Nasi lemak (Jawi: ناسي لمق‎) is a dish originating in Malay cuisine that consists of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf.

[18][19] Other accompaniments include stir fried water convolvulus (kangkong),[20] and spicy pickled vegetables salad acar.

More commonly consumed as breakfast in both countries, it is sold in hawker food centres and roadside stalls in Malaysia and Singapore.

Hotels often feature nasi lemak on their menu with elaborate dishes, such as beef rendang and the addition of other seafood.

Roadside stalls sell them ready-packed, known as "nasi lemak bungkus", with minimal additions that cost between RM 1.50 – 6.00 per pack.

A traditional Malaysian nasi lemak calls for rice and a serving of sambal, ikan bilis (anchovies), peanuts and boiled egg.

In Malacca, kangkung is usually served to accompany nasi lemak, a contrast from the cucumber that is commonly used in the standard version of the dish.

Although it is not common to see Chinese stalls and restaurants selling nasi lemak, there is a non-halal version that contains pork, sold in towns and cities such as Malacca, Penang, Perak and certain parts of Kuala Lumpur.

In certain parts of Malaysia and Singapore, hawkers and restaurants may offer vegetarian nasi lemak to cater for vegan clientele.

The vegetarian nasi lemak is served with stir fried vegetables and also plant-based imitation fish or meat substitution.

[24] In the Riau Archipelago, nasi lemak is considered a native Malay dish as well as a favourite breakfast fare among locals.

Nasi lemak from the Riau Islands is quite similar to Malaysian version; it comes as a platter of coconut rice wrapped in banana leaf, with cucumber slices, small dried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, and hot spicy sauce (sambal).

In Pekanbaru city in Sumatran province of Riau however, locally caught freshwater river fishes are commonly used as lauk to accompany nasi lemak.

Just like other variants, the Riau nasi lemak is also rice cooked in rich coconut milk and pandan leaf to add aroma.

[28] The Medan Melayu Deli version of nasi lemak is usually served with choice of side dishes either rendang (beef or chicken) or balado (egg or shrimp in chili sauce).

As the sambal is a crucial portion of the nasi lemak, it is preferred to be less spicy so as not to overpower the taste of the coconut based rice and the other ingredients.

Retaining the familiar aroma of pandan leaves, the Singaporean Chinese variation comes with a variety of sides that includes deep fried drumstick, chicken franks, fish cake, curried vegetables and tongsan luncheon meat.

[30] There is also the traditional way of serving it with just the ikan bilis (anchovies), peanuts and fried egg similar to the classic Malay version.

Its preparation is almost similar with nasi lemak, however the former differs by the combination of lemuni leaf (Vitex trifolia) in the coconut milk and rice admixture.

This meal is often paired together with the side dishes typically associated in a classic nasi lemak sambal, fried anchovies and boiled egg.

[33] However, this opinion may be misleading as the writer might have been referring to the dish's "healthier" and smaller version, and comparing it to the larger American breakfast (fried bacon, eggs, pancakes/hash browns).

A single, full size serving of nasi lemak with additional fried chicken, meat or fish, can be between 800 and well over 1,000 calories.

The savoury coconut milk-infused rice also contains saturated fat, an ingredient connected to health problems, including diabetes.