Kuih

 

Kuih is the general term used to name the large variety of small food items in Malaysia. They normally consist of food such as cakes, cookies, pastries and puddings. Most of them are either steamed or fried, unlike the Western versions which are mostly baked. If you are familiar with Spanish and Chinese food, you might notice that some of the kuih here look a little like the Spanish’s tapas or the Chinese’s dim sum. People here can take kuih any time in the day due to its small sizes and affordable price. The ingredients used depend on the type of kuih. It can range from coconut cream, pandan (or screwpines), palm sugar, rice flour to tapioca. Examples of popular kuih are karipap (or curry puffs), kuih koci, kuih lapis, pisang goreng (fried banana), pulut tekan,  dodol, onde-onde, and much more. How to find them? They are available throughout the country. One can easily spot them in shopping complexes, road side stalls or any local food outlets.

Yong Tau Foo

 

This delicacy is a soup-based delicacy and is quite popular in Malaysia and Singapore. The word Yong Tau Foo is actually referring to the tofu (bean curd) which is stuffed with meat paste made from fish and pork (some include salted fish). Besides tofus, there are also other variations such as stuffed vegetables, stuffed fritters, etc. These stuffed foods are then cooked in a clear and tasty soup and are often accompanied by rice noodles or rice vermicelli. You can normally find this delicacy in food courts of major shopping complexes but the nice ones are harder to find and might require a local guide to bring you there.

Lemang

Lemang is a traditional Malay food made of glutinous rice and coconut milk and cooked in a hollowed bamboo stick lined with banana leaves in order to prevent the rice from sticking to the bamboo. The cooking method using bamboo container is popular in Iban Dayak tribe of Borneo. Usually prepared for celebrations such as the Iban harvest festival of Hari Gawai, lemang is usually eaten with meat dishes such as chicken curry.Lemang is ubiquitous amongst Malay communities and commonly eaten to mark the end of daily fasting during the annual Muslim Malaysian holidays of Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Haji.

Nasi dagang

 

Nasi dagang is a Malaysian and Southern Thai dish consisting of rice steamed in coconut milk, fish curry and extra ingredients such as fried shaved coconut, hard-boiled eggs and vegetable pickles. Nasi Dagang literally means "Trading Rice". It is a well-known breakfast food in the states on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, such as Terengganu and Kelantan and Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat in Southern Thailand. The most famous Nasi dagang of Terengganu comes from Kampung Ladang, an area within the Kuala Terengganu district. Nasi Dagang can also be considered as a festive dish in Kelantan because it is prepared at home for the morning of aidil fitri, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, to be eaten as a breakfast before or after the Eid prayers in the mosque.