Blue rice, crisp vegetables, fragrant herbs and salty budu make nasi kerabu a dish full of contrast. In this practical home-style version, fried mackerel and toasted coconut add a hearty, savoury touch.
Nasi kerabu is a rice dish from Kelantan, in northeastern Malaysia. Its striking blue colour traditionally comes from bunga telang, also known as butterfly pea flowers. The flowers turn the cooking water blue; their flavour is mild, so the rice mainly serves as a gentle base for the bold accompaniments. Dried flowers are often available at Asian grocery stores or online. You can still make the dish with plain white rice if you can’t find bunga telang, but it won’t have its characteristic colour.
The name refers to kerabu, a type of herb salad. Raw vegetables and fresh herbs therefore add not only colour, but also freshness and crunch. In Kelantan and elsewhere, the combinations vary by cook and occasion; there is no single set of accompaniments. Daun kesum, with its citrusy, peppery aroma, is a distinctive choice. If you can’t find it, Vietnamese coriander works well; you can also add extra mint, though the flavour will be milder. Here, cabbage, cucumber, bean sprouts and long beans add crunch. Slice them thinly so they’re easy to eat with the rice and sauce.
Budu is a fermented fish sauce from the region that adds a powerful salty, savoury flavour. A little lime juice, shallot and chilli make it into a lively sauce; taste it before adding extra salt, as the saltiness of budu varies by brand. You’ll usually find it at shops selling Malaysian or Thai products. If budu isn’t available, you can use fish sauce with lime juice as a practical substitute. It comes close to the salty umami, but doesn’t have the same fermented depth.
The rice will colour more evenly if you first steep the flowers in hot water and strain the liquid. Then use the coloured liquid to cook the rice; avoid stirring it repeatedly so the grains stay fluffy. The mackerel develops golden-brown edges in a hot frying pan. Turmeric adds colour and an earthy note without overpowering the fresh herbs. Toast the coconut slowly in a dry pan: as soon as it smells fragrant and begins to colour lightly, take it off the heat, as finely grated coconut can burn quickly.
Set the rice, fish, vegetables, coconut and budu sauce out separately so everyone can assemble their own bite. Serve with extra lime if you like more acidity. For a lighter meal, leave out the fish and add a few extra vegetables; firm-fleshed fish such as sardines or mackerel also work well as alternatives. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in sealed containers and keep the raw vegetables separate from the hot rice and fish. Heat the rice and fish thoroughly before serving; add the fresh herbs and vegetables at the table.
Rinse the rice until the water is almost clear, then drain. Pour 450 ml boiling water over the bunga telang flowers. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain out the flowers.
Put the rice, coloured liquid and ¼ tsp salt in a lidded saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and cook covered for 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the rice to stand, covered, for another 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Toss the mackerel fillets with the turmeric and ½ tsp salt. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the fish for about 3–4 minutes per side, until cooked through and golden brown. Cook in batches if the pan would otherwise be too crowded.
Meanwhile, toast the coconut in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat. Stir regularly and remove the coconut from the pan as soon as it is lightly golden and fragrant.
Cut the cabbage and cucumber into thin strips. Finely slice the long beans. Rinse the bean sprouts and drain. Roughly chop the mint and daun kesum and mix them with the vegetables.
Juice the limes. Finely chop the shallots and bird’s eye chilli. Stir the budu together with the lime juice, shallots, chilli and sugar. Taste and add more lime juice if you like.
Divide the blue rice, vegetables and mackerel between plates. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and serve with the budu sauce.
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