KCC1M Terengganu - Terengganu's mouthwatering snacks

This is the continuation of the article titled “KCC1M Terengganu - Sumptuous array of Terengganu’s food” dated 7 July 2013 which is mainly about the hearty food such as Nasi Dagang, Nasi Kerabu and Masak Singgang, with some intermission of the traditional snacks of boiled sweet potatoes, fried oyster mushroom, glutinous rice with fresh mango and Nasi Pulut Gaul Nyior at Peladang Setiu Agro Resort.

This time, I will highlight the snacks of Terengganu. Let me start with the ever-popular Kerepok Lekor, which is readily available anywhere in Malaysia. But of course, the tastier Keropok Lekor comes from Terengganu, found in a proper restaurant or small stall along the roadside that also sells Satar, salted fish and fish crackers.

Keropok Lekor is actually made from processed fish meat, preferable from ikan tamban or ikan selayang or sardine fish due to its sweetness, mixed with salt and sago flour. This mixture is then kneaded into a dough and hand rolled into sausage-shaped around 6 to 10 inches long and immediately boiled.

Hand rolled the dough of Keropok Lekor

The whitish Keropok Lekor with less fish meat

These Keropok Lekor have more fish meat

There are three types of Keropok Lekor; boiled chewy ones, fried chewy ones and sun dried fried ones, all best eaten dipped in chilli sauce. If you don’t like the fishy smell, then it is better to eat the deep fried ones because the boiled ones will have some fishy smell when they are no longer hot.

The thin vs fat deep fried Keropok Lekor

Satar from Terengganu differs from the ones from Kelantan; the latter is made kangkung or water spinach mixed with the normal fish meat, ginger paste and freshly grated coconut. The Terengganu Satar is a bit spicy with finely sliced birds’ eye chilli mixed together with the other concoctions. Whether it is Satar Terengganu or Kelantan, the smell is unbelievable when you remove the slightly scorched banana leaves. The little pyramid of Satars has to be grilled over medium charcoal fire, giving it a smoky fragrance and the texture will be soft and flaky. It is best eaten hot from the grill. Whenever I want to take the Satars home to Shah Alam, I have to take the cooked one, immediately placed them in the refrigerator and will oven-grilled, not fried, each and every time I want to eat the yummy Satar. My advice to all Satar lovers, the Satar in Kuala Lumpur and anywhere outside Terengganu lacks the fish meat and uses more sago flour, hence it loses the oomph factor!! 

 

Me and Zulfa with our Satar bamboo skewer!!

Satar dipped in chilli sauce

Otak-otak is literary brain-brain, this savory snack somewhat resembles brains; being reddish-orange, soft and mushy. The well-known ones are the Otak-Otak Nyonya and Otak-otak Kempas, the former is steamed as a cake in a daun pandan or screwpine leaf whereas the latter and is wrapped up as a thin slice using the coconut leaf and grilled over a slow charcoal fire, giving it a drier texture with a more distinct smoky fish aroma.

 

Otak-otak Nyonya is simply delicious!

Filling the otak-otak in a coconut leaf

Grilling the otak-otak over a slow charcoal fire

The grilled otak-otak

Enough of these fish-based snacks; it’s time for Sekaya Telur Terengganu, a steamed egg pudding. Here’s the recipe …

Ingredients

1 big chunk of Gula Melaka or palm sugar

½ cup water

12 grade B eggs

200ml coconut milk

1 or 2 tablespoon Tepung Jagung or Corn Flour (optional. Just to the thicken the mixture)

Methods

Boiled the water, placed the palm sugar in the boiling water until it is completely dissolved

Sieved the liquefied palm sugar and set it aside to cool down.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs.

Pour the coconut milk, corn flour (optional) and palm sugar in the said bowl and mix thoroughly.

Sieved the egg custard and pour in a 7-inch square baking pan.

Steamed the custard for 40 minutes until 1 hour or until a fork inserted near the center comes out clean.

Let the baking pan cool on the wire racks before refrigerated

Best served chilled

The brownish Sekaya Telur at Restoran Kuah Singgang

Another weird-name Terengganu dessert is Lompat Tikam which literally means to jump and stab. Actually the name implies the rise and ready to start the day after eating this dessert. This sweet and cold dessert comprises two main layers, the green part underneath and the white part on top. A generous helping of coconut palm syrup compliments the sweetness of Lompat Tikam.

Lompat Tikam at Warung Otak-Otak Che Wan, Kemaman

Like the “Save the Best for Last” expression, Laksam has my double thumbs up for the best local delicacy in Terengganu. It is a delightful yet simple rice noodle dish with mackerel or sardine fish gravy. The noodle is made from rice or wheat flour, steamed and rolled up, like chee cheong fun and sliced before eating. The gravy is made from fish meat which is boiled, pureed and later mixed with coconut milk. It is served with condiments such bean sprout, long bean, cucumber, bunga kantan or ginger flower, daun kesum or laksa leaves and other local herbs. Laksam Terengganu is different than the famous Penang Assam Laksa, Laksa Sarawak, Nyonya Laksa and any other kind of laksa from the other states in Malaysia.

Laksam at Laman Polo, Terengganu Equestrian Resort

If you wish to venture on a special tailored-made Terengganu Food Heritage Trail package, do contact me – Wan – at 03-2260 3667 / 4667 or email leisureincentivetours@gmail.com for more information.

To all my family and Muslim friends, Happy Fasting for the Ramadan 2013 month! For all my readers, have a nice day and remember “There is no love sincerer than the love for food” – George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman