in Soy Sauce or Coconut Milk: Chicken is cut into pieces and cooked with soy sauce, onions, ginger, and spices, or simmered in coconut milk with traditional spices for opor ayam.

Javanese Sambal Goreng: Tempeh, tofu, long beans, and vermicelli are fried and mixed with sambal made from dried chilies, onions, and spices.

Grated Coconut: Grated coconut is toasted with spices like turmeric, coriander, and chili until dry.

Fried Noodles or Vermicelli: Stir-fry noodles with vegetables and seasoning.

Vegetable Salad (Urap): Blanched vegetables like water spinach and bean sprouts are mixed with spiced grated coconut.

Fried Salted Fish: Salted fish is deep-fried until crispy.

Potato Patties (Pegedil): Boiled potatoes are mashed, formed into balls, and fried until golden.

Crackers (Rempeyek): Thin batter with peanuts is fried into crispy crackers.

Boiled Eggs: Eggs are hard-boiled and added as a garnish.

Serving:

White rice is placed at the centre of the tampah or tray, surrounded by the various prepared side dishes. Traditionally, the dish is shared among four to five people sitting around the tray, eating with their hands in line with Javanese customs.

Nasi Ambeng has been officially recognised as a culinary heritage of Selangor. This recognition was announced by the Selangor State Government under Dato’ Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, highlighting efforts to preserve and promote this traditional dish. The recognition aims to ensure the sustainability of Nasi Ambeng as an integral part of Malaysia’s cultural heritage.