Nasi Katok — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Simple coconut-infused rice served with crispy fried chicken and spicy sambal. Brunei's most popular everyday meal.

Ingredients

2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
200ml coconut milk
300ml water
1 tsp salt
4 chicken drumsticks or thighs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
Oil for deep-frying
For sambal: 6 red chillies, 3 shallots, 1 tsp shrimp paste, 1 tbsp oil, salt to taste

1 Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs clear, then combine it in a rice cooker or pot with the coconut milk, water, and salt. Cook until the rice is fluffy and fragrant, with each grain separate and lightly glossy from the coconut fat.
2 Season the chicken pieces generously with salt, turmeric, and black pepper, rubbing the spices into the skin. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature for at least twenty minutes to allow the flavours to penetrate.
3 Mix the flour with the remaining turmeric, chilli powder, black pepper, and a pinch of salt in a shallow dish. Dredge each chicken piece thoroughly in the seasoned flour, pressing firmly to create an even coating.
4 Heat oil in a deep pot or wok to one hundred and seventy degrees Celsius. Fry the chicken pieces for twelve to fifteen minutes, turning occasionally, until the coating is deeply golden and crispy and the internal temperature reaches seventy-five degrees.
5 While the chicken fries, prepare the sambal by blending the red chillies, shallots, and shrimp paste into a rough paste. Fry the paste in a tablespoon of oil over medium heat for five minutes until darkened and fragrant, then season with salt.
6 Remove the fried chicken and drain on a wire rack. Serve each portion with a mound of coconut rice, one piece of crispy fried chicken, and a generous spoonful of the sambal on the side.