Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Malaysian Nasi Kerabu
馬來西亞藍花香草飯
Recipe overview
This home-style version preserves the dish's defining character in a Hong Kong kitchen.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 g jasmine rice
- 12 dried butterfly-pea flowers
- 300 g, from freshly cooked fish or a just-opened refrigerated pack, bones removed cooked mackerel flesh
- 120 g grated coconut
- 120 g, shredded mixed fresh herbs
- 150 g, finely sliced yardlong beans
Sauce seasoning
- 700 ml water
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp Malaysian budu fermented fish sauce (or fish sauce)
02
Tools
- household hob
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- measuring tools
- large bowl
- fine strainer
- rice cooker
- dry frying pan
- bean-boiling saucepan
- draining spoon
- food thermometer
- shallow lidded tray
- serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Steep dried butterfly-pea flowers in 700 ml hot
Steep dried butterfly-pea flowers in 700 ml hot water for 10 minutes; strain out flowers.
Step 2
Rinse jasmine rice until drainage is nearly clea
Rinse jasmine rice until drainage is nearly clear, then drain thoroughly.
Step 3
Put rice
Put rice, blue infusion and 1 teaspoon salt in a rice cooker; stir once and cook.
Step 4
When the cooker finishes
When the cooker finishes, rest covered 10 minutes and fluff the blue rice.
Step 5
Toast grated coconut in a dry pan over low heat
Toast grated coconut in a dry pan over low heat until pale golden; cool.
Step 6
Flake cooked mackerel and mix with 1 tablespoon
Use only freshly cooked mackerel or a just-opened refrigerated pack with bones removed; heat it in a clean saucepan until the thickest centre reaches at least 75°C on a food thermometer.
Step 7
Boil sliced yardlong beans for 2 minutes
Boil sliced yardlong beans for 2 minutes, then drain and cool immediately.
Step 8
Finely shred the mixed fresh herbs
Finely shred the mixed fresh herbs, keeping them dry and green.
Step 9
Mix the budu-lime dressing
Mix 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons budu (or fish sauce), 1 teaspoon sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until dissolved.
Step 10
Toss yardlong beans
Toss the yardlong beans, herbs and half the toasted coconut with the budu-lime dressing from step 9.
Step 11
Cool and season the mackerel
Spread the 75°C mackerel in a clean shallow tray, cool at room temperature for no more than 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate; before plating, flake and mix with 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Step 12
Confirm fluffy rice and bone-free mackerel
Plate blue rice with herb-bean salad, chilled or still slightly warm bone-free mackerel and remaining toasted coconut; do not leave the finished dish out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours.
Common mistakes
- Uneven pieces cook at different rates.
- Excess heat burns food before the centre is done.
- Shared raw and cooked utensils risk contamination.
- Seasoning before tasting can make food too salty.
Tips
Measure first; judge by colour, texture and safe centre doneness.
