Kelantanese Cuisine, food of Malaysia

ign="center">texture and colour are noticeably rougher and
The Kelantanese cuisine, heavily influenced by Thaidarker than the usual variety found on the West
cuisine, is quite popular among Malaysians. In fact,Coast of Malaysia. Like the curries, the crackers
many visitors come to Kelantan just to taste theare influenced by Thai cooking and produce a
special delicacies that cannot be found elsewhere.sharper, saltier taste.
The use of sugar is a must in every Kelantanese* Keropok Gote
kitchen, and thus most Kelantanese dishes areThese are Kelantanese fish sausages. Made by
sweet.combining fish flesh and sago, keropok gote is
Kelantanese food makes more use of coconutrolled into long firm sticks and then steamed or
milk than anywhere else in the country. Curriesboiled. To enjoy it, one has to cut it into desired
are richer, creamier, and more influenced by thebite sized and deep fried. Different from
tastes of nearby Thailand.Terengganu's keropok lekor, the Kelantan variety
[edit] Local specialtiesis thicker and longer in size and has to be fried to
Apart from delicacies imported from Thailand,be eaten. Keropok Gote is probably the one
there are delicacies which are invented by thesnack which all Kelantanese children grow up with.
Kelantanese themselves such as:It is a must at all school canteens.
* Nasi Dagang* Kelantanese Laksa
This is a mix of white rice and brown glutinousThe Laksa dish, white noodles served with curry
rice (special glutinous rice) which is cooked withand vegetables, is made differently in every state
coconut milk (santan), blended onions and garlicin Malaysia. The Kelantanese laksa employs the
and some spices (such as fenugreek) (Malay:creamy white gravy which is richer and has
halba). Fish or chicken curry comes as an add-onfull-bodied flavour. The main ingredients is fish
to complete the dishes, so it's recommended toflesh, although connoisseurs would certainly prefer
take only a small portion as it is extremely filling.the ones made of eels.
The Nasi Dagang is one of the tastiest dishes in[edit] Thai-influenced dishes
Kelantan and goes well with fish curry, sour salad,Perhaps the most characteristic Kelantanese-Thai
hard boiled eggs and curried chicken.dish is 'kaeng matsaman'—a
* Nasi Kerabumouth-watering beef curry cooked with peanuts,
Nasi Kerabu literally means "salad rice". Kelantan'spotatoes and chopped red onions in a thick
Nasi Kerabu is a "white rice" and served withcoconut milk sauce. Other Kelantanese-Thai
"tumis" gravy with local herbs, leaves andspecialities include: 'kaeng phanaeng
vegetables. This is considerably different from thekai'—savoury chicken and coconut curry.
version served in other parts of Malaysia, which is'Kaeng som nom mai dong'—hot and sour
a dyed-blue rice without a "tumis" gravy. Thefish ragout with pickled bamboo. 'Pla see siad
colouring comes from a type of flower, althoughhaeng thawt'—deep fried semi-dried pla
some sellers use artificial equivalents. Apart fromsee fish. 'Khao yam pak tai'—an intriguing
that it is also served with fried fish, keropok,breakfast salad. The presentation is exquisite. A
salted egg, "solok lada" (fish fillet andsmall pile of fragrant boiled rice, accompanied by
coconut-stuffed chillis), and pickled garlic.finely chopped heaps of lemon grass, peanuts,
* Nasi Tumpangbean sprouts, green beans, sour mango and
Rice packed in a cone-shaped banana leaf. A packchopped makrut or kaffir lime is served with
of Nasi Tumpang consists of an omelette, meatspicy chilli pepper, fresh lime and a piquant
floss, chicken curry and sweet gravy. It issweet-sour sauce. It's unusual, elegant, and very
traditionally meant for travellers.typical of Kelantan. Kelantanese dishes, like central
* Ayam Golek/Ayam PercikThai, are usually accompanied by generous
Wood-fire broiled chicken dressed with sweethelpings of 'khao suay', or "beautiful
coconut gravy. Ayam Golek/Ayam Percik isrice"—the best of which, 'khao hawm mali',
eaten with white rice in major family dishes andor jasmine-fragrance rice, is steamed until each
can also be dipped into "cholek" (Thai chilli sauce).grain is tender but separate. When something
* Nasi Berlauktastes this good, the Thais utter in full
Most Kelantanese have Nasi Berlauk as theiremotion:-"Pisek!"
breakfast. Nasi Berlauk is rice served with fish or[edit] Dipping
chicken and vegetables cooked with tumeric and* Cholek
galangal infused yellow gravy.Cholek is the most popular dipping sauce in
* Nasi UlamKelantan. The cholek is different from other chilli
Ulam is the local term for raw vegetables - thesauces because cholek is very thin and rather
meal consists of white rice served with a varietysweet. This dipping sauce is used for any kind of
of raw vegetables, and is considered one of thechicken, but also goes well with shrimp, fish cake,
healthiest dishes found in Malay cuisine.spring roll, sausage, etc. The most popular brand is
* Kau-Jam"Mae Pranom" from Thailand.
Also termed as chlorophyll rice, the Kau-Jam is a* Budu
green rice cooked using up to seven types ofBudu is a salted (fermented) anchovy sauce
herbs, and served with raw vegetables (such aseaten with rice, grilled fish and vegetables. A bit of
bean sprouts, cucumber, and long beans), fishlemon juice, hot chillis and onions are added on for
flakes and local Keropok. The meal is oftentaste. Once so combined, the purple-brownish
accompanied by Budu and sometimes served withcondiment has a blend of salty and sour taste.
deep-fried fish.Nowadays, other types of fish are also used to
* Keropokcreate Budu.
These are Kelantanese fish crackers. Their