Friday, October 23, 2009
Hello everyone!!!! Welcome to our blog! As indicated in the title, you should have some idea what is the main concern of our blog=) Alright, for those who are still unclear about it, we introduce you variety of popular foods in Malaysia. There are fourteen states in Malaysia, thus, we have prepared for you foods from various states accordingly. We will begin from the North Malaysia, followed by West peninsular Malaysia, East Malaysia and finally from South Malaysia. Aha.. but do not forget about Sabah and Sarawak food which certainly give you lots of idea about food across Malaysia..that’s why Malaysia is known as the paradise of food… wow… it’s very exciting! Now, we will begin our journey starting from Perlis Indera Kayangan in North Peninsular Malaysia.
PERLIS INDERA KAYANGAN
Perlis is situated in the Northern Malaysia and considered the smallest state in Malaysia. So, we will find out what is so special about this small city..
Kuih Goyang
Laksa Kuala Perlis
Tapai Perlis
Buah Mempelam Harum Manis
KEDAH DARUL AMAN
The state is most identified with its vast rice fields and naturally, rice is a basis of many Kedahan meals. Apart from steamed rice that is eaten with spicy curries, the grain is used for making noodles for laksa Kedah and transformed into sweet treats like kuih karas,
Kerabu
A dish that tosses together a mélange of aromatic ingredients such as ginger flower, polygonum, dried shrimp, bird’s eye chilli, cucumber and fruit julienne. An integral ingredient is kerisik (toasted grated coconut), which imparts bite and a delicious aroma to the kerabu. The dish gets its zesty notes from lime juice and sweetness from palm sugar.
Kuih Karas
Pulut sambal
Penang Asam Laksa
Nasi Kandar
Nasi Kandar is a popular northern Malaysian dish, which originates from Penang. It is a meal of steamed rice which can be plain or mildly flavored, and served with a variety of curries and side dishes. The rice for a nasi kandar dish is often placed in a wooden container about three feet high, giving it a distinctive aroma. The rice is accompanied by side dishes such as fried chicken, curried spleen, cubed beef, fish roe, fried prawns or fried squid. The vegetable dish would usually be brinjal (aubergine), okra (lady fingers or "bendi") or bitter gourd. A mixture of curry sauces is poured on the rice. This is called 'banjir' (flooding) and imparts a diverse taste to the rice.
Pasembor
This is our very own local salad, sometimes known as “Indian Rojak”. It is sometimes referred to as “cheh hoo”, literally translated to “green fish” ie raw fish, because that used to be one of the constituents. Originally these were two different dishes, but time and cultures have blended the two, and they are now more or less the same thing.
Whatever name you know it by, up here in Penang, pasembor is the mixture of sliced-up dough and cucuk udang (prawn fritters), bean curd, boiled potatoes and hard-boiled egg served atop a bed of roughly-julienned vegetables, primarily cucumber and bangkwang (yam bean). It is served with a dressing that is totally unique to the east – a large, loving ladleful of thick, rich, sweet, reddish-brown spicy sauce made with Ubi Keledek (sweet potato) and chillis.
As soon as the salad is served to you, toss it to ensure the sauce mixes well with all the layers. It also softens the crispy fritter edges and flavours the vegetables at the same time. Although slightly sweet for some, the combination of carbohydrates and vegetables (and grease notwithstanding), is quite tasty and relatively healthy, as there is plenty of fresh crispy greens.
Laksa Perak
It is made of wheat flour (usually hand-made). The soup is rather lighter than the common laksa taste and so much different from Ipoh Laksa in shape, taste and smell. The local municipal council even built a complex called "Kompleks Cendol dan Laksa" near the river bank of the Perak River. It is the main attraction for tourists in Kuala Kangsar.
Gulai Tempoyak
Rendang Tok
KELANTAN DARUL NAIM
Fuuuuhhhh… after tired travelling all the way in North, we will move to the next station in East Malaysia. Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang have the most variety food in Malaysia. Once you get there, try to look for foods that represent the identity of the states..a lot…check it out…!
Laksam
Laksam is one of Kelantan all time favourite delicacy. It is flat rice noodles...err..fettuchinee look alike and served with white sauce made from fish ,shrimp paste and coconut milk ,and garnish with raw vegetables like shredded cucumber, long beans, bean sprout and cabbage. We usually have it for breakfast but you still can have it anytime during the day, ...lunch...tea time or even for dinner. If you go to Kelantan you'll easily find it being sold at the fresh market or by the road side especially in the morning.
