Special Foods At Terengganu

Nasi Dagang Terengganu & Gulai Ikan Tongkol

Nasi Dagang, i.e. Trader’s Rice is a very common breakfast fanfare enjoyed by the masses along the eastern coast of the Malay Peninsula, especially in the states of Kelantan and Terengganu. It uses a mixture of white rice (beras wangi) which is first soaked and subsequently steamed with glutinous rice (pulut) with coconut milk added for its wonderful aroma and flavour. This likens another popular breakfast dish, Nasi Lemak over here in Singapore. However, instead of pandan leaves, sliced shallots (bawang merah) and fenugreek (halba) are added. This concoction seems to be the preferred combination for many dishes, as we’d seen in Pulut Lepa and Ketupat Sotong.  As we have seen in several dishes from Terengganu, fish is a staple amongst the folks from this region, and Nasi Dagang is no exception. It is eaten with Gulai Ikan Tongkol, a spicy fish red curry cooked with tuna and a hoard of spices as well as buah belimbing, one of my favorite ingredients I love to use in Straits cooking. And this month’s Malaysian Food Fest seem like a timely affair to visit and pay tribute to this time-honoured dish.


For Nasi dagang, the rice is quite easily prepared, and like my dear friend Annie, I’d opt for a simplified method for the rice steaming process with the use of a modern rice cooker. I think this is how it is commercially prepared by the kedais and restorans anyway, as to prepare the rice in large quantities by steaming and tossing the rice grains patiently while drizzling coconut milk over them to feed the hungry morning breakfast crowd would be near impossibility. So a rice cooker seemed like a sound way to go!

There are several recipes online for the Spicy Tuna Red Curry, i.e. Gulai Ikan Tongkol but I settled for one by Toh Puan Rosita Abdullah, a member of the Terengganu royal family , from in her book “Kulit Manis – A Taste of Terengganu’s Heritage”. The book was conceptualised as a legacy for the generations to come, a “legacy of love” as she aptly put. “What better way to honour these memories than by writing all these down and archiving pictures that may one day be lost on a generation,” she noted in her foreword. Toh Puan Rosita is a highly accomplished cook, learning the ways of the kitchen from her mother, and later her family cook, Cik Embong. Being well versed in both traditional Peranakan Chinese cuisine, as well as authentic Malay cooking under her belt, she is highly recognised for her culinary skills.  I can’t wait to see the book in person, and hopefully be able to add it to my

Nasi Kerabu

 
Nasi kerabu is a Malay rice dish, a type of nasi ulam, in which blue-coloured rice is eaten with dried fish or fried chicken, crackers, pickles and other salads. The blue color of rice resulting from the petals of Clitoria ternatea (butterfly-pea) flowers (kembang telang) used in cooking it.^[1] The rice can also be cooked with plain white rice or rice cooked using turmeric. It is often eaten with solok lada and is also eaten with fried keropok.^[2]
Nasi kerabu is very popular in the east coast states of Malaya such as Kelantan and Terengganu......

 

Pulut Lepa aka Pulut Panggang versi Terengganu

Pulut Lepa aka Pulut Panggang versi Terengganu is a delicious savory snack made from glutinous rice steamed with coconut milk and an “inti serunding ikan kembong“, i.e. spiced mackerel fish floss filling, wrapped with banana leaves and finally grilled for the extra oomph of wonderful smoky flavours. This is a simple “kuih” enjoyed freshly “panggang” i.e. grilled over a charcoal flame for breakfast or tea. Being very affordable, it is a common “walk and eat along” treat for many Terengganuans, especially amongst folks on their way to work and children to school, grabbing one or two as they pass by their favorite stall in the pasar pagi, i.e. morning bazaar.


Prima facie, Pulut Lepa reminded me much of another dish close to my heart, Rempah Udang from Melakan Peranakan cuisine, as both are essentially variations of the same “pulut panggang” theme where grilled glutinous rice wrapped within banana leaves is used as a vector for the delicious filling within. Unlike the more “boisterous” looking Pulut Lepa, Rempah Udang are usually made more petite, much like many nyonya kuih muih. The former, intended to fill the stomach more than anything else, is naturally made bigger and more “wholesome”!

