The Chef

Restaurants

Meals

Drinks

Restaurants›Dallul East African Cuisine›Hunter Pastry Recipe

Hunter Pastry Recipe

Name: Dallul East African Cuisines HUNTER PASTRY Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Malay
Ingredients: 2 cups long-grain rice (jasmine or basmati); 400 ml coconut milk (full fat); 300 ml water; 2 leaves pandan leaves (tied into a knot) or 1 pandan extract drop; 2 slices fresh ginger (smashed) or galangal; 1 tsp salt; 120 g dried anchovies, heads removed and rinsed; 500 ml vegetable oil (for deep/shallow frying); 1 tbs rice flour or cornstarch (light dusting); 1 tsp turmeric powder (optional, for color); 1 tsp salt; 80 g dried red chillies (soaked & deveined) or 10-12 fresh red chiles; 4 pcs shallots; 2 pcs garlic cloves; 1 tsp tamarind paste; 1 tbs palm sugar or brown sugar; 2 tbs vegetable oil; 0.5 tsp salt; 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced into half-moons; 2 pcs hard-boiled eggs, halved; 0.5 cup toasted peanuts

Inspired by Dallul East African Cuisine

Time1h

Serves4

National dish of Malaysia: coconut rice, fried anchovies, cucumber

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Coconut Rice (Nasi Lemak Style)

2 cups long-grain rice (jasmine or basmati)

1 2/3 cup (400 ml) coconut milk (full fat)

1 1/4 cup (300 ml) water

2 leaves pandan leaves (tied into a knot) or 1 pandan extract drop

2 slices fresh ginger (smashed) or galangal

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

Crispy Fried Anchovies (Ikan Bilis)

4 1/4 oz (120 g) dried anchovies, heads removed and rinsed

2 1/8 cup (500 ml) vegetable oil (for deep/shallow frying)

1 tbs rice flour or cornstarch (light dusting)

1 tsp turmeric powder (optional, for color)

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

Sambal (Spicy Chili Anchovy Sauce) - classic pairing

2.82 oz (80 g) dried red chillies (soaked & deveined) or 10-12 fresh red chiles

4 pcs shallots

2 pcs Garlic cloves

1 tsp tamarind paste

1 tbs palm sugar or brown sugar

2 tbs Tuscany sunflower oil

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

Fresh Garnishes

1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced into half-moons

2 pcs hard-boiled eggs, halved

1/2 cup toasted peanuts

Method

Coconut Rice (Nasi Lemak Style)

Rinse and soak rice

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Drain and, if time allows, soak for 15–20 minutes to improve texture; drain again.

Cook rice with aromatics and coconut milk

Combine the drained rice, coconut milk, water, pandan leaves, smashed ginger slices, and salt in a medium saucepan or rice cooker. If using a saucepan: bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stir once, then reduce to low, cover tightly and simmer for 15–18 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. If using a rice cooker: cook according to the machine's coconut rice or white rice setting. Remove pandan and ginger before serving.

Fluff

Fluff the rice with a fork to separate grains and keep warm until plating.

Crispy Fried Anchovies (Ikan Bilis)

Prep anchovies

Pat the rinsed anchovies very dry with paper towels. Toss them lightly with rice flour or cornstarch, turmeric (if using), and salt—just enough to coat; shake off excess.

Heat oil

Pour oil into a small wok or deep frying pan to a depth of about 2–3 cm (1 inch). Heat to 170–180°C (340–360°F) or until a small piece of bread sizzles and browns slowly. If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping one anchovy in; it should sizzle and rise immediately.

Fry anchovies

Working in small batches (to avoid temperature drop), fry anchovies for 1–2 minutes until crisp and golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat until all anchovies are crisp. Adjust heat to maintain oil temperature.

Drain and season

While still hot, taste and adjust with a light sprinkle of salt if needed. Set aside.

Sambal (Spicy Chili Anchovy Sauce)

Prepare chilies and aromatics

If using dried chilies: soak them in hot water for 15 minutes until softened, drain and remove seeds if desired. Roughly chop chilies, shallots and garlic for easier blending.

Blend

Place softened chilies, shallots, garlic, and tamarind paste in a blender or mortar and pestle and grind to a coarse paste. Add a little water (1-2 tbs) if needed to help blending.

Cook sambal

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the chili-shallot paste and sauté, stirring often, for 6–8 minutes until the raw smell dissipates and the oil separates slightly. Add palm sugar and salt, adjust to taste, and continue cooking 2–3 minutes until jammy. If the sambal gets too thick, add a splash of water. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Fresh Garnishes & Assembly

Prepare garnishes

Hard-boil eggs (if not done): place eggs in boiling water for 9 minutes, then plunge into ice water, peel and halve. Slice cucumber into thin half-moons. Toast peanuts in a dry pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant, shaking frequently, about 3–4 minutes; cool.

Plate the Hunter Pastry (Nasi Lemak style)

Spoon 3/4–1 cup of warm coconut rice onto each plate. Arrange a small mound of crispy fried anchovies to the side, add a spoonful of sambal, a few cucumber slices, half a boiled egg, and a tablespoon of toasted peanuts. Serve immediately so the anchovies remain crisp and the rice is warm.

Storage

Leftover coconut rice: cool quickly and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat with a splash of water to restore moisture. Sambal keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container. Fried anchovies are best eaten same day; they can be reheated briefly in a 160°C oven to crisp up.