Simple Chicken Version Nasi Kerabu

Today’s recipe is a famous food from my home country. It is under the request of my best friend Noemi who really very eager to try the blue rice of nasi kerabu. So here it is, let me introduce you to a little background of nasi kerabu. Nasi kerabu is very popular in the east coast states of Peninsular Malaysia such as Kelantan and Terengganu, and now can be found throughout Malaysia as well as in southern Thailand.

Origine of nasi kerabu

The dish is one of the traditional foods of the Kelantanese Peranakans – Chinese immigrants who arrived in the 15th century who married local women and created a unique, localised way of life and cuisine. The ethnic Hokkien men would have married women of Thai origin living in Kelantan at the time – which explains why Kelantanese Peranakan food has a strong Thai influence.

The word “kerabu” is a common Malay reference for Thai-style salads usually eaten raw. The word is also used by the nyonyas of Penang and Kedah who prepare all sorts of kerabus in their kitchens. While people of Thai origin living in the border states of Malaysia and Thai restaurants in Malaysia are fond of using the word too, it is however not found in the culinary lexicon of Thailand.

Ingredients of nasi kerabu

This complex Malaysian dish consists of lemongrass and ginger flavoured rice that is served alongside various accompaniments. Although it can vary in color, the rice in nasi kerabu is traditionally blue since it is cooked together with the petals of the butterfly pea flower. The essential accompaniments to rice are shredded vegetables such as long beans, bean sprouts, cabbage, or cucumbers that are generously seasoned with fresh herbs. Other typical accompaniments include salted eggs, fried fish or chicken, sambal, fermented fish paste, grated coconut, stuffed green chilis, or fish crackers.

Today’s version of nasi kerabu is a simple version that comes with fragrant blue rice, ayam panggang (turmeric chicken), coconut curry sauce, and salad.

Blue butterfly pea flower

The vibrant blue colour of the rice comes from blue butterfly pea flower. Clitoria ternatea, bluetea also referred to as the butterfly pea, blue pea, aprajita, Cordofan pea or Asian pigeonwings, is a plant from the family Fabaceae and is commonly found throughout South East Asia. It exists in 2 forms, you can buy it in dried flower form or in powder extract form. It is also famous as a natural vegan colour dye for cosmetic products or soaping. In my recipe, 2 different preparation directions are ready for different forms of blue butterfly pea flower.

Get them here:

Fragrant blue rice

• 2 cups rice (rinsed and drained) (1 1/3 rice cooker cup/200g)
• 2 lemongrass (crushed)
• 1-inch ginger (30g)
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 10 dried bunga telang (blue butterfly pea flower)or 1 1/2 teaspoon of blue butterfly pea flower
• 1¼ cup warm water (300ml)

Kuah Tumis (Coconut Spiced Sauce)

• 3 deseeded red chilies
• 1-inch ginger (30g)
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 shallots
• 1 lemongrass (slice bottom third into rings)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 200ml concentrate coconut milk 
• 1 piece asam gelugor or 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp fish sauce as a substitute for budu (Malay anchovy sauce)
• 2 peeled tomatoes
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste

Ayam PangGang

• 3 pieces of chicken breast
• 2 tsp ground turmeric or 4 knobs of fresh turmeric (pounded into a paste)
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• vegetable oil

Salad

• cucumber
• bean sprout
• salad leaves
• cherry tomatoes
• Mint leaves

Butterfly pea flower Lemon Tea

• 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• Mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon of blue butterfly pea flower powder
• 800ml water

FUN FACT: One of the most distinctive characteristics of butterfly pea flower tea, and other drinks that use butterfly pea flower extract, is that it will change color when the pH balance changes. A deep blue tea will turn purple when the pH is acidic, turning a deeper shade of purple when more lemon juice is added.

My cooking equipments

Below are the cooking equipments that I am using for about 3 years and still going strong, never had to use the warranty from the seller.

