Nasi lemak-themed Thanksgiving potluck dinner. Help.

November 18, 2018 9:27 AM

I am going to a Thanksgiving potluck dinner. I have just been informed that said potluck is nasi lemak-themed. (Nasi lemak = coconut rice.) I have also been asked to bring a vegetable dish. What vegetable dish can I bring that goes well with coconut rice?

So basically, I have to come up with a vegetable dish that goes well with coconut rice. The vegetable dish should be Malay or Indonesian, or should have flavors that mimic Malay/Indonesian flavors. The dish should be... as simple as possible to make, and should be as idiot-proof as possible. (I love sayur lodeh and achar etc but... no way am I going to try making those for this potluck.)

I will be working the whole day before the dinner. So I probably have to prep and cook the night before. I can refrigerate the dish during the day before the dinner.

Additional difficulty: located in Philly. potluck dinner in less than 3 days' time. not much time to go out grocery shopping / hunting for elusive ingredients/spices etc.

posted by aielen to Food & Drink (7 answers total)

Best answer: Green beans? Basically a stirfry, calls for a stalk of lemongrass but everything else is pretty basic.

2 cloves garlic, ch
1 lemongrass, ch
6 shallots, ch
(Make paste in blender w/ 2 T water)

Fry paste in 3 T oil at med heat for 5 min, add:
2 strips lime rind
2 red chiles, seeded + ch
2 scallions, ch
(Stirfry for a minute) Add:

1.5 lbs green beans, trimmed & cut diag into 1.5 in lengths
1 c coconut milk
1 c water
(Bring to boil, reduce to simmer for 20 min)

Add salt to taste. 4-6 servings.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:01 AM on November 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

Don't know if it's too complicated but Acar Awak is one of the most delicious things ever.
posted by Kosmob0t at 12:25 PM on November 18, 2018

Agree with Kosmob0t that a substantial tumeric pickle side dish would be really yummy, as part of a mixed potluck plate. Here's an easy and quick (apart from some chopping) version called acar kuning. If fresh ginger is tricky to source, you could substitute some ground ginger, and add it at the same as the turmeric.
posted by brushtailedphascogale at 1:31 PM on November 18, 2018

I feel like any sort of vegetable-based curry would go down well. I've even seen vegetarian rendang.
posted by divabat at 4:44 PM on November 18, 2018

Do you have access to sambal, say, from a jar? Sambal terung (eggplant) is a fairly common dish that's easy to put together. Or you could do a similar stir fry with sliced tempeh.
posted by hellopanda at 12:37 AM on November 19, 2018

The classic vegetable dish in Malaysia for nasi lemak is stir-fried kangkung with garlic. You may find this labelled as water spinach.
posted by ianK at 3:15 AM on November 19, 2018

Best answer: Go Nyonya! Try this recipe for beans with belacan.
posted by GamblingBlues at 6:37 AM on November 19, 2018 [1 favorite]