Nasi Dagang
This is a mix of white rice and brown glutinous rice (special glutinous rice) which is cooked with coconut milk (santan), blended onions and garlic and some spices (such as fenugreek) (Malay: halba). Fish or chicken curry comes as an add-on to complete the dishes, so it’s recommended to take only a small portion as it is extremely filling. The Nasi Dagang is one of the tastiest dishes in Kelantan and goes well with fish curry, sour salad, hard boiled eggs and curried chicken. The nasi dagang of Kelantan uses a different kind gluttinous rice compared to the white glutinous rice in nasi dagang Terengganu.
Nasi Kerabu
Nasi Kerabu literally means “salad rice”. Kelantan’s Nasi Kerabu is “white rice” and served with “tumis” gravy with local herbs, leaves and vegetables. This is considerably different from the version served in other parts of Malaysia, which is a dyed-blue rice without a “tumis” gravy. The colouring comes from a type of flower, although some sellers use artificial equivalents. Apart from that it is also served with fried fish, keropok, salted egg, “solok lada” (fish fillet and coconut-stuffed chillis), and pickled garlic.
Solok Lada
Jala Mas or bunga Tanjong
Dodol
Dodol comes in different flavours and colours depending on the ingredients used. Dodol manisan is brownish and sweetened with coconut sugar while dodol pandan is greenish and sweetened with cane sugar. There are also durian flavor which made of durian. The production of dodol is very unique and take a longer time to be cooked.
Lompat tikam
“buah gomok” or “buah beluru”
Tepung pelita
Che’ Mek Molek
TERENGGANU DARUL IMAN
Terengganu food has shown the influence of Thai culture and taste. Terengganu has abundance of rice based dishes such as nasi dagang, nasi kunyit, nasi kuning, nasi berlauk, nasi lemak and nasi kerabu. There is laksam, laksa Terengganu, otak-otak, sata, pulut lepa, ketupat sotong and kerepok lekor. Dining out is relatively inexpensive and there are always plenty of choices range from hotel food to hawker food. Among them are shown below:
Bubur Lambuk
Keropok Lekor
cracker made of fish which is ground to a paste then mixed with sago before it is steamed and later deep fried. It is the snack instead of a proper meal and sometimes is served as the snack before meal. It can be eaten either when it is steamed or deep fried, both give different taste. The long chewy ones are called keropok lekor while the thin crispy are called keping, means slice. Both the keropok is usually eaten with chili dip.Keropok is easily found elsewhere in Kuala Terengganu, from the stalls beside the road to restaurants or market. If you wish to bring home some, go to the Central Market for dried keropok or fresh in Losong who is famous with largest Museum in Malaysia and its keropok. Kak Yah's stall is the most popular at Losong, prof of that is Kak Yah magnificents house located next to her stall. Some say stall 007 near Floating Mosque is the best among this, well, find it out yourself.
Satar
Satar is another fish snack in Terengganu Malay cuisine. It is mixture of pounded fish, shallots and ginger wrapped in banana leaf, pierce of few by 1 single bamboo stick then barbecue over low fire. The best stall are by the road of Chendering, sold by an old couple in a Ford Vargon or Warung Che Wan at Kuala Kemaman if not, you can try your luck at Central Market.
Pulut Inti
Roti Jala
'net bread’ or crepes is a net or lacy type of crepe, which sometimes replaces the staple rice, made from a crepe-like batter. A special cup or mould with small holes is used to make the lacy crepe which is cooked over a hot griddle. Roti Jala is often served during special occasions and is an ideal accompaniment to dishes with lots of rich curries or gravies like Malaysian Chicken Curry, Chicken Kapitan, or Mutton Kurma.
Pulut Lepa
Pulut Lepa made of glutinous rice and fish, this snack food is prepared over a barbecue. Boiled fish meat is mixed with sliced onions, and dried chilies and coconut. The mixture is cooked until it is dry. This is then used as a filling for the glutinous rice rolls. Wrappings of banana leaf cover the food before it is cooked over the fire.
Nekbat
Nasi Kebuli
Nasi Kebuli is the special rice dish of Kampung Jeram Landak, a quaint kampung in the Kuala Lipis District of Pahang.
