Local Cuisines - Various Rice

Nasi Dagang

Literally the ‘trader’s rice’ which is said is the rice that was eaten by trader on their business journey. Nasi Dagang is, perhaps the most representing food for Terengganu. The dish is mixes of rice and glutinous rich with coconut milk added once it is cooked. The rice is eaten with tuna curry and light vegetable pickles.

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is another typical Malay food. The rice is cooked with coconut milk then eaten with ikan bilis, sambal, slices of cucumber, egg and peanut.

Nasi Minyak

Nasi Minyak or ghee rice is another typical food for this state. It is normally eaten with vegetable pickles and curry.

Nasi Kerabu

A dish of rice tinted bright blue and eaten with ulam, fried salted fish, fish crackers and other garnishing. The blue which comes from the petals of bunga telang (clitoria) used in the cooking variety is the most common, but there are many versions depending on the colour of the rice.

Local Cuisines - Various Snacks

Satay

Slices of beef, goat or chicken meat premarinated in spices and grilled over charcoal on wooden skewers. Served with Ketupat (rice cakes) cucumber, raw onion, and spicy nutty sauce. Nice snack for meat lovers. Costs 40 to 60 cents per stick.

Laksam

It is quite similar to the western pasta except the wheat and rice flour mixing dough is steamed but not boiled. It is eat with boiled and pureed fish gravy which is mixed with coconut milk.

Keropok

Made of fish which is ground to a paste then mixed with sago before it is steamed and later deep fried. It is the snack instead of a proper meal and sometimes is served as the snack before meal. It can be eaten either when it is steamed or deep fried, both give different taste. The long chewy ones are called Keropok Lekor while the thin crispy are called Keropok Keping, means slice. Both the keropok is usually eaten with chili dip. Keropok is easily found elsewhere in Kuala Terengganu, from the stalls beside the road to restaurants or market. If you wish to bring home some, go to the Central Market for dried keropok or fresh in Seberang Takir or Losong who is famous with Losong Museum and its keropok.

Sata

Is another fish snack in Terengganu Malay cuisine. It is mixture of pounded fish, shallots and ginger wrapped in banana leaf, pierce of few by 1 single bamboo stick then barbecue over low fire.

Pulut Lepa

Made of glutinous rice and fish, this snack food is prepared over a barbecue. Boiled fish meat is mixed with sliced onions, and dried chilies and coconut. The mixture is cooked until it is dry. This is then used as a filling for the glutinous rice rolls. Wrappings of banana leaf cover the food before it is cooked over the fire.

Ketupat Sotong

Squid stuffed with glutinous rice bathed in a sea of cooked and thick coconut milk. The stuffing is soaked in coconut milk before it is put in the squids.

Otak-otak

This is a fish based delicacy of which slices of fish are marinated and soaked in a specially prepared coconut and spice paste, and wrapped in coconut leaf. It is then cooked over charcoal fire.

Local Cuisines - Various Sweets

Nekbat

Is a light dessert made of rice flour and eggs, prepared in a mould over a light fire. When it turns yellow and puffy it is to be eaten with syrup flavoured by pandan leaf.

Lompat Tikam

A sweet cold dessert, it consists of two main parts, both left to cool to become jelly. The first, a solution of rice flour - given its green colour by the pandan leaf - is stirred over a fire until it is cooked. The second, a mixture of coconut milk and rice flour, is heated until it thickens. A generous helping of coconut syrup, poured on top of the jellies, completes the dessert.

Akok

Cooked in a mould over a fire, there are two versions of this finger food - the savoury akak berlauk and the sweet akak. The former has a filling of cooked beef, while the latter has a generous dose of sugar as an ingredient

Buah Gomok

This sweetmeat has three main parts. A dough made of glutinous rice flour; a filling of coconut shavings and 'Manisan' (a dark brown sugar derived from the coconut tree) as well as a coating of powdered, fried green peas.