Recipe: How to Make Lemang at Home

 This MCO (Movement Control Order) has got me cooking some things I never thought I'd ever attempt in my kitchen.

Lemang is one of our favourite things to eat during Ramadan and Raya. It is a traditional food made from glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt, cooked in a bamboo lined with banana leaves. Usually, you can see lots of stalls selling this by the roadside in the run up to Ramadan and you can also find it in hotel Ramadan buffets.

So, here's an easy, cheat's version of lemang that you can try at home, minus the bamboo. For my version, you first soak the rice for 3-4 hours, and then steam it for 25-30 minutes. The rice is then mixed with coconut milk, to make it all rich and sticky. Allow the rice to cool, and then wrap in banana leaves and place under the hot grill to achieve the slightly toasted, smoky flavour that you normally get from cooking it in a bamboo over a small fire and to impart the banana leaf fragrance to the rice. Lemang is best enjoyed slightly warm, with serunding or rendang.

We definitely enjoyed our homemade version...  rich, sticky, aromatic and soft rice.... even with no bamboo, I think this is a pretty darn good version you can easily recreate at home for your family. :)

Click here to watch the video on YouTube :)

Lemang (Glutinous Rice Wrapped in Banana Leaf)
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
250g glutinous rice
2 pandan leaves, knotted
200ml coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 large sheets banana leaves, approx. 10"x 8"

1. Soak the rice in cold water for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight. Drain and transfer to a heatproof plate and steam for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is tender. You may steam the rice with the pandan leaves, which will add extra fragrance to the rice. The cooking time will vary depending on the soaking time. (Note: To cut down steaming time, you can also add 1/4 cup water to the rice before steaming. It will help the rice become soft faster).

2. In a separate pot, gently heat the coconut milk and salt and stir to mix. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Tip the steamed rice into a large tray and spread it out to help it cool quickly.  Pour the coconut milk over the rice and gently mix it. Set aside to cool.

4. Place banana leaves in a heatproof plate in the sink and pour over boiling hot water to scald. This is to soften the leaves so that you can easily fold them later. Leave for 1 minute, then remove and wipe dry with kitchen towel.

5. Place a large mound of rice on the leaf, in the shape of a cylinder 2cm from the edges and then roll to form a "sausage" with a diameter of 1.5 to 2 inches. Press gently so that the rice is nice and compact. Repeat for remaining rice.

6. Preheat grill to 230°C. Put the rolled rice on a baking tray and place under hot grill for 10 minutes, until slightly burnt around the edges. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

7. Slice about 1.5cm thick and serve with your favourite rendang or serunding.

Buy glutinous rice here: https://shope.ee/1VKARM3x6u

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