Nasi Dagang Terengganu

Ingredients

• 300 g long-grain rice
• 100 g glutinous rice
• 400 ml coconut milk, for the rice
• 6 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 cm ginger, cut into matchsticks
• 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp salt, for the rice
• 600 g tuna or skipjack steaks, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 8 dried chillies
• 6 shallots, for the paste
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 cm fresh turmeric
• 2 tbsp fish curry powder
• 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised
• 3 cm galangal, sliced
• 400 ml coconut milk, for the gulai
• 3 tbsp tamarind pulp
• 4 slices asam gelugur (dried sour fruit)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt, for the gulai
• 1 cucumber, cut into batons
• 1 carrot, cut into batons
• 3 shallots, sliced, for the pickle
• 2 red chillies, sliced
• 100 ml rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar, for the pickle
• 1 tsp salt, for the pickle

Before you cook

• Wash both rices together through several changes of water, then soak them for one hour and drain well.
• Slice the six shallots for the rice thinly and cut the ginger into fine matchsticks.
• Squash the tamarind pulp into 200 ml of warm water and strain out the seeds.
• Blend the dried chillies, six shallots, garlic and fresh turmeric to a paste with a splash of water.
• Rub the fish pieces with a teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of the tamarind water, then set them aside.
• Stir the vinegar, two tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of salt together until dissolved, pour it over the cucumber, carrot, shallots and chillies, and chill the pickle.

Steps

1. Line a steamer basket with muslin and bring the water beneath it to a hard boil.
2. Tip the drained rice into the basket and steam it for twenty minutes.
3. Warm the 400 ml of coconut milk with a teaspoon of salt in a small pan until it steams but does not boil.
4. Turn the part-cooked rice into a wide bowl and pour the hot coconut milk over it.
5. Scatter over the sliced shallots, ginger matchsticks and fenugreek seeds, then fold everything through with a fork.
6. Leave the rice to stand and drink up the coconut milk for ten minutes.
7. Return the rice to the lined steamer and steam it for a further twenty-five minutes, until the grains are glossy and tender.
8. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
9. Add the blended spice paste and fry it for eight minutes, until it darkens and the oil rises.
10. Stir in the fish curry powder and cook for one minute, so the rawness burns off.
11. Add the bruised lemongrass, sliced galangal and the rest of the tamarind water.
12. Pour in the second measure of coconut milk and add the asam gelugur slices.
13. Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for ten minutes, until it coats a spoon.
14. Slide in the fish pieces and cook them for eight minutes, spooning gravy over them rather than stirring.
15. Season the gulai with the sugar and salt, then take the pan off the heat.
16. Fluff the coconut rice with a fork and mound it onto four plates.
17. Ladle the gulai and fish beside the rice and add a heap of chilled pickle to each plate.