Nasi lemak (Jawi: ناسي لمق) is a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and "pandan" leaf commonly found in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore,Riau Islands and Southern Thailand. Malaysia proclaims it its national dish and a national heritage of Malaysia, although it's widely served in other parts of the region. It is not to be confused with Nasi Dagang sold on the east coast of Malaysia or Terengganu and Kelantan although both dishes can usually be found sold side by side for breakfast. However, because of the nasi lemak's versatility in being able to be served in a variety of manners, it is now served and eaten any time of the day.
With roots in Malay culture and Malay cuisine, its name in Malay literally means "fatty rice", but is taken in this context to mean "rich" or "creamy". The name is derived from the cooking process whereby rice is soaked in coconut cream and then the mixture steamed. This is the same process used to make a dish from their neighboring country, Indonesia, which is nasi uduk, therefore the two dishes are quite similar. Sometimes knotted screwpine (pandan) leaves are thrown into the rice while steaming to give it more fragrance. Spices such as ginger and occasionally herbs like lemon grass may be added for additional fragrance.