Nasi Uduk, Java, Indonesia
Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from James Oseland's book Cradle of Flavor: Home Cooking from the Spice Islands of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It originally accompanied Javanese Chicken Curry and was part of an article by Oseland on Indonesian cuisine.
Rice that's been cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with aromatics is a velvety-rich, alluring dish. It turns up in countless incarnations all over Indonesia. This is the Javanese version, which is flavored with lemongrass and daun salam leaves, the woodsy-tasting Indonesian herb. The aromatics are submerged in the rice as it cooks, infusing the cooking liquid—and, in turn, the rice—with their essences. The hint of lemongrass is appealing, while the topping of crisply fried shallots adds smoky succulence. Friends I've cooked this rice for have told me it's the best rice they had ever eaten. It pairs well with just about anything that plain rice is served with, including curries and stir-fries, though it's wonderful on its own, with a salad of baby lettuces. I prefer to eat nasi uduk warm rather than hot — its flavors are more pronounced.
It's not advisable to halve this recipe: Using one cup of rice would mean that most of the aromatics would be sitting on top of the rice as it cooks rather than being submerged in it, resulting in a poorly flavored dish. Reheat the excellent leftovers in a warm oven. It's also not advisable to make this dish in a rice cooker, as the fats and proteins in the coconut milk and the high, continuous heat of a rice cooker's heat source can easily lead to the rice on the bottom layer sticking and burning.
Daun salam leaves are an indispensable herb in Indonesian cooking, especially in Java, Indonesia, their native place. Added fresh or dried to dishes, they impart a subtle spicy, woodsy flavor that has no counterpart in the West. When fresh, the leaves are dark green and three to four inches long. When dry, they are brittle, crinkly, and dusty, silvery green in color. Both fresh and dried leaves are used interchangeably in Indonesian kitchens.
Chinese and Southeast Asian grocery stores sell dried daun salam imported from Indonesia in small plastic bags clearly marked "Daun Salam—Indian Bay Leaves." The leaves can also be ordered from indomart.us. Fresh daun salam leaves are unavailable in North America.
