KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 2 -- Nasi lemak is ubiquitous in Malaysia: there's the Malay classic or a Chinese version where the rice has less santan or even a Melaka Chetti version where nasi lemak kukus with an assortment of dishes laid on a banana leaf is part of their annual ancestor worship ritual known as Parchu Bhogi.

Like all dishes, practicality rules the kitchen; ingredients used depend on what is abundant locally rather than seeking a special item from far away.

That's why Pangkor Island nasi lemak uses fish, prawns and sotong, all wrapped in a triangular banana leaf packet to infuse the rice with its distinct sambal.

Recreating the island's nasi lemak in the Klang Valley is a different story, as some of the ingredients must be brough...