Kuih Che Mek Molek

After I had the awesome concoction of rice and vege that is Nasi Kerabu, my friend insisted I tried a local treat, native to Terengganu, called kuih Che Mek Molek. Che Mek Molek actually means 'pretty young lady'! I wonder why they called it that until of course I took my first bite.

And.... it was lush! lawsie it was lovely, having a harder shell compared to its creamy buttery interior.


The pastry is made by scrambling the egg until fine, then the addition coconut milk ( local elixir I tell you! ). gula Melaka is dissolvoed with water and then mixed with flour. It is then stir and filtered prevent from being lumpy. A slice of pandan leaf and out into flour. Heat the muffin mould and sweep a little oil. the muffin is then placed in muffin mould in a preheated oven

you can get this at many hawker stalls, or simply at "pasar malam" or night market.

Blue rice? seriously?

Nasi kerabu, a dish of rice tinted bright blue and eaten with ulam, fried salted fish, fish crackers and other garnishings.

I was amazed at the number of colors that were on my plate!

Nasi Kerabu literally means ‘rice salad’.

The kerabu/salad could be any vegetables or edible leaves though the more or less standard version will have daun kesum, taugeh (bean sprout), long green beans, bunga kantan, cucumber and daun kadok. Apart from that it is also sometimes served with fried breaded fish, keropok keping, salted egg, and pickled garlic. There's also dry fried coconut, sambal belacan, some budu with limau kerat lintang and bird’s eye chili as an "add on". The way to eat it is to mix everything by hand and dig in! This delightful mix of raw and cooked ingredients has an interesting flavour even though some folks find the pickled leek too strong. Others have plenty of praise for the fragrant wild veggies.

IF you love rice meals but want a healthier alternative to nasi lemak, it may be worth your while to give the nasi kerabu a try.

Eating this concoction of freshly cut ulam or wild vegetables, grated coconut with tuna floss, raw beans sprouts, fish crackers, salted fish and egg, pickled leek and local rice dyed blue using botanicals is a unique experience.

This dish originated from the East Coast and can be found at roadside stalls in Terengganu. Its also very affordable, with prices starting from only RM2.50.

It used to be regarded as a poor man's meal but over time, the nasi kerabu has made its way even into the menus of some of the more expensive restaurants in the Klang Valley.

To get that wonderful blue colour, a handful of bunga telang are cooked with the rice, which is also impregnated with herbs and spices.


For that extra 'kick', the nasi kerabu can be taken with budu or fermented anchovy sauce.

Hempedu Bumi! what did I get myself into?

Hempedu Bumi actually directly translates into Earth Bile haha!



These are some of the benefits of this potent plant ;-

A Powerful Liver Protector
Bitter Tonic & Digestive Stimulant
Helps With Cardiovascular disease and cholesterol build-up
Enhancing the Immune System

And on to nicer smelling plants!



here's our favourite pakcik!


our Pakcik giving us a sexy pose! haha

Tongkat Ali drink

this is basically what was said in the video :)

After delivering its good for the healing of the womb ( kacip fatimah ). Its also good for diabetes, and it has a lot more health benifits.The tongkat Ali is for
kidney pain, headaches. you can drink about 2 small cups a day, any more than that its for heating the body.

So its from the root as well?

Yes, and there's two types. Black Tongkat Ali, and White Tongkat Ali. You dont use the stalk, but the roots only.
see that plant there? that's where its from


So how long do we have to boil and steep it for?

You put it in the pot, you add water, for a handful about a bottle of mineral water, then boil. as long as its bitter
you can drink it.

but this one isnt biter as kacip fatimah?

oh Kacip Fatimah isnt as bitter as Tongkat Ali

Are you sure I can drink this, because Tongkat Ali is normally reserved for men!

this one is good for you, dont worry. it removes toxins from the body too


--

it was very bitter! but hey, anything that does the body good im up for!


the guide showing me the Tongkat Ali plant


woooh bitter!


showing me how to determine the Tongkat Ali ( its by scrunching it up, if it doesnt tear, its the leaf!

First food post!

Im kinda upset I didnt get a shot of what I ate! I guess I enjoyed the dish so much that I totally forgot about my camera! So the pictures here are from google! :)

One of the best things about eating in the East Coast is that the simplest dishes are made awesome thanks to the abundance of fresh local ingredients. There's virtually no bad seafood here and fish based dishes such as laksam and nasi dagang are in a league of their own.



The first local dish I tried here is Laksam! I must add it was the best laksam Ive ever had! A delightful yet simple dish, laksam is prepared using both wheat and rice flours. The gravy is made from fish meat which is boiled, pureed, and later mixed with coconut milk.


The best laksam in the world is on a languid road leading up to Northern Terengganu. It faces the South China Sea and lives in a modest open-aired shop. This shop is situated in the village of Rhu Sepuluh in Penarik. Apparently original settlers here think that this beachfront land is so attractive they named it 'Penarik'. Very apt. It's not pretty in a showy manner, just quietly alluring. One can understand why the best laksam in the world decided to set up shop here.


the Warung ( shop )

Is the best laksam in the world a bit too much of a boast? For sure there are many places serving delicious laksam in the East Coast and many would say Kelantan has the best. But here are my reasons. Penarik is near enough to Kelantan to have the right set of skills to make the tantalising white gravy but because Mak Ngah is 'orang Ganu' she has a lighter hand. Hence the gravy is not too insanely rich (a common thread in Kelantanese cuisine) having the right balance of savoury-sweetness and fishiness. The white rice noodles itself is handmade and as soft as any hor fun. It's cut into thick ribbons before drenched in the laksam gravy. mmm~

Now this is where a little magic happens. First taste I could swear that Mak Ngah squeezed some lime into the gravy since there is a fresh zesty zing to it. But here's the thing, there's no lime in the gravy. It's just that the fish is so fresh that it's naturally zesty. It's hard for me to describe it. On top of all this delectable whiteness are fresh scallions and local parsley for a burst of colour. Then freshly pounded chilli with a hint of tamarind completes it.

This stall is very popular. People come from all over Teregganu to have it hence it's an early riser. There's nary a speck left after 9am. However if you know Mak Ngah, which my friend does and ask her nicely, she will keep some for you. So you can saunter there after 10am and enjoy it at leisure to jealous glances from other tables. Mak Ngah also serves rather tasty karipaps and kuihs, nasi lemak and the ever popular nasi dagang.

Here, the laksam has that zesty personality that makes it one of the best I've ever tasted. However, it's eating it while watching the sea, with soft morning breezes in your face and feeling like you have all the time in the world that makes it pretty damn sensational.

Opens: 7am- 12pm
Price: Less than RM10 for 2 people

GPS: 5.58711, 102.83347


info : www.friedchillies.com