Nasi lemak

When I was still living in Malaysia and in primary school, nasi lemak is what I had for recess every day. Traditionally, these are packaged in banana leaf, but at school it was plastic-lined newspaper. I’m always amazed when I eat this dish because it shows how little you need to create mammoth amounts of flavour. It’s such a great example of traditional eating, with rice at the centre of every meal. The accompaniments are designed to be punchy and well-seasoned, so you need very little to bring the rice to life, a clever device for a humble existence.