Nasi Kebuli is rice cooked with coconut oil and mixed with chicken. Sometimes lamb or mutton is used instead of chicken as the meat for this traditional food.
Other ingredients in this traditional dish include raisins, onions, clovers, olives, and lemon grass, giving the aromatic smell that inevitably creates hunger pangs from afar.
According to the beliefs of old town folks, when cooking this traditional dish, it is vital that the cooks ensure that the ingredients are mixed in the right proportion and follow strictly according to the recipe.
And more importantly, besides the correct proportion of the ingredients, the cook or cooks must be properly dressed in clean and decent attire!! This, local folks say, is to ensure that when cooked, the rice or dish will not turn out to be tasteless and aroma-less!
Normally, Nasi Kebuli is served during traditional occasions like weddings, Maulidur Rasul celebrations and the opening or cleansing of a silat ground.
This special rice dish is also served during the traditional Malay ceremonies of trimming the first hairs of the baby, completion of Quran reading, and other traditional customs.
Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak
Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak is among the famous and sovoury dish in the state of Pahang. It is in fact a traditional dish popular in the inland riverine areas as the Patin fish is found in abundance in the rivers of Pahang, especially in the Sungai Pahang ("Pahang River").
This dish is eaten with rice. Malays normally eat rice with at least three different dishes, comprising of fish, meat (like chicken, beef, lamb, mutton) and vegetables.
In Temerloh, “the home of the Patin”, then this Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak dish can be found in most of the restaurants and food-courts in the town.
The ikan patin masak tempoyak dish is not that complicated to cook, except that the durian paste or tempoyak must be available as it gives the special flavour and hence the name of the dish.
The durian is a seasonal fruit in Pahang, but the tempoyak (durian paste) can last for many months. Many rural Malay households keep the tempoyak in big bottles for use during cooking, and they are normally sold and found at shops and Sunday markets in smaller amounts.
Opor Daging
Opor Daging or just plain "Opor" is a traditional dish of the people of Pahang especially in the ‘kampong’ (villages) around the Royal town of Pekan.
It is usually served during traditional Malay weddings and festivals, being a traditional delicacy dish of beef or mutton/lamb, and eaten with rice, the staple food of the Malays.
Opor Daging is normally served with plain white rice, but during weddings and other traditional occasions, it is part of the menu eaten with the nasi minyak.
At home, the Opor can also be eaten with white or brown bread, or with the local Indian roti canai or capati, or any cooked flour.
Ikan Patin Asam Rebus
The Ikan Patin Asam Rebus is another favorite recipe and traditional way of cooking the ikan patin by the Malays in Pahang.
The ikan patin asam rebus dish is different from the ikan patin masak tempoyak style because the soup or gravy tastes a little sour and spicy or hot, whereas the tempoyak dish is a bit sweet due to the delicious ripe durian taste. To make the dish, follows below.
Add ingredients like red chillies, red onions, garlic and lemon grass and blend them until fine. Mix those ingredients with bunga kantan, sprigs kesum (bot: polygonum) leaves (or substitute with mint, dried tamarind slices (asam gelugor) and water in the pot. Cook for about 20 minutes under medium heat until boiled and until fragrance rises. Put in the fish and simmer until the fish is cooked for about 10 minutes.
This traditional dish is normally served and eaten with the plain steamed white rice, adding a great soury taste to the staple food of the Malays.
It also makes for a wonderful dish if taken with fine or whole-meal wheat bread, pancakes and the roti canai.
Puding Raja@Royal Pudding
Puding Raja ("Royal Pudding") is a traditional Pahang Malay dish taken as an appetizer or dessert and is easy to make.
In the state of Pahang, this popular delicacy (sometimes also known as "Puding DiRaja") can be found in some restaurants and food-stalls in the royal town of Pekan.
A favorite appetizer or dessert taken by local folks with their evening tea, this calory-filled cuisine is also normally served during traditional Malay weddings and festivals.
Puding Raja is not so much a pudding as a simple dish of bananas with a sauce or gravy of made from milk and cornflour.
"Pisang lemak manis", which is a sweet and rather small type of local banana is usually used as the main ingredient, although other banana varieties are also used.
To add variety and to give a sweeter taste to the dish, other fruits like prunes, cherries and sometimes dates, are also added. A special sweet noodle-like traditional Malay delicacy called "jala emas" is also (when available) sometimes added on the bananas.
