A true cultural masterpiece – Nasi Ulam or Herbed Rice! This is a fragrant herb-infused rice dish that is like no other.

If there’s a rice dish that will make you look like an expert in the kitchen, it’s this! Nasi Ulam or herbed rice, a fragrant Malay rice dish mixed with various finely chopped herbs and aromatics. This dish is also a mainstay in Peranakan or Nonya cuisine, and commonly served during festive periods.

A quick Malay lesson:

Nasi = Rice

Ulam = Raw herbs

The blend typically includes ingredients like lemongrass, makrut lime leaves, shallots and toasted grated coconut. Often, it’s served wth side dishes like grilled or fried chicken or chicken, and with a side of spicy Sambal Belacan.

This dish is a true celebration of flavours, and looks complicated to make. The best part about this dish is that no two Nasi Ulam recipes are exactly alike! Which means a lot of herbs and aromatics are going to work in Nasi Ulam. In this recipe, I’m highlighting all of the main components of Nasi Ulam, and the herbs that I enjoy using.

Why No Two Nasi Ulam Are the Same

In the olden kampung days, supposedly about 100 herbs are used in Nasi Ulam! When I first read this, I thought this must be a myth, or some old folk’s tale; tens of random herbs put together, and the final dish tastes good? Can’t be!

Yet I’ve made a lot of iterations of this dish, with various herbs that I have or can find at any one time – and they all tasted good!

I don’t know about a hundred herbs, but I do know that Nasi Ulam utilises the freshest herbs that are found growing in the wild in literal kampung backyards! Translate this to modern times, this means that you use fresh herbs that are the most easily available and accessible to you.

Herein lies the beauty of Nasi Ulam – it is incredibly versatile.

Why You’ll Love Nasi Ulam

Customisable Creation: Nasi Ulam is easily customisable to the herbs most accessible and available to you! Play around with the flavours, and adjust the herb blend to match your taste buds.
Healthy Goodness: Packed with fresh herbs and aromatic spices, this dish is not just delicious but also a nutritious choice for your meals.
Cultural Significance: This is a traditional rice dish with deep roots to Malay culture – yet straightforward to make! This is that one dish to impress.

Key Ingredients for Nasi Ulam

There are 4 components to Nasi Ulam; the rice, grated coconut, aromatics, and the herb blend.

Rice, cooked

Any long-grain white rice will work for this, including Jasmine, Thai Hom Mali or Basmati rice. Cook accordingly, and let cool completely before proceeding with the recipe.

Grated Coconut, toasted

I can find freshly grated coconut easily here, otherwise shredded or dessicated coconut will work just fine. Dry toast the grated coconut in a pan until golden brown. Some versions use kerisik too.

Shallots, finely minced

Shallots, or red onions are finely minced and added to the mix for a sharp aroma.

Mixed Herbs

Even though traditionally 100 herbs were allegedly used, there is no need to source for that many herbs! At a minimum, there shoud be 3 herbs used – 3 to 7 herbs is a good baseline (that will not stress you out!). The key here is to use herbs that can be eaten raw, and that is the most accessible and available to YOU!

The following are the type of herbs that are traditionally used:

Ginger Torch Flower (bunga kantan): this is a GORGEOUS edible flower belonging to a species of the ginger plant. I would describe the flavour as more herbaceous with a hint of floral. To prepare this, use just the bulb, and slice into quarts first. Then finely mince.
Lemongrass stalks, inner white core, finely chopped
Makrut lime leaves (daun limau): thinly sliced, middle stalk removed
Vietnamese Coriander Leaves(Daun Kesum/laksa leaves):
Cilantro
Mint Leaves
Thai Basil Leaves (daun selasih)

Other Herbs that I’ve used and works well:

Italian Basil
Spring Onions
Chives
Turmeric Leaves (Daun Kunyit)

What herb combinations have you tried? Let me know in the comments below!

BONUS: Fresh Vegetables (optional)

Vegetables are optional, but will most certainly add an extra depth of flavour and texture dimension to the dish!

Chillies: Amazing for colour. The heat is very minimal for the red chillies, but feel free to omit if you don’t want any hint of spice.
Long Beans: or winged beans. Finely chop these and toss in the mix to give nasi ulam a lovely fresh crunch.

