Hi guys,today we're gonna look at Keropok Lekor, also known as Lekor.It's a traditional fish cracker snack for the Malay people in Terengganu, Malaysia. It is also called fish sausage, fish stick, or fish fritters.It is slightly greyish in colour and tastes fishy.The fishy smell increases when it cools down, so it's best to eat it while it's warm!

Lekor is made from fish and sago flour and seasoned with salt and sugar. It is usually made by grinding fish or vegetables into a paste, mixing it with sago and then deep-frying it. It comes in three main forms: lekor (which is long and chewy), losong (steamed) and keping (which is thin and crispy). It is frequently served with dipping sauces,especially chilli sauce.(my favourite)

There are two types of Keropok Lekor; Keropok Lekor Goreng and Keropok Lekor Keping. Keropok Lekor Goreng is shaped into sausage size and tastes more chewy, whereas Keropok Lekor Keping is shaped into slices and has crispier texture.


Keropok Lekor Goreng




Keropok Lekor Keping




Both types + chilli sauce !!

I'm sure most of you have eaten it many times already.For those who haven't,you'll be pleased to know it's very easy to get it,we have it right here in Asia Cafe.There's a Malay woman selling it at her stall.Go try it.

Thanks!

Asam Laksa, anybody?

It's spicy and tangy and burns through the roof of your mouth. It's delicious and scrumptious and mouth-watering as well as eye-watering and also happens to give you a runny nose and an instant ferocious need for ice-cold drinks the considerate vendors tend to sell - to quench your flaming thirst, obviously.

Pun intended.

Let's laksa talk today!

Here's a picture of it to tingle and tease your tastebuds.

" Probably one of the most well known dishes across the globe, Laksa is a noodle soup with either a curry or fish base. The success of this dish has caused it to be served across Southeast Asia and overseas, although western interpretations vary. Two prominent types of the soup exist: curry laksa (which uses coconut milk) and asam laksa (which does not). The former has a sweeter taste and grittier texture than its more sour fish based sibling. Other types of the soup are generally named after their respective towns or state names. " - theculturetrip.com

It is a malay cuisine and in general, served almost about anywhere. Moms know how to cook it and dads too, though most likely to place an order for them instead.

The best laksa I've chanced across (abstaining from homemade food references) would be from Penang. Penang! The land of Laksas and good food. I hear stomachs growling already. Local to Penang, this undoutedly famous dish is pretty much sold from every corner, nook and cranny on the streets -  each with a slight variation and twist. There is no such thing as the best representation of it, but rather a deviant task of finding which (of the many hundreds out there, I exaggerate) suits your taste exclusively.

Though it needs to be said that to sample what each and every shop has to offer would be a lifetime's work, so don't forget to publish your findings and you might just find yourself a Nobel Prize being handed to you.

Now, I bid goodbye to you, fellow reader. That's all from us for this time's entry on the various Malay cuisines you'll find here in Malaysia. Good luck!

Orang Asli In Malaysia by Sate dan Ketupat

Nasi Lemak

When we talk about Malay food, how can we forget about nasi lemak? Nasi Lemak is one of the most popular breakfast choice for all Malaysians. We can find it almost everywhere, in Jalan SS15/8 itself, we have 2 roadside nasi lemak sellers, or we can order it at Paparich. Although many argued that nasi lemak is health deteriorating, its fragrance is just irresistable. 

Nasi lemak (Jawi: ناسي لمق) is a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and "pandan" leaf commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish. It also popular in neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Singapore, Riau Islands, and Southern Thailand. Nasi Lemak have been seen to the Southern Philippines prepared by Filipino Muslims, it is considered as one of the famous for malay-type breakfast. It is not to be confused with nasi dagang sold in the Malaysian east coast states of Terengganu and Kelantan although both dishes can usually be found sold side by side for breakfast. However, because of the nasi lemak's versatility in being able to be served in a variety of manners, it is now served and eaten any time of the day. 

So what contributes to the nasi lemak we eat everyday?
It is believed that when the local Malay community resided by the seafront in the early years, the availability of ingredients such as the coconut, as well as the flavourful outcome of adding it to rice, resulted in the innovation of nasi lemak. Side dishes added to the rice came from the village’s natural resources: cucumber was plucked from the garden and anchovies were harvested from the sea. Others suggest that packets of rice wrapped in banana leaves were brought to padi fields (rice fields) for working farmers to consume. As the country developed, itinerant vendors would carry in baskets the banana-leaf-wrapped rice door-to-door. Today, it is a popular dish eaten not only at breakfast, but also throughout the day.

References
Nasi lemak - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasi_lemak

Nasi lemak | Infopedia
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1739_2010-12-13.html

Satay & Ketupat

Hello, peeps!! I'm going to introduce you two of the most popular Malay food, which are satay and ketupat. This is really interesting as our group name is also "Satay and ketupat" as well. Of course satay and ketupat taste extremely good when they're eaten individually, but if you choose to have both satay and ketupat in one meal, I can guarantee you, you'll be on cloud ninth as both tastes complement each other so well, you won't get over it.

