Singapore hawker marathon: Coconut rice part one, tomato chili sambal and lemongrass ricotta

Ingredients

TOMATO CHILI SAMBAL:
• 1/2 cup (110 grams) coconut milk
• 1/3 cup (72 grams) canola oil
• 10 (31 grams) red bird's eye chili, stems removed
• 2~5 (130 grams) large red chili such as goat horn or cayenne (see note*), stems removed and roughly cut
• 8 small shallots, peeled
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 5 fillets of anchovy in olive oil, drained
• 2 tbsp (18 grams) dried shrimps (see note **)
• 1 tbsp (20 grams) balacan shrimp paste or Thai shrimp paste (see note ***)
• 0.45 lb (200 grams) cherry tomatoes, or 1/2 can (200 grams) canned peeled tomatoes
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
LEMONGRASS COCONUT RICOTTA:
• 3 1/2 cup whole milk (855 grams)
• 1/2 cup (110 grams) coconut milk
• 1 lemongrass
• 2 small slices of galangal
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 bird's eye chili, finely diced
• 2 tsp fish sauce
COCONUT RICE:
• 3 cups jasmine rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 fresh or frozen pandan leaf, cut into segments (see note ****)
• 1/2 lemongrass, diced
• heaping 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup +3 tbsp coconut milk
• 1 star anise

Instructions

1. TOMATO CHILI SAMBAL: In a blender, blend coconut milk, canola oil, red bird's eye chili, large red chili, shallot, garlic, anchovies, dried shrimps and balacan shrimp paste until smoothly pureed. Transfer into a non-stick pot (or the sauce will burn easily) and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Partially cover the pot to prevent splattering, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, and the mixture is oily, caramelized and turned deep red in color.
2. I happened to have cherry tomatoes on hand, which I blanched and peeled. But you can certainly use canned tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and mash it into the mixture with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook until most of the moisture from the tomatoes has evaporated as well, and the sauce is once again caramelized an deep red. Add apricot jam and apple cider vinegar, and cook for another 5 minutes. Once cooled completely, store in an air-tight container in the fridge until needed. Can be made up to one week ahead of time.
3. LEMONGRASS COCONUT RICOTTA: Smash the lemongrass with a meat-pounder to break it up, then cut into long segments. In a pot, combine whole milk, coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal and sea salt. Set a thermometer into the mixture, then place the pot over the lowest heat possible to slowly, slowly bring the temperature up to 190 F/90 C. The slow process allows the herbs to steep and release their aroma into the milk. Meanwhile, set double layers of cheese-clothes on top of a strainer and set it over another pot.
4. Once the milk is heated, remove the herbs with a slotted spoon and reserve. Gently stir in the lemon juice, just a swirl or two, and leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into the cheese-clothes, then place the herbs back on top to further perfume the ricotta. Once most of the liquid/whey is drained, gather the cheese-clothes into a ball, and place something heavy (like a can or pot) on top. Leave it in the fridge to drain for another two hours, until the ricotta is firm and crumbly. Remove the herbs now and discard. This can be made up to 2 days head of time.
5. 10 minutes before serving, evenly mix finely sliced shallots, diced bird's eye chili and fish sauce in a bowl. Right before serving, mix equal amount of the shallot-mixture with lemongrass ricotta to make a crumbly mixture.
6. COCONUT RICE: Wash jasmine rice inside a strainer until the water runs clear, then drain well and transfer into a rice cooker. If you don't have a rice cooker, see this post for stove-top instructions. Blend 2 cups of water, pandan, lemongrass and salt in a blender until finely pureed. Transfer to a pot and simmer for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as you can, then discard the solids. Add more water to the pandan water to make it up to 2 cups, then add to the rice, along with coconut milk. Cook according to the rice cooker's instruction.
7. When the rice is done, add the star anise and fluff it a few times, then close the lid to let sit for another 5 minutes to infuse (we only want a light whiff of anise flavor). To learn how to package the rice into individual pouches, watch this video. Serve the coconut rice with a generous amount of tomato chili sambal and lemongrass coconut ricotta. For extra toppings, see part two.

Notes