As mentioned, Puding Raja is quite easy and fast to make, and takes about 10 – 15 minutes to be ready for serving.
Malays usually take their afternoon tea with some simple snacks, like "pisang goring" (fried bananas) or "cucur kodok" (fried ball-shaped wheat flour filled with onions and anchovies), and other easy and quick-cooking snacks.
You will therefore find that some dutiful Malay housewives will prepare Puding Raja as special afternoon tea accompaniments for the husband or family, especially during the week-ends.
SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN & KUALA LUMPUR
Due to the Selangor traditional culture, cuisine in Selangor has received a lot influence from Johor, Bugis, Jawa and Minangkabau. Such as Mee Bandung, which originated from Johor it is a famous cuisine in Klang. Klang also well know with other food, like Rojak Klang, Lontong Klang, etc. Mee Jawa which similar to Johor Mee Rebus also popular at Selangor, Other Selangor popular cuisine are like, Satay Kajang, Ketam Darul Ehsan, Kuah Asam Pedas and Sayur Masak Rebung.
Sate Kajang
Sate Kajang is a generic name for a style of sate where the meat chunks are bigger than normal and the sweet peanut sauce is served with a dollop of fried chili paste. Hence, Sate Kajang is now found through out Malaysia and not just in Kajang. Sate Kajang Haji Samuri is very popular in Kajang as well as throughout Malaysia. This is currently the most well known chain of Kajang satay restaurants. Sate Kajang Haji Samuri offer chicken sate, beef sate, deer sate, rabbit sate, fish sate and many other variants.
Rojak Klang
Yong Tau Fu
NEGERI SEMBILAN
Negeri Sembilan has great Minangkabau culture influence. Traditional Minangkabau cuisine ingredients consist of varieties aromatic herbs, roots, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, shallots, kefir limes, fresh or dried chilies and rich, creamy coconut milk which known as “Santan”.
Negeri Sembilan offering extensive array of mouth-watering Malay, Chinese, Indian and other cuisine. Such as:
Negeri Sembilan offering extensive array of mouth-watering Malay, Chinese, Indian and other cuisine. Such as:
Air Jando Pulang
Rendang@Ghondang
Ghondang in the Negeri Sembilan dialect is the local favoruite. Rendang usually made by beef or chicken in slowly simmered with herbs, spices and coconut milk until the gravy is thick, almost dry. There are varieties of Rendang cook such as Rendang Minang and Rendang Belalang Godang (grasshopper Rendang). Rendang is best serve with Lemang but it also can serve with white rice, lontong or nasi lemak.
Malacca is famous with Nyonya-Baba cuisine. It is a culture mixture of Chinese and Malay cooking. Nonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients and wok cooking techniques with spices used by the Malay community.
The food is tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal. Key ingredients include coconut milk, galangal (a subtle, mustard-scented rhizome similar to ginger), candlenuts as both a flavoring and thickening agent, laksa leaf, pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius), belachan, tamarind juice, lemongrass, torch ginger bud, jicama, fragrant kaffir lime leaf, rice or egg noodles and cincaluk - a powerfully flavored, sour and salty shrimp-based condiment that is typically mixed with lime juice, chilies and shallots and eaten with rice, fried fish and other side dishes.
Some of the famous Nyonya cuisines are:
The food is tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal. Key ingredients include coconut milk, galangal (a subtle, mustard-scented rhizome similar to ginger), candlenuts as both a flavoring and thickening agent, laksa leaf, pandan leaves (Pandanus amaryllifolius), belachan, tamarind juice, lemongrass, torch ginger bud, jicama, fragrant kaffir lime leaf, rice or egg noodles and cincaluk - a powerfully flavored, sour and salty shrimp-based condiment that is typically mixed with lime juice, chilies and shallots and eaten with rice, fried fish and other side dishes.
Some of the famous Nyonya cuisines are:
Chinchalok@Cencaluk
Onde-Onde@Buah Melaka
Onde-Onde is one of the traditional kuih in Malaysia (kuih is term for Malaysian cakes, pastries if you will). They are either made from sweet potato or glutinous rice flour…
The cute little onde-onde–also spelled as ondeh-obdeh–are infused with pandan (screwpine leaf) juice and filled with “Gula Melaka” or palm sugar and then rolled in with some fresh grated coconut. The palm sugar that’s in it literally bursts in your mouth when you take a bite. They are sweet and delicious
They are in pandan flavoured green glutinous rice balls sprinkled with grated coconut that is seasoned with fine salt on the outside and gula melaka inside as a fill. On the other hand, ondeh-ondeh is also known as Buah Melaka.
