Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Malaysian Nasi Dagang with Fish Curry
馬來西亞椰香香料飯配咖喱魚
Recipe overview
This home-style nasi dagang combines white and glutinous rice with coconut mackerel curry. Preparation includes 4 hours of refrigerated soaking; steam rice while cooking the curry.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 240 g White rice
- 80 g Glutinous rice
- 600 g Mackerel steaks, 2 cm thick
- 100 g Shallots
- 20 g Ginger
- 15 g Garlic
Vegetable seasoning
- 160 ml Coconut milk for rice
- 2 g Salt for rice
- 1 g Fenugreek seeds
Curry seasoning
- 300 ml Coconut milk for curry
- 200 ml Water for curry
- 20 g Fish curry powder
- 15 g Tamarind paste
- 8 g Sugar
- 3 g Salt for curry
- 15 ml Oil
02
Tools
- Steamer and steaming cloth
- Lidded wok
- Knife and board
- Jug and mixing bowl
03
Steps
Step 1
Soak rice
Rinse both rice types, cover generously with water and refrigerate for 4 hours; drain.
Step 2
Slice aromatics
Thinly slice shallots, ginger and garlic; reserve one quarter of each for rice and the rest for curry.
Step 3
First rice steaming
Line the steamer with cloth, spread rice thinly with steam gaps and steam over boiling water for 20 minutes.
Step 4
Mix curry paste
Mix curry powder with 50 ml of the curry water; pat fish dry and check for loose bone fragments.
Step 5
Fry curry base
Heat oil over medium heat; fry curry aromatics for 3 minutes, then curry paste for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 6
Simmer sauce
Add curry coconut milk, remaining 150 ml water, tamarind, sugar and curry salt; simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Step 7
Add fish
Lay fish in the curry, cover and simmer 8–10 minutes; gently shake the wok instead of stirring.
Step 8
Dress steamed rice
Transfer first-steamed rice to a bowl; mix with rice coconut milk, rice salt, fenugreek and reserved aromatics; absorb for 5 minutes.
Step 9
Steam again
Return rice to the cloth and steam 15–20 minutes more; check water level and top up with hot water if needed.
Step 10
Check fish
The thickest fish flesh should reach 63°C, look opaque and flake; cook longer if needed, then turn off and cover.
Step 11
Check rice
Taste several grains for no hard centre and fluff with a rice paddle; if firm, steam 5 minutes more and recheck.
Step 12
Serve together
Divide rice among four plates, add fish and curry sauce and watch for bones while eating.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the soak delays lunch; the 4 hours are included in preparation.
- Rice piled too thickly cooks unevenly; leave steam channels.
- Hard boiling and stirring break fish; simmer and shake gently.
- Surface appearance is insufficient; check fish temperature and the rice centre.
Tips
The rice blend is a practical home version, not a claim to use specialist east-coast Malaysian rice. Refrigerate during soaking and drain before steaming; do not pour all the coconut milk onto raw rice. Cook fish and rice concurrently; keep finished fish covered and hot until the rice is ready.
