We reckon Malay cookery is one of the most under- represented cookeries on the world stage. If you ’re in Malaysia take the time to venture off the beaten path and seek out some of the dishes mentioned below. You'll be blown down by the flavours, variety and sheer tastiness of Malay cookery. For details of where to eat these dishes visit yummyadvisor.Happy eating!
1. Ikan Bakar
Ikan bakar translates to ‘ burnt fish ’ but what actually awaits you is a BBQ seafood feast like no other. Fresh original fish including squid, barramundi and stingray are wrapped in banana leaves and also basted with a racy chilli sauce before being cooked on the caff . Hoarse, short whole fish are served with rice and ulam( fresh vegetables and sauces) to produce a mouth soddening seafood feast.
2. Masak Lemak Cili Api
Masak lemak cili api is a style of cuisine that uses coconut milk, chilli, spices and aromatics. The masak lemak gravy is delicate and racy and poured over colorful meat. Our favourite way to enjoy masak lemak is with smoked flesh and fish. Served with white rice and ulam( fresh vegetables and sauces) this is a Malay fave.
3. Laksa
You ’ll find that nearly each state in Malaysia has its own interpretation of laksa. The contents of your coliseum will vary- you might find wheat polls in a delicate coconut broth or rice polls in a racy, pungent broth. redundant constituents might include tofu airs, lettuce, arsonist gusto flower, funk or slices of BBQ pork depending on the variation you're eating. One thing’s for sure- it’s bound to be succulent!
4. Nasi campur
Nasi campur means mixed rice and it’s one of the best ways to lunch if you’re unsure what you feel like! Load up a plate with a buffet selection of different curries, vegetables dishes, salads, stir fries and crunchy fried treats like fried bergedil (a potato croquette of sorts). This is a style of eating that you will not get sick of!
5. Nasi Kukus
Nasi kukus is a hoot of flavour. A mound of lately fumed white rice is doused in delicate gravies and outgunned with a piece of golden fried funk, roasted pineapple and a racy sambal. The texture and flavours of the dish are varied and you ’ll find yourself coming back for further!
6. Nasi Lemak
You ca n’t visit Malaysia and not eat the public dish of nasi lemak! Traditionally a breakfast dish, in reality this classic mess is eaten at all hours of the day. Nasi lemak is made up of rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan splint, sambal, fried anchovies, boiled egg, peanuts and refreshing cucumber. In its simplest form it’s wrapped up in a banana splint package else it’s served with side dishes like rendang or fried funk to produce a more substantial mess. This is one dish you don't want to miss!
7. Char Kuey Teow
Char Kuey Teow is a popular fried pate dish in Malaysia. The Malay interpretation of this Chinese dish may warrant the addition of pork lard and Chinese pork link but it's by no means a couch potato in the taste stakes. You ’ll find a dry interpretation which is analogous to the Chinese interpretation called kuey teow goreng as well as a wet interpretation. Both are cooked in a wok over high heat and use rice polls, frequently seafood, sambal, sweet soy and aromatics to produce a satisfying plate of fried polls.
8. Asam Pedas
Asam pedas is particularly notorious in Melaka and Johor. Seafood and occasionally beef is cooked in a sour tamarind gravy with okra and served with white rice, vegetables and half a interspersed egg. Asam pedas has a great depth of flavour- pungent and a little racy- we suggest trying it with ikan pari( stingray).
9. Ikan Patin Tempoyak
For the durian suckers out there, you ’ll want to try tempoyak a fermented durian paste which is most notorious for being cooked with ikan patin, a brackish fish. Tempoyak is n’t as pungent as the fruit in its raw form but imparts a beautiful aroma and gooey flavour to the fish. Try this dish with the fish cooked in a tempoyak gravy or bakar style where the fish is grilled and outgunned with the tempoyak paste.
10. Nasi dagang
Nasi dagang is a dish that hails from the East seacoast of Peninsular Malaysia from the countries of Terengganu and Kelantan. A admixture of tenacious rice and normal rice is outgunned with a delicate, racy gravy cooked with a piece of original tuna and served with heated, grated coconut and pickled vegetables. The crunch and tanginess of the vegetables and the meaty, flavoursome fish is an addicting pairing.