Nasi Liwet (Sundanese Aromatic Rice)

5 from 1 vote

Nasi Liwet (Sundanese Aromatic Rice)

Nasi Liwet is an aromatic side dish featuring white rice cooked with herbs and spices. It is so flavorful and delicious eaten plain or with other dishes.

Author: Taste of Nusa

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indonesia

Difficulty: Easy

Dietary: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free

Servings: -6 servings

Prep Time:10

Cook Time:45

Total Time:55

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups (350 gr) medium grain white rice
2 1/4 cups (550 ml) water
1.8 oz (50 gr) tiny dried anchovies, or more
8 shallots, thickly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
3 stalks lemongrass, use the lower white part only, bruised
1 inch (2.5 cm) galangal, bruised
5 salam leaves
3 pandan leaves, knotted, optional
8 bird's eye chilis, remove the stems, optional
2-3 pods stink beans, remove from the pods, halved, optional
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

Deep fry anchovies until light brown and crispy.
Stir fry herbs and spices – In a large frying pan, heat 2-3 tbsp oil on medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add lemongrass, galangal, salam leaves, pandan leaves, bird's eye chilis, and stink beans until fragrant and the shallots are wilted.
Wash the rice until the water runs nearly clear.
Cook the rice – Add rice grain and water to the inner pot of the rice cooker. Season the rice with salt, chicken bouillon powder, and ground white pepper. Stir until combined. Add the stir-fried herbs and spices and sprinkle half of the fried anchovies on top. Do not stir the rice this time so that the rice cooks evenly. Turn on the rice cooker and let it cook until the cycle has finished.
Mix the rice – After the rice cooker shifts to the warm mode, wait 10 minutes before you open the lid and use the rice paddle to fluff and mix the rice. Discard lemongrass, galangal, salam leaves, and pandan leaves.
Serve – Sprinkle the remaining fried anchovies on top of rice. Serve the rice warm with other side dishes.

Notes

If using other types of rice – Adjust the water ratio and cooking time to match the directions on the package for the rice you are using.

Nutrition