Nasi gurih facts for kids
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indonesia |
| Region or state | Aceh, and Sumatra |
| Serving temperature | Hot or room temperature |
| Main ingredients | Rice cooked in coconut milk and spices with various side dishes |
| Variations | Similar to Nasi Uduk and Nasi lemak |
Nasi gurih is a super tasty rice dish from Indonesia. It's a special kind of steamed rice cooked with creamy coconut milk and lots of yummy spices. This delicious meal first came from a place called Aceh in Indonesia. It's a popular main course that you can enjoy either hot or at room temperature.
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What Does "Nasi Gurih" Mean?
The name Nasi gurih comes from two languages: Aceh language and Indonesian. In both languages, nasi means "rice" and gurih means "succulent" or "savory." So, the name literally means "succulent rice" or "savory rice." This name perfectly describes the rich and flavorful taste of the rice, which gets its amazing flavor from being cooked with coconut milk and spices.
How Nasi Gurih Is Made
Making Nasi gurih is a bit different from just cooking regular rice. Instead of using plain water, a mix of rice and sticky rice is soaked and then cooked in rich coconut milk.
To make it extra fragrant and delicious, special ingredients are added during cooking. These include salt, fresh lemongrass, Indian bay leaf, and pandan leaves. The pandan leaves give the rice a wonderful, sweet aroma that makes it even more appealing.
Delicious Side Dishes to Enjoy
When you buy Nasi gurih in Aceh, especially from small food stalls called warung, it often comes with many different side dishes. You can choose your favorites to go with your rice!
Some basic toppings usually sprinkled on top of Nasi gurih include:
- Fried peanuts
- Bawang goreng (which are crispy fried shallots)
- Tauco (a savory fermented soybean paste)
- Sambal (a spicy chili sauce)
- Krupuk (crispy crackers)
For main side dishes, you might find:
- Ikan balado (fish cooked in a spicy chili sauce)
- Udang sambal (shrimp cooked in chili sauce)
- Ayam goreng (fried chicken)
- Dendeng (thin slices of dried beef jerky)
- Perkedel (fried patties made from mashed potatoes)
These side dishes add even more flavor and texture to the already delicious Nasi gurih.
Similar Rice Dishes Around Asia
Nasi gurih is not the only rice dish cooked with coconut milk in Southeast Asia. There are similar and equally popular dishes found in other places:
- Nasi uduk: This dish is very similar to Nasi gurih and comes from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia.
- Nasi lemak: This is another famous coconut milk rice dish. You can find Nasi lemak in parts of Sumatra like Riau and Riau Islands in Indonesia. It's also a very popular dish in nearby countries like Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore.
All these dishes share the common idea of cooking rice in coconut milk to make it rich and flavorful, but each has its own unique local touches and side dishes.
