Pundut nasi — Banjarmasin, Indonesia

Pundut nasi, whose name can be translated as wrapped rice, is a steamed rice dish from the Banjarese community of South Kalimantan, on the Indonesian island of Borneo. Rice is cooked with coconut milk and a red chili paste known as sambal habang, then folded into a banana leaf parcel before steaming, which gives the rice a savory, slightly spicy flavor carried by the fat in the coconut milk. The dish is reported from the city of Banjarmasin and the surrounding Kutai area, where it is sold in markets and food stalls and served at communal gatherings such as the Beseprah shared-meal custom, in which food is laid out on long mats for many diners at once. To prepare it, rice is first mixed with thick coconut milk and sambal habang so that the grains absorb the color and heat of the chili paste before cooking. A portion of this mixture is spooned onto a banana leaf, folded into a tight parcel and secured, then the parcels are steamed until the rice is fully cooked and the leaf has released its aroma into the grains. The parcels are usually made in batches, since they keep well and travel easily to market stalls or gatherings. What sets this version apart from other wrapped rice dishes of the archipelago is its pairing with sambal habang, a red chili condiment distinct from the greener or brown sambals used elsewhere, and its accompaniments: duck eggs, snakehead fish or papuyu fish, along with a drizzle of lapat sauce. These side dishes are served alongside rather than mixed into the parcel, so the rice itself stays plain enough to carry the toppings without becoming overwhelming.