Satay

So for those who have no idea how satay looks like, here you go!!

 Doesn't that just made your mouth water? :P

So what's exactly is satay?

Satay , modern Indonesian and Malay spelling of sate, is a dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. Satay may consist of diced or sliced chicken, goat, mutton, beef, pork, fish, other meats, or tofu; the more authentic version uses skewers from the midrib of the coconut palm frond, although bamboo skewers are often used. These are grilled or barbecued over a wood or charcoal fire, then served with various spicy seasonings. Sate Ponorogo being grilled in a foodstall in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia

Satay originated in Java, Indonesia. It is available almost anywhere in Indonesia, where it has become a national dish. It is also popular in many other Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, the Philippines, as well as in Suriname and the Netherlands, as Indonesia and Suriname are former Dutch colonies.

Satay is a very popular delicacy in Indonesia; the country's diverse ethnic groups' culinary arts (see Indonesian cuisine) have produced a wide variety of satays. In Indonesia, satay can be obtained from a travelling satay vendor, from a street-side tent-restaurant, in an upper-class restaurant, or during traditional celebration feasts. In Malaysia, satay is a popular dish—especially during celebrations—and can be found throughout the country. In Southern Philippines it is known as satti.

Satay is often served in bunches of 10 (individual sticks are also sold), with a dip made of spicy and sweet peanut sauce, and is usually accompanied with chopped onion, cucumber and ketupat (Malay rice cakes wrapped in a weaving pattern of coconut leaves).
Interestingly, the peanut sauce (made from a slew of spices and ground peanuts) was first served in the Philippines where it was introduced by its colonial overlords, the Spanish, who in turn borrowed the recipe during their time in South America.

Though the satay sticks of today are factory-processed bamboo, it was the humble dried leaf stem of the coconut leaf which was first used to skewer the meat centuries ago. Barbecued over an open-flamed charcoal fire, the satay is carefully brushed with oil to give it a well-browned glaze.

You can get a taste of it in almost every hawker centre in Malaysia. Remember to dip it in the special sauce to enhance the taste!!

  Ketupat

Here's ketupat!!!

 Look the the rice moulded into a triangular shape. You'll just want to tuck it in your mouth, won't you? xD

Ketupat is known by the name of Patupat in Kapampangan. Puso in Cebuano, or Ta'mu in Tausug. The origin of ketupat passed down through the generations as it is believed that seafarers used to bring cooked rice together during their long sea voyages.

Ketupat palas is usually associated with the northern states of Malaysia (Kedah, Perlis and Penang). For ketupat nasi, it is more on cross-weaving the leaves to get a chequered pouch while for ketupat palas, it is more on round-weaving where the pouch looks like a triangular tube.

One of traditional Malay food that often served during Eid festival, ketupat is famous not only in Malaysia but also in Indonesia, Philiphines, Singapore and Brunei (where it is known by the name of Patupat in Kapampangan. Puso in Cebuano, or Ta'mu in Tausug). Also known as rice cake or rice dumplin, ketupat is made from rice or glutionous rice and then wrapped in woven palm leaves pouch.
This ketupat is usually served with “Rendang” (dried beef of chicken curry), “Lontong”, “Lodeh” and also satay together with ground nuts gravy. The origin of ketupat passed down through the generations as it is believed that seafarers used to bring cooked rice together during their long sea voyages. And the palm wrapping just meant to keep the cooked rice fresh and unspoiled. Usually stored hanging in bunch in the open air, ketupat can lasts several day before it starts to rot.
In Malaysia, there are two common types of ketupat that famously served during Eid festivals, which are ketupat nasi and ketupat palas. Ketupat palas is usually associated with the northern states of Malaysia (Kedah, Perlis and Penang). It has triangular shape and wrapped in fan palm lave or also known as palas leave (Licuala Grandis). And the rice used is sticky rice or some people call it glutinous rice. As for the other type of ketupat, it uses normal palm leave as wrapper which woven in square shape and uses normal rice. This type is more famous with southern and central states of Malaysia.

Preparing ketupat starts with getting the leaves for making the pouch. For some people, the leaves is acquired from the wild but some prefer to just buy it from the supplier. As for making the pouch, only the yong leaves are used as they are more malleable.
After cleaning up process of the leaves is done, the weaving process then starts. Basically this job requires skill to get it done in short time without an error. The pouch is made up of two strips of palm leaves twisted and woven tightly together to ensure no rice spills out of the pouch. But different types of ketupat do have different style of weaving. For ketupat nasi, it is more on cross-weaving the leaves to get a chequered pouch while for ketupat palas, it is more on round-weaving where the pouch looks like a triangular tube.

Once the pouch is ready, it is now time to fill it up with rice. Before that, the rice must be cleaned up and thoroughly rinsed to remove any impurities. Then, the rice is inserted into a small opening made on the pouch (basically this opening is a loose joint that will get closed once the pouch is tighten up). Once the pouch filled up with the rice (only a third of pouch capacity), the opening needs to be closed by tying the receptacles of the pouch to narrow down the opened joint.

