Lunches
Nasi Katok (Rice, Fried Chicken & Sambal)
Ingredients
- - 4 Chicken thighs or drumsticks, bone-in (about 800g / 1¾ lb)
- - 3 cloves Garlic, grated
- - 3 g Ground turmeric (1 tsp)
- - 6 g Fine salt (1 tsp)
- - 1 g White pepper (¼ tsp)
- - 500 ml Neutral oil, for deep-frying (2 cups)
- - 600 g Jasmine rice, cooked (4 cups cooked)
- - 8 Dried red chillies, soaked and drained
- - 6 Shallots
- - 3 Garlic cloves, for sambal
- - 15 g Belacan (shrimp paste), toasted (1 tbsp)
- - 10 g Palm sugar (2 tsp)
- - 15 ml Fresh lime juice (1 tbsp)
Method
- Rub the chicken pieces with grated garlic, turmeric, salt and white pepper. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for best flavour.
- Heat the oil in a deep pot to 170°C (340°F). Fry the chicken in batches for 10–12 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
- For the sambal, blend the soaked chillies, shallots, garlic and belacan to a smooth paste.
- Fry the sambal paste in a little oil over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until darkened and fragrant.
- Stir in the palm sugar and lime juice, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Plate a portion of steamed rice, top with a piece of fried chicken, and spoon over the sambal.
- Traditionally served with a wedge of cucumber on the side.
Introduction: Nasi Katok — 'knock rice' — began as a humble late-night takeaway sold from a small flat in Bandar Seri Begawan in the 1980s, named for customers knocking on the window to order.
Cultural Background: Nasi Katok — 'knock rice' — began as a humble late-night takeaway sold from a small flat in Bandar Seri Begawan in the 1980s, named for customers knocking on the window to order. It has since become Brunei's most iconic everyday meal: plain rice, a piece of fried chicken and a spoonful of sambal, traditionally wrapped in waxed brown paper and sold around the clock for as little as one Brunei dollar. Today it is eaten for lunch, dinner, or any meal in between.
Tips: Marinating the chicken overnight gives a noticeably deeper flavour. Fry in batches so the oil temperature doesn't drop, which would make the coating greasy rather than crisp. Sambal keeps improving for a day or two in the fridge as the flavours meld.
Variations: Nasi Katok Special adds an extra fried egg alongside the chicken. Some stalls serve the sambal on the side rather than spooned over, for those who prefer to control the heat. Fried fish or beef can replace the chicken for a variation on the same formula. No authentic vegetarian version exists; the dish is built around fried chicken as its centrepiece.
Storage: Store fried chicken and sambal separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Reheat chicken in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 8–10 minutes to re-crisp; warm the sambal gently in a pan or microwave.
Nutrition: Per serving: approx. 620 kcal, 34g protein, 58g carbohydrate, 28g fat.
FAQs:
Q: What is belacan?
A: Belacan is a fermented shrimp paste widely used across Malay and Bruneian cooking to add deep savoury flavour to sambals.
Q: Can I bake the chicken instead of deep-frying?
A: Yes — bake at 200°C (400°F) for 30–35 minutes, turning once, though the texture will be less crisp than the traditional fried version.
Q: Why is it called ‘knock rice’?
A: Early customers would knock on the seller’s window at any hour to place an order, and the name simply stuck.