Easy Lontong or Nasi Impit (Compressed Rice Cakes)

How to make easy lontong or nasi impit, also known as compressed rice cakes at home. Impress your guests!

I have never been so excited to release a recipe! This is a simple and hassle-free method for making easy lontong or nasi impit, or homemade compressed rice cakes that are perfect for any occasion – but especially for Eid that’s rolling right around the corner.

Lontong, also known as nasi impit, is a traditional Indonesian and Malaysian dish made from compressed rice cakes. These dense, flavourful cakes are a staple in Southeast Asian cuisine, often served alongside savoury dishes like rendang, curry, peanut sauce, or sambal, and a staple during festive occasions!

What is Lontong/Nasi Impit/Ketupat?

Before we begin, let me get you acquainted with the different types of compressed rice cakes we have across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, primarily lontong, nasi impit and ketupat.

In Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean Malay culture, lontong holds significant cultural importance. It is often served during festive occasions, family gatherings, and religious celebrations, symbolizing unity, togetherness, and abundance. Its humble yet satisfying nature brings people together and adds a touch of tradition to any meal.

Lontong

Lontong is a beloved dish in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine, typically made by boiling rice until it becomes dense and compact, then cutting it into small cakes. These compressed rice cakes are versatile and can be served with a variety of dishes, making them a favorite among food enthusiasts.

Shape: Lontong typically has a cylindrical or rectangular shape, depending on how it’s molded or cut.

Nasi Impit

Preparation: Nasi impit is essentially the same as lontong, but it’s often prepared using a simpler method. The rice is cooked until mushy, then compressed in molds or wrapped in banana leaves and boiled.

Shape: Nasi impit is typically cut into small, bite-sized cubes, similar to lontong.

Ketupat

Preparation: Ketupat is made by weaving young coconut leaves or palm leaves into a pouch or diamond-shaped container, which is then filled with rice and boiled until it’s compacted.

Shape: Ketupat has a distinctive diamond-shaped or triangular shape, formed by the weaving of the leaves.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy and Convenient: With just a few simple ingredients and basic kitchen equipment, you can whip up homemade compressed rice cakes in no time.

Versatile: These rice cakes can be served with a wide range of dishes, from traditional Indonesian curries to fusion creations.

Make-Ahead Option: Prepare a batch of compressed rice cakes ahead of time and store them for later use, saving you time and effort in the kitchen.

Key Ingredients & Equipment

• Rice (jasmine or long-grain): Traditionally, Jasmine white rice, Thai Hom Mali or other long-grain rice is used for this. Basmati however will not work too well as it is too dry.
• Water
• Optional: Pandan leaves, salt (optional): I included these in the recipe but they are OPTIONAL! Traditionally, lontong, ketupat and nasi impit are not seasoned when cooked.

Equipment:

• Rice Cooker
• Container: I used my glass baking pan for this, but essentially any container that can help shape and mould the rice will work.
• Baking Paper: Or even better, banana leaves! If these are easily accessible to you, use these instead of baking paper. Make sure to soften the banana leaves by running the leaves over a fire for 3 to 5 seconds on each side.

Key Steps to making Easy Compressed Rice Cakes

1. Prepare the Rice

Rinse rice until water runs clear.

Add to rice cooker pot and top up with water. Double the amount of water than what you’d normally need to cook the rice.

In general, 1 cup of Jasmine white rice will require 1 cup of liquid to cook. For compressed rice, double this amount, so 1 cup of rice is to 2 cups of liquid. If your rice cooker has an indicator line (like mine) you can easily follow this line. Otherwise, use the same cup used to measure out the rice for the liquid as well.

The rules to this are not that strict, adding more or less liquid is perfectly ok! You just need to add more liquid that you usually would – I would err on adding more liquid! A 1:2 ratio, is perfect for me – adding less liquid will get you rice that is more whole, but may not stick together or compress as easily.

Optional:

Add pandan leaves and a dash of salt for flavour – but this is absolutely optional!