I’d never seen a Pulut Lepa before, let alone taste or make one. But there are several working recipes by Terengganuans online, including one on wikipedia! So here is what I’d managed to conjure based using these recipes as a backbone as well the experience in making and wrapping Rempah Udang many moons back.

Festival At Terengganu

Chinese New Year At Terengganu

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is always reflected with lucky money in red envelope (ang-pow), mandarin oranges or tangerines, fire crackers, food and blessing words. This is one of the most important festivals for the Chinese community and it lasts for 15 days.

The festival starts with the new moon on the first day of Chinese lunar calendar. It usually begins with a reunion dinner in the eve. Traditionally every member of the family will attend and have the dinner together. It is a norm that the all kind of traditional and typical Chinese cuisine will be served on the family banquet table, symbolizing a fruitful year in the past and in the near future.

The first day of the Chinese New Year is the welcoming day for the Gods of heaven and earth. During this day, many people will take vegetarian food instead of meat as to ensure a happy, safe and long life. Visiting among friends and relatives is another usual thing to do throughout the whole 15 days.

The Chinese believe to start a day with positive thinking and saying, therefore it has become a practice especially during the Chinese New Year which means a new beginning, that everybody will avoid anger and negativity instead will always start the conversation with ‘Gong Xi, Gong Xi’ (congratulation) following by other cheerful positive words. All debts should be cleared and work should be done before the arrival of the new year as to symbolized a better, prosperous and easier year ahead. Not to forget is the dragon dance during the period which also bears the same meaning and purpose with the above.

Beach Festival Or Water Festival

Beach Festival or Water Festival

Terengganu is a state that has very close relationship with water. Because of the wide and clean sandy beach, water festival usually held in Batu Burok Beach in Kuala Terengganu. All kinds of events are organized during the festival, range from traditional games, cultural performance to exhibition and contests. It is always a good chance to have an overview of the traditional culture of Terengganu in the festival.

Games such as sepak takraw (very similar to volley ball but instead of hand, the foot is used to hit and transfer the rattan ball to other participants), gasing, kite flying etc are the usual agenda in this annually held event.

Apart from the games, food trying is another good reason that one shouldn’t miss this event. All kind of local delicacies are sold in the booths. Fun gets merrier if you are adventurous enough to try some of this food. Never judge from its appearance, you may be rewarded by some delicious food. 

As part of the parcel for the festival, cultural performance are held during the celebration. Needless say, Silat is a routine and a must for this festival. Sometimes stage will be built for joget as well. So the Terengganu folks will ask you : berjoget ke? (do you go for ‘joget dancing?) The event is normally brought to the climax by contests organized for example kite making and gasing spinning contests are the usual events accomplishing the festival. Then everybody will go home with joget walk and smiling face.

Hari Raya 

The 30 days month-long fasting during the Ramadan ends and celebrates with the Hari Raya Puasa or Hari Raya Aidilfitri. There are two methods to determine the fall of Hari Raya Aidilfitri: following the sign of the new moon (Rukyah) or based on the astronomical calculation. (Falak). In Terengganu, Muslims adopted the first method and this is always done in Merang.

Besides spring cleaning, the house will be decorated with the lighting of oil lamps at the surrounding compound as to welcome the angels which is believed to be visiting during the seven days preceding the festival. So, the first day of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri always starts with prayer in the morning in mosque then the zakat giving, i.e. to donate money to the mosque as to support the poor and the mosque. This will followed by a visiting to the ancestors’ graves.

This celebration lasts for a month but the is concentrated in the first three days. During these few days, there will always be open-house as to welcome visitors from all races regardless whether you know the owner. Visitors will be served with different type of favorite dishes such as ketupat, beef rending and cookies.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri always bears with full meaning of thanks giving and forgiving. The Muslims offer their thanks to God and the elders meanwhile also request to be forgiven for all their wrong doing in the past. Hari Raya Aidilfitri is not only purely a religion celebration instead also to unite as a family with of love, understanding, blessings, forgiveness and also the spirit of harmonious among the races in the country.

Beautiful Place Of Terengganu

Pulau Perhentian Resort
Perhentian Island or Pulau Perhentian (in Malay) - Lying just 21km off the northeast coast of Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia, this beautiful island is famous among travelers for its palm-fringed white sandy beaches, turquoise blue sea and a laid back lifestyle. The island comprises Pulau Perhentian Besar (The Big Island) and Pulau Perhentian Kecil (The Small Island). The island is accessible from the small fishing port of Kuala Besut via a 40-minute sea journey by speedboat. The islands have a number of activities on its beaches and forests, with the most popular being snorkeling and scuba diving. The more relaxing pursuits are sunbathing and swimming and, apart from these, the island also offers activities like canoeing, jungle trekking, fishing and island hopping. Owing to the islands' protected status, the main tourist activities have minimal environmental impact. This makes Pulau Perhentian famous in the region for its stunning preserved natural world and diverse marine life.

 

Pulau Redang Resort

White sandy beaches, crystal clear blue sea, brilliant underwater world... Redang archipelago comprises 9 islands (Lima Island, Paku Besar Island, Paku Kecil Island, Kerengga Besar Island, Kerengga Kecil Island, Ekor Tebu Island, Ling Island, Pinang Island and the main Redang Island) that abound with marvelous marine fishes, turtles and coral reefs that ensure great snorkelling and scuba-diving. Ping Anchorage package tours from camping to luxury beach resort, the choice - is always yours !

Bukit Keluang

Bukit Keluang has some of the best coastal scenery in Malaysia with lovely beaches, a wooden walkway along the cliff edge, sea caves and a 141 meter high hill with a superb view over the South China Sea.
It is located in Terengganu about 6 km south of the town of Kuala Besut which is where travellers catch boats to the Perhentian Islands.
When I went in March 2012 I parked my car in the beach's car park which is at the foot of the hill. There were a couple of food stalls located here together with toilets and other facilities.
I walked onto the main beach which curves around a nice bay lined with casuarina trees. There were some gazebos here for picnics and some concrete chairs and tables under the trees.

The base of the hill was right on the water's edge and there were steps leading up to a wooden walkway built on the rocks above the water line. The walkway clings to the hillside and leads to a couple of sea caves inhabited by bats. At low tide it is possible to walk round to the caves but at high tide, which is what it was during my visit, the walkway is the only safe way to access the caves.
Unfortunately, some sections of the walkway had been washed away by rough seas and heavy storms during the last monsoon season (Oct - Feb) and the walkway was not usable.
This was a disappointment - hopefully it will be repaired soon.

Never mind - I managed to find a steep flight of concrete steps going up the side of the hill and I guessed these led to the top of the hill. (The steps are located opposite the toilets if you want to try this walk.)
The steps ran out after a few minutes climbing but there was a rough path leading up to the summit of this hill.
It was a strenuous and sweaty climb but I reached an opening near the top from where there were great views looking out to sea, which was a beautiful turquoise colour that day.

The closest island on this photo must be Pulau Ru which I imagine is uninhabited. From my map I see the island has a 105m high hill on it.
Behind Pulau Ru you can just make out the Perhentian Islands in the background.
The path continues along the ridge for some distance if you want to explore further.
Returning to the car I drove to the far end of the hill where it meets a river, Kuala Keluang.
Here was another clean and secluded beach with no visitors on it apart from a couple of fishermen trying their luck.

Kapas Island

Kapas Island is a laid back tropical hideaway just a few miles from the mainland of Terengganu.
The speedboat ferry service from the fishing village of Marang takes about 15 minutes to cover the 6km distance to the island.
Kapas is the Malay word for cotton and refers to the pure white sandy beaches found here.
All the beaches and accommodation are on the western side of the island facing the mainland. It is possible to take a short jungle trek over the low hill on the island to the eastern coast for a view of the sunrise.
The turquoise seas hereabouts contain plenty of rocks, some patches of coral and a couple of shipwrecks.
Snorkelling and diving are popular pursuits apart from during the monsoon season which runs from November to March.
Other activities are swimming, windsurfing, kayaking, boating and fishing. Night fishing for squid (squid jigging) takes place during the months of April to September.
Apart from these activities there is nothing to do on this sleepy island apart from sunbathing and relaxing.