Key Steps to Making Nasi Ulam

1. Prepare the Rice

Cook jasmine rice as per package instructions. Let it cool to room temperature.

It’s important to cool it down completely, since we don’t want to cook or scorch the fresh herbs.

I use my Zojirushi Rice Cooker to easily cook my rice to perfection:

Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 Neuro Fuzzy Cooker
Zojirushi NS-ZAQ10 Micom Fuzzy Logic (the exact one I purchased – this is the same as the model above; it’s labelled differently in Singapore/Southeast Asia. This is a ‘Made in Japan’ model.)

2. Toast Shredded Coconut

To a dry pan, add the shredded coconut, and stir fry over low to medium heat until golden brown. Let cool completely.

3. Finely Mince Herbs and Aromatics

While the rice and toasted coconut cools, finely mince the herbs and aromatics! This is the most time-consuming step, but I like to think of it as therapy. Following are specific steps to prepare each herb:

How to prepare Torch Ginger Flower (bunga kantan):

Cut off and discard the stem, so that you’re left with the bulb.
Remove the outer leaf of the flower, unveiling the pink flower.
Cut into quarts first, and finely mince each quart.

How to prepare Lemongrass:

Remove the top portion and the bottom root.
Remove the tough outer layers of the lemongrass, until you are left with just the soft, white inner core.
Finely mince the inner core.

How to prepare leafy Mixed Herbs

To easily and quickly mince the leafy herbs, layer on the leaves, and roll tightly into a bundle. Then run a knife through.

If you want to go the extra step of efficiency, you can pulse the leaves in a food processor to finely mince. Certain herbs might bruise when you do this – it may not look as pretty, but the flavour will not be affected.

4. Mix the Goodness

In a large bowl, combine rice, grated coconut, shallots, and the mixed herbs. Add salt to taste. Mix thoroughly.

5. Serve with Love

Once the rice is mixed well, it is ready to serve! Feel free to add on more of each ingredients, to your preference!

Variations

My recipe keeps Nasi Ulam vegan, with no meat product included. This is the way I like it, and it keeps the recipe simple but still tasting amazing. If you want to level up the flavour even more, there are variations of this which includes these umami-bomb ingredients:

Dried Shrimps (udang kering): Finely mince or add to a food processor or pestle and mortar. Process until you get a floss texture, and mix into the rice.
Toasted Belacan or Fermented Shrimp Paste: After toasting the belacan, crumble it into a powder. Mix into the rice.
Dried Fish (ikan kering): Fry the dried fish, and finely mince. Mix into the rice.

Serving Suggestions: What to Pair with Your Nasi Ulam

Nasi Ulam pairs wonderfully with grilled or fried fish or chicken, tofu tempeh, omelette, and a side of spicy, umami sambal belacan – simpler dishes will make the flavours of the Nasi Ulam shine bright.

Grilled or Fried Fish or Chicken
Fried Tofu and Tempeh
Omelette
Sambal Belacan: This chili paste, made with shrimp paste, adds a kick to your Nasi Ulam. I have two recipes on this blog: an easy 3-ingredient recipe, and the BEST sambal belacan you can make! Adjust the spice level to your liking, and spoon it on the side or mix it into the rice for an extra heat that goes SO WELL with the herbs.
Fried Anchovies (Ikan Bilis): Crispy fried anchovies add a delightful crunch to your Nasi Ulam. Scatter them on top for a burst of salty goodness.
Salted Egg: Slice or crumble salted egg over the rice for a rich, savory addition.
Lime Wedges: Serve lime wedges on the side to squeeze over your Nasi Ulam. The citrusy burst adds a refreshing twist.
Fried Shallots: Sprinkle some crispy fried shallots on top for an aromatic and savoury touch.

That said, no reason why you can’t pair them with richer dishes such as rendang or ayam masak merah; the flavours may fight for your attention, but will go well together still.

Storing Instructions

Store any leftover Nasi Ulam in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It keeps well for up to two days. Try not to keep the Nasi Ulam any longer than that – this dish thrives on freshness.

Nasi Ulam is NOT suitable for freezing.

To reheat, leave it in room temperature to warm up. It is not recommended to heat through in the microwave or stove top as it will overcook the herbs.

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