Ouch! All the foods are chilly right? But, it is the uniqueness of the states in Eastern Malaysia. If you wish to taste kinds of chilly and sour foods, do come here.. sssssssssss…. Still wanna continue? Let’s go..
Johor is famous for its cuisine where the original recipes are products of amalgamation of the various descends which are found in and around the state. It has great influence from the Bugis, the Javanese and the Arabs. Some of Johor’s cuisines uses unique ingredients and have complicated recipes, many of which are difficult to replicate although many have tried. Food connoisseurs have deemed that it best to savour Johorean cuisine in the state itself.
Johor is famous for its cuisine where the original recipes are products of amalgamation of the various descends which are found in and around the state. It has great influence from the Bugis, the Javanese and the Arabs. Some of Johor’s cuisines uses unique ingredients and have complicated recipes, many of which are difficult to replicate although many have tried. Food connoisseurs have deemed that it best to savour Johorean cuisine in the state itself.
Johore Laksa
Johore Laksa comes from the southernmost state in Peninsular Malaysia. Typical characteristics of Johorean meals include generous amount of coconut milk used and loads of fresh herbs (ulam) and spices.
Johor Laksa is an original recipe found here. Known locally as Laksa Johor, it is totally different compared to other varieties of Laksa found in other states. The Laksa Johor, done true southern style, serves Spaghetti noodle instead of the usual round, yellow noodle and is steeped in a thick fish gravy in coconut milk. The basic accompaniments are sliced onions, fresh herbs such as Daun Selasih, julienne Cucumber, and ‘Choy Pou’ which are Chinese chopped and salted pickles of radish, served with lots of Belacan Sambal and the juice of half a Lime.
Telur Pindang
Telur pindang is one of the famous tradisional food especially in Johore. The eggs are boiled together with herbs and spices for several days. It is said that Telur Pindang can be eaten even for two weeks and above. That is why it become a food for a trader long times ago. Telur Pindang also very popular during wedding feasts in Johor.
Nasi Beriani Gam
Nasi Beriani Gam is a Biryani rice dish which originated from India, its cooking method similar to Hyderabad Biryani but adapted with spices suited to the Malay palate. The rice is cooked like any other Biryani rice but the pot is sealed when the rice is nearing its fully-cooked stage, thus being called ‘Gam’. In the olden days, the pot was sealed with dough but nowadays it is done with towels or sheets of newspaper.
Otak-Otak
Nasi Ambang
Nasi Ambeng is one of the tradisional food for Javanese and becoming extinct day to day. Plenty of ingredients needed to prepare a perfect “Nasi Ambeng”. Nasi Ambeng can be seen during the feast or “kenduri”. While eating, the eater will only taste a bit and the rest will be taken away to home. The home owner will provide the banana leaves, old newspaper and rope for everyone. In each “talam”, the Nasi Ambeng will be divided into four individuals.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Laksa Sarawak
The famous Sarawak Laksa is actually rice vermicelli mixed with prawn or shrimp paste, topped with fried eggs that are cut into thin slices, blanched bean sprouts, steamed soft chicken slices and juicy tender prawns. Once all the ingredients are mixed together with thick Laksa gravy poured over it and ready to be served, squeeze a little lime over it and garnished with coriander leaves if you want. Some "belachan" (spicy shrimp paste) can be added before you consume it.
Belachan is a popular ingredient in South East Asia. It is commonly used in South East Asia and Southern Chinese cuisines as a shrimp paste or shrimp sauce. In Indonesia, belachan is
In Kuching, Laksa is easily being sold in many coffee shops. Among the well known coffee shops that sent people waiting and queuing up for hours are the coffee shops at Tabuan Laru, another stall at Bormill third mile and in the city centre located beside Grand Continental hotel. Among the famous Sarawak Laksa stall is at Foody Goody coffee shop at Tabuan Laru vicinity.
The Sarawak Laksa is available only on mornings as they would be sold out by lunch time. The best and most delicious Sarawak Laksa in the whole region of Sarawak is still in Kuching city.
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