40 Delightful Dishes to Try When Visiting Malaysia

Spicy Stir-Fried Mee Goreng Mamak, Apam Balik pancakes, Nasi Kerabu rice, Ayam Percik marinated chicken... are the delightful dishes you should try when traveling to Malaysia.

40 Delightful Dishes to Try When Traveling to Malaysia

Malaysian cuisine bears the predominant influences of China and India and has many resemblances to Indonesian food. Below are 40 delightful dishes to savor when venturing to Malaysia.

Part 1:

Spicy Stir-Fried Mee Goreng Mamak

Spicy Stir-Fried Mee Goreng Mamak is a popular dish in Malaysia, commonly found in eateries.

The ingredients for this dish are quite simple, mainly consisting of parboiled noodles stir-fried with garlic, spring onions, various fresh vegetables, shrimp, or beef and chicken.

As the noodles near readiness, a touch of soybean is added by the chef to enhance the richness and aroma. This dish is often prepared using a charcoal stove instead of a gas stove.

Apam Balik Pancake

Apam Balik is a type of pancake primarily made from glutinous rice flour and cornflour. The pancake is folded like an omelet, and the filling is made from peanuts, corn, and sugar.

Nasi Kerabu Rice

Nasi Kerabu is an enticing dish to the extent that even Malaysians queue up to buy it. This culinary delight also makes its presence felt in Indonesia.

The uniqueness of Nasi Kerabu lies in its distinctive blue color, accompanied by herbs, dried coconut, spicy sauce, and fish sauce. Eating it the traditional way involves using your hands instead of a spoon.

Savory Ayam Percik

Ayam Percik features chicken marinated with chili paste, garlic, ginger, sauce, and coconut milk, then grilled directly over charcoal.

During grilling, vendors generously drizzle sauce over the chicken, enhancing its flavor. This dish is not overly spicy, thanks to the coconut milk that balances the heat of the chili paste.

Apart from its delightful aroma, Ayam Percik boasts an eye-catching color that adds to its appeal.

Nasi Lemak

In simple terms, nasi lemak is rice cooked with coconut milk and topped with sambal chili sauce. However, variations exist across regions, incorporating ingredients like boiled eggs, vegetables, peanuts, beef, chicken, or lamb, and even seafood.

Traditionally a breakfast dish in Malaysia, people nowadays enjoy nasi lemak at any time of the day.

Savory Roti John

Roti John is a sandwich with minced meat and eggs cooked on a griddle until done. The chef then flips the bread over, ensuring both sides are evenly cooked before lifting it out.

The meat used can be pork, beef, or chicken. When served, Roti John is often sliced for convenient consumption and dipped in chili sauce.

Rendang

Beef Rendang is a dish with the characteristic bold spiciness of Malaysian cuisine. The chef seasons it intensely with spices, then simmers it until the curry sauce thoroughly permeates the beef.

Beef Rendang is often served with white rice or wrapped in banana leaves and briefly grilled over charcoal.

The flavor profile of this dish delights many diners, combining the fiery kick of chili, lemongrass, ginger, pepper, the richness of coconut milk, the sweetness of beef, and the refreshing acidity from lime and tamarind leaves... All harmonizing within each meaty bite.

Delightful Kuih

Kuih is the collective term for petite snacks, often sweet, enjoyed in a leisurely manner.

The most captivating aspect of kuih lies in its diverse shapes and vibrant colors, evoking an immediate longing at first sight.

Nasi kandar

Nasi Kandar is a curry-infused rice dish with an Indian flair, reaching its pinnacle of deliciousness when served hot, preserving the bold and spicy essence of the curry.

Beyond the core ingredient of rice, diners can select from various food options such as beef, chicken, lamb, okra, fried eggs, fish, and more.

Due to its widespread popularity, Nasi Kandar is readily available in most eateries throughout Malaysia.

Laksa

Laksa is a traditional dish in Malaysian cuisine. In recent times, this dish has begun to appear in many other Asian countries such as Thailand, China, giving rise to numerous variations. Generally, laksa has a flavor similar to curry, with main ingredients including noodles, bean sprouts, shrimp, eggs, and various other ingredients depending on the region. Some areas may add tamarind to the broth.

Popia basah

Popia basah, also known as spring rolls, fresh rolls, or bò bía, is one of the delicacies in Malaysia loved by both locals and tourists.

The main ingredients of popia include finely chopped turnips, dried shallots, rolled with various vegetables, peanuts, eggs, and tofu. Everything is finely chopped and rolled together in a thin rice paper.

Bubur

While walking along the street, you will easily recognize bubur vendors by their stalls – including a large pot for cooking. The main ingredients of this dish mainly include coconut water, meat, and vegetables, but can vary depending on the region.

Roti jala

Roti jala, also known as net bread, is one of the popular light snacks in Malaysia.

This is a type of double-layered pancake made from wheat flour, coconut milk, turmeric powder, eggs, and salt, with a surface resembling a thin net. It is often served as a breakfast dish.

When indulging in it, you can pair it with fruit jam, chocolate sauce, butter, or cinnamon, depending on your taste buds.

Despite its seemingly firm exterior, this pastry is surprisingly soft, thanks to the addition of coconut milk.

Cendawan goring

Cendawan goring is a dish of fried mushrooms seasoned with pepper, chili, or grilled meat, often served as an appetizer or snack.

Sambal udang

Sambal udang is a dish that traces its origins back to Chinese immigrants in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Primarily hailing from Fujian province, they settled along the Malaysian coastline, pioneering a myriad of unique, and sometimes peculiar, culinary creations.

The dish Sambal udang involves mixing shrimp with sambal chili sauce, then adding a touch of tamarind water. In some regions, squid and stingray are used as alternatives to shrimp.

Murtabak

Murtabak is crafted from flour, minced meat mixed with garlic, eggs, and onions. This dish is often paired with curry or meat broth, cucumber, and tomato sauce.

Murtabak comes in two versions: sweet or savory with eggs and meat. Its enticing flavor, blending sourness and spiciness, makes it irresistibly delightful.

Asam pedas

Asam pedas is a dish made from fish, enhanced with ingredients like ginger, shrimp, garlic, chili, and herbs. Its taste is both spicy and slightly tangy due to the use of freshwater fish or stingray.

Lemang

Lemang is glutinous rice mixed with coconut milk, cooked in bamboo tubes, served with meat or vegetables.

This dish is exceptionally delightful as the glutinous rice, preserved in bamboo tubes, retains its aromatic fragrance, ensuring evenly cooked and wonderfully tender grains.

Otak-otak

Otak-Otak, also known as Otah-Otah, is a highly popular dish in Malaysia. It features mashed mackerel mixed with various spices such as chili, ginger, spring onions, turmeric, lime, and