Malay Food

This section will specifically focus on Malay food.
The local cuisines in Malaysia is a mixture of Malay, Chinese and Indian food, with slight influence from the other ethnic races.

Satay
Description:
Meat (chicken or beef) skewered and barbecued on an open grill. Usually eaten with rice cubes and peanut sauce. Satay is one of the most famous of Malay food and it's recognised both locally and internationally.
Below is a photo of satay being cooked over an open grill:

Nasi Lemak
Description:
Rice dish made with rice and coconut milk. It is garnished with fried anchovies, a sambal paste, and boiled eggs. Sometimes you can get chicken or meat in the nasi lemak. Sold in most places in Malaysia, whether in stalls, small eateries, restuarants or in hotel menus. Best eaten on a banana leaf.

Keropok Lekor
Description:
Best described as the Malaysia's 'fish sausage' as it is made from fish grounded into a paste and shaped like long sausages. Can be eaten boiled or fry. If it's your first time, best to eat it fried because the boiled keropok lekor tends to have a strong fishy smell.
To enjoy it more and get rid of the fishy taste, a sweet chilli sauce is served as a dip for keropok lekors.
Below is a photo of a plate of keropok lekor:

Keropok Keping
Description:
This is like crisps or chips made from fish, then shaped into thin round slices. The raw keropok Keping are sold in packets. You need to fry the 'fish chips' in hot oil till it develops into crunchy 'fish crisps'.
Some restaurants do offer keropok keping and it's best eaten with a chilli sauce dip.

Nasi Goreng
Description:
This is fried rice. There are many versions of the Malaysian fried rice, but the most popular one is nasi goreng ayam (chicken fried rice).

Laksa Penang
Description:
Thick white noodles eaten in a fishy-paste soup with onions, bunga kantan, assam and lemon grass.
Best eaten hot.

Tempoyak
Description:
A soft jam-like paste made from the durian fruit which has been fermented for several weeks. It has a strong odour and slightly salty taste and is used in Malay cooking to flavour some dishes. Sometimes it is fried with anchovies or prawns and eaten with white rice. Tempoyak is an acquired taste - some may find it disgusting whereas others may simply love it.

Belacan
Description:
Dried shrimp paste sold in the form of small cylinder blocks or packaged in plastic. It is not eaten on its own but is rather used to flavour local dishes such as fried rice, noodles and seafood. Belacan has a very strong fishy odour and may stink to some people. Can be found in most Malay refrigerators.

Cincaluk
Description:
Made from tiny pink shrimps (planktons) and sold in bottles. Comes in liquid form and can be recognised by its pink-coloured semi-liquid contents. Tastes salty and has a 'shrimpy' smell to it. Can be eaten on its own, accompanied with white rice.