• Kenwood mixer
• Tefal rice cooker

Simple Chicken Version Nasi Kerabu

Recipe by CalleighCourse: Cooking RecipeCuisine: MalaysiaDifficulty: Easy

Servings

3

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

There are 5 parts of preparation: Kuah Tumis (Coconut Spiced Sauce), Ayam Panggang ( Turmeric Chicken), Blue Fragrant Rice, Salad, Butterfly Pea Flower Lemon Tea

Ingredients

• Kuah Tumis ( Coconut Spiced Sauce )
  3 deseeded red chilies
  1-inch ginger (30g)
  1 clove garlic
  3 shallots
  1 lemongrass (slice bottom third into rings)
  1 tbsp vegetable oil
  ½ cup coconut milk (250ml)
  1 piece asam gelugor or 2 tsp lime juice
  1 tsp fish sauce as a substitute for budu (Malay anchovy sauce)
  2 peeled tomatoes
  Salt to taste
  Sugar to taste

• Fragrant Blue Rice
  1 cup rice (rinsed and drained) (1 1/3 rice cooker cup/200g)
  1 lemongrass (crushed)
  1-inch ginger (30g)
  3 kaffir lime leaves
  10 dried bunga telang (blue/butterfly pea flower)
  1¼ cup warm water (300ml)

• Ayam Panggang
  3 pieces of chicken breast
  2 tsp ground turmeric or 4 knobs of fresh turmeric (pounded into a paste)
  1 tsp honey
  ½ tsp salt
  ¼ tsp ground pepper
  vegetable oil

• Salad
  cucumber
  bean sprout
  salad leaves
  cherry tomatoes
  Mint leaves

• Butterfly Pea Flower Lemon Tea
  2 lemons
  2 tablespoons of honey
  Mint leaves
  1 teaspoon of blue butterfly pea flower powder

Directions

• Fragrant Blue Rice
  – Wash and drain rice in rice cooker insert 4 to 5 times. Add lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves.
  – If using dried butterfly pea flower: Soak bunga telang (blue/butterfly pea flower) in warm water for 15 minutes. Strain blue pea flower water over rice.
  – If using butterfly pea floower extract in powder form: 1 1/2 teaspoon of powder mix with water and rice in rice cooker insert.
  – Put the rice cooker insert into the rice cooker. Press the start button to cook rice.
• Kuah Tumis (Spiced Sauce)
  – Blend red chilies, ginger, garlic, shallots, and lemongrass with 2 tablespoons of water into a paste.
  – Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Stir fry spice paste until fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in coconut milk. Add asam gelugor, fish sauce, salt, and sugar. Stir fry until sauce has thickened, another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Ayam Panggang ( Turmeric Chicken)
  – Place chicken pieces into a large Ziploc bag. Add turmeric powder (or ground turmeric paste), salt, and pepper. Press out as much air as possible from the bag before sealing.
  – Mix everything well by kneading the bag to make sure chicken pieces are well coated with spices. Place in the refrigerator and allow it to marinate for an hour or overnight or marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes .
  – Grill it over the pan until fully cooked both side.
• Putting It Together
  – Line a serving dish with banana leaf (optional). Place a bowl of fragrant blue rice in the middle.
  – Then arrange prepared salad, sauce in a bowl, and turmeric chicken around the rice.

Notes

• This recipe is adapted from rotinrice.com
• Time arrangement is everything. 1) I would start by preparing ingredients to marinate the chicken ahead (at least for 15 minutes or 1 day ahead); 2)wash & dry the salad, put aside; 3)preparing the ingredients for the sauce, put in the mixer, and mix. 4) start to prepare the ingredients to cook the rice following the instructions above 5) cook the sauce 6) when the sauce is simmering, start to cook the chicken
• You can choose any type of vegetable for the salad as you would like.

The fragrant rice has a very light lemongrass and ginger flavour as a background taste, top with crunchy fresh salad and coconut spiced sauce and a bite of turmeric chicken, it has a very rich layered taste and texture, my french friends love it, I am sure you will too. Be sure you give it a try!

Check out my other coconut theme recipe here:

• Triple Coconut Pound Cake
• Fudgy & Dairy Free Avocado Brownies (KETO, Vegan, Gluten-Free)
• Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you like my tutorial, please consider donating me a coffee! Cheers

Calleigh

Hi, I am Calleigh, MEng Chemical Engineering and a process engineer, and I'm here to show you how to DIY your skincare and household products with the correct formulation and using only natural ingredients. I believe that eating good food (Yes I have cooking recipes too!) and living in a chemical-free environment are the keys to having a healthy lifestyle. And that doesn't need to be expensive.