Then it is time to proceed with the boiling process. Water is pre-heated in a large cauldron and once the water has boiled, a bunch of ketupat (usually tied in five to six pouches per-bunch) is put into the cauldron one by one. Number of ketupat that can be boiled at a time depends on the size of the cauldron. One important note during this boiling process is to make sure that the water is pre-heated and has totally boiled up before inserting the ketupat. This is to ensure that the ketupat doesn't spend unnecessary time in the unboiled water as it tends to be soggy due to excessive amount of water absorbed. And for sure, experience in much needed in order to make a well-boiled and firm ketupat.
Time taken during the boiling process might vary depending on the amount of water and ketupat used. Some tips in making nice ketupat is to constantly check the ketupat during the boiling process. This is because every boiling process in making ketupat differs from one to another thus the best method to get it well-boiled is to constantly check it. Lift the ketupat bunch with a stick to inspect the texture and be careful in handling it as the ketupat is still hot.

Once cooked, the ketupat will be lifted out of the cauldron and left aside to let it cool down. People normally cut the ketupat only when it is served as to preserve it longer.

Besides using palm leaves or palas leaves to make the pouch, some people sometimes subtitutes this palm leave with plastic bag. But then it is no longer called ketupat as it famously known as “nasi impit”. However, the concept is nothing different with rice used and packed in plastic bag then boiled in hot water. The pros of making nasi impit instead of ketupat is that people save more time in preparing it since it involves no weaving works. The rice is inserted in to a quarter (approximately) of plastic bag capacity and then stappled. It takes shorter time to prepare nasi impit then ketupat but what is missing the aroma of the palm leaves used as a pouch. Ketupat might takes longer time to be prepared but the aroma it gives is so much sought-after that some people wouldn't mind to burn their midnight oils to weave the pouch, only to be satisfied with the taste and aroma of traditional ketupat.
And due to modernization, we can also have instant ketupat nowadays. Just head to any supermarket and you can easily find the package of “ketupat mini”. But don't expect it to come with the palm leave pouch as it is pre-packed in small plastic pouch (might as well called as mini nasi impit). And even the rendang and ground nuts gravy can be found easily in the supermarket.

As it is famously served during Eid festivals (Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Aidiladha), ketupat also served together with satay. Some satay seller make it a standard for the satay they sell but some make it optional. Since eating the satay only will not actually make your stomach full, ketupat is served to complement the satay and best eaten with the ground nuts gravy (kua kacang). Most satay seller usually pre-pack the dice-cut ketupat together with cucumber slices and onions besides the satay itself and the gravy nuts.

During Eid festivals, ketupat is normally served together wih beef or chicken rendang and also lontong. The serving is quite standard for any Malay houses during this festive season. And don't be surprised to find that ketupat nasi served together with the ketupat palas as for some people, both types have their own advantages. Ketupat palas has thicker texture and a little bit sticky, and the good thing is it can be eaten on its own since the glutinous rice used adds some taste into it. But then, it is definitely best eaten together with rendang and lontong.

Unwrapping ketupat might be one's favourite thing to do during Eid. Cut it into mouth-size cube and dip it into rendang or you can pour the lontong gravy into your plate and drool yourself with the tasty traditional taste passed down from generations to generations. With kids nowadays prefer fast food than traditional delights, it is our responsible to make sure that ketupat still exist in the future.

Unlike satay, most of the time, you can only get the chance to get ketupat during Malay festivals.
But still we Malaysians enjoy it a lot and that's what makes us excited to celebrate Malay festivals as well!! One Malaysia!!

How satay and ketupat look together

Hmm... I'm gonna go get my satay and ketupat now. Bye!
 

Malay Food: Nasi Kerabu

 

Nasi kerabu is a traditional Malaysian dish from Kelantan  that is famous for its blue rice. In addition to the rice, this filling dish also contains fish, which is the base of the kerabu, or vegetable mixture. The other elements of typical nasi kerabu are the coconut-based sweet and salty sauce and the garnish, which includes vegetables and a variety of ingredients commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking. 

The rice in a nasi kerabu is blue because it has been pre-cooked in the blue extract from the dried flowers of the Clitoria ternatea  plant. These flowers, which are a strikingly vivid shade of blue, are also used to dye rice in other Malaysian dishes such as pulut tai tai and nonya chang. In a typical nasi kerabu recipe, a ratio of 1 cup (237 ml) of cooked rice to one medium fish is used.

Traditionally, the fish used for the kerabu is mackerel. In a typical recipe, the fish is grilled and flaked before being fried together with grated coconut and blended ginger and shallots. The resulting mixture then has sugar and salt added to it. Sometimes dried fish is used in place of fresh produce.

The “kerabu” (salad) could be any vegetables or edible leaves though the more or less standard version will have daun kesum, taugeh (bean sprout), thinly cut; long green beans, bunga kantan, cucumber (connoisseurs will insist “seeded”), and daun kadok.

In many nasi kerabu recipes, the base for the sauce is coconut milk. Other ingredients simmer, with salt and sugar being added to the sauce as it does so.normally include shallots, dried chili and lemongrass.