Delicacies

Malaysian food is not one particular distinction of food but a culinary diversity originating from it’s multi-ethnic population of Malay, Indian, Eurasian, Chinese, Nyonya and the Indigenous peoples of Borneo. A brief look into the past and how this multi-ethnic country came to be, is essential in order to comprehend how such a cosmic array of food, has now come to be known all over the world as ‘Malaysian Food’. Presented here are some of the various delicious and popular dishes from this rainbow of gastronomic spectrum, with pictures and detailed recipes, from each unique ethnic kitchen.

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak (Coconut cream steamed rice with sambal and eggs )

The most popular dishes in Malaysia. Easily found anywhere at Malay, Chinese or Indian stalls. Nasi Lemak, is mainly served with fish cake, ikan bilis, egg, and chicken.It is traditionally a breakfast dish, and it is sold early in the morning at roadside stalls in Malaysia, where it is often sold packed in newspaper, brown paper or banana leaf. However, there are restaurants which serve it on a plate as noon or evening meals, making it possible for the dish to be treated as a delicacy. ‘Nasi lemak panas’ meaning hot nasi lemak is another name given to nasi lemak serve with hot cooked rice.

Roti Canai

Traditionally, it is served with ‘dhal’ (lentil) curry or fish curry. It can sometimes be taken with sugar or condensed milk. More recently, various improvements on plain roti have been devised to suit the more adventurous tastes of more affluent Malaysians . Easily found at Indian or Mamak stalls.

Curry Mee

Curry Mee is a dish that is unique to Malaysia, usually made up of thin yellow egg noodles or/and string thin mee-hoon (rice vermicelli) with spicy curry soup, coconut milk, and a choice of dried tofu, prawns, cuttlefish, chicken, egg and mint leaves. However, what makes Curry Mee is a special chilli/sambal.

Satay

Satay (saté) is a dish consisting of chunks or slices of dice-sized meat (chicken, mutton, lamb, beef, fish etc) on bamboo skewers, which are grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, then served with various spicy seasoning (depends of satay recipe varients).

Char Kuey Teow

Char kuey teow, literally “fried flat noodles”, is a popular noodle dish in Malaysia. It is made from flat rice noodles fried over very high heat with light and dark soy sauce, chilli, prawns, cockles, egg, bean sprouts and Chinese chives. Sometimes slices of Chinese sausage and fish cake are added.

Where to get those…?! Will found them at “Pasar Malam” or night market popular everywhere in Malaysia. Good Luck!

A scenery of Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur night market.

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