Add salt first, and stir through. Once combined, knot the pandan leaves to bruise it and release flavour. This will also allow you remove the leaves easily later on. Wiggle the pandan leaves with the rice.

2. Cook Rice!

Turn the rice cooker on, and let cook at regular rice cooker settings. That’s it!

3. Prepare Pans

While the rice is cooking, prepare your baking pans. Line the pans with baking paper, this will allow you to release the compressed rice a lot easier. I like to cut the corners of the baking paper. This is optional, but it will minimise the corner creasing for the compressed rice cakes.

Prepare as well another sheet of baking paper to top the pan.

4. Compress the Rice

Once the rice is cooked, it should be a mushier consistency. Scoop the rice into the lined baking pan. It’s best to do this while rice is still freshly cooked and warm!

Press the rice firmly into the pan using the rice paddle. You can level the rice with the paddle as you go along as well. If the rice is breaking – this is perfectly fine! The mush will allow the rice to stick to each other even better.

5. Compact and Cool

Place another sheet of baking paper on top of the compressed rice and press down as much as possible, and firmly, to compact it further. I like to use a heavy stone pestle, to compress it down further.

Option to poke a few holes in the baking paper with a fork so that some of the condensation can escape.

Allow it to cool completely. You can place this in the refrigerator to cool it quickly.

6. Slice and Serve

Once cooled, lift the baking paper to remove the compressed rice cake from the pan. Cut it into cubes or slices as desired.

How to Serve Easy Lontong

Enjoy the compressed rice cakes with your favourite Indonesian dishes such as rendang, curry, or sambal:

• The BEST Beef Rendang Recipe | Indonesian slow cooked beef curry stew
• Sayur Lodeh (vegetables coconut curry stew)
• Authentic Sambal Goreng | Spicy Tofu Tempe Stir Fry
• How to make Sambal (for Intermediates)

Use them as a base for Indonesian salad (gado-gado) or with satays:

• Gado Gado
• Singapore and Malaysian Chicken Satay
• The BEST, Authentic Satay Peanut Sauce | Kuah Kacang

Storage Instructions

Store leftover compressed rice cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to several days.

There are a few options to reheat:

• Steam the rice cakes
• Microwave for a minute. Give the rice cakes a few splashes of water before microwaving to reintroduce some moisture.
• You can also pan-fry them until heated through. This will yield a crisp exterior.

Can they be frozen? YES! Like with regular rice, you can freeze the rice cakes to prolong its shelf life. To reheat, let defrost and steam or microwave with some water.

More Recipes Like This

If you love this rice recipe, you will love these too:

• Butterfly Blue Pea Nasi Lemak | Blue Coconut Rice
• Easy Nasi Minyak | Malay Ghee Butter Rice (rice cooker recipe)

Easy Lontong or Nasi Impit (Compressed Rice Cakes)

Recipe by Sha

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: Dinner, Festive, Indonesian, Malay Cuisine, Malaysian, Recipes, Rice, Rice Cooker, Sides, Singaporean

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice (such as Jasmine or Hom Mali

• 4 cups water

• 1/2 tsp salt (optional)

• 3 stalks Pandan Leaves, knotted (optional)

• Equipment

• Baking Paper

• Container

Directions

• Rinse rice under water until water runs clear. Add rice to the rice cooker pot, and top up with water. Option to add salt and the knotted pandan leaves.
• Turn the rice cooker on, and let cook at regular rice settings.
• While rice is cooking, prepare baking paper to line the baking pan.
• Once rice is cooked, and while still warm, scoop rice into the baking pan. Keep pressing the rice to flatten it into the pan. Fill the pan with the rest of the rice, pressing and levelling the rice with the rice paddle.
• Once pan is filled, place another sheet of baking paper over. Press the baking paper down, as much as you can. Poke a few holes in the baking paper, to release condensation. Let cool completely.
• Once cooled, lift the sides of the baking paper to release the rice cakes from the pan. Slice to size, and lontong is ready! Serve and enjoy!

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