The Best of Malaysian Food (Nasi Dagang)

Nasi Dagang serve on banana leaf

Nasi dagang is a Malaysian 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. 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 Eid ul-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, to be eaten as a breakfast before or after the Eid prayers in the mosque.

Components

Apart from the basic combination of rice and curry, Nasi Dagang usually comes with its different components which can be combined to suit the diner's taste. From a simple serving of the steamed rice and tuna curry usually found at roadside stalls, the complete home-made version may include a sliced hard-boiled egg, fried coconut, vegetable pickle and sambal.

Rice

The combination of fenugreek seeds and coconut milk gives Nasi Dagang its unique flavour and fragrance. The rice may first be soaked in water for several hours to soften it. It is then mixed with thick coconut milk, sliced shallots, lemon grass and fenugreek seeds. The rice is steamed until cooked. It may also be steamed twice, where more coconut milk is added when it is half-cooked. Then the rice is steamed again until cooked. This method ensures a more creamy finish to the rice.

Fish curry

This accompanying dish is only specially prepared for nasi dagang and is sometimes locally called 'gulai darat'. 'Curry' is actually a misnomer as the fish is not cooked using Indian curry powder but in coconut milk mixed with traditional Malay spices such as lemon grass, galangal, chilli paste and turmeric.

Tuna is the standard choice of fish but other fish can be used as well, such as tenggiri and salmon. Prawns are also used sometimes, however the 'gulai' is prepared slightly differently.

Fried coconut

Coconut is freshly shaved, mixed with sliced shallots and fried until golden brown.

Hard-boiled eggs

Hard boiled eggs are cut into four or eight slices.

Vegetable pickle

The vegetable is pickled in rice vinegar and sugar. The vegetables commonly used are cucumber, chilli and carrots.

Sambal

Chilli sambal can sometimes be included.

Variants

The Terengganu version uses the normal white rice, while the Kelantan variety uses a type of rice locally called 'beras nasi dagang', which is a type of wild rice that has a light purple colour and a little glutinous.

Ingredients

4 cups of Nasi Dagang

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) thick coconut milk

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) thin coconut milk

10 shallots, sliced

2 cm ginger, cut into thin strips

5g fenugreek

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation method

1.Wash rice, drain and soak overnight in water. Next day, drain the water and steam the rice for half an hour. Remove from steam and stir in the thin coconut milk and resteam for 15 minutes until the rice is almost cooked.

2.Mix the thick coconut milk with the ginger, fenugreeek and salt and then mix well into the cooked rice. Resteam again for another 15 minutes until the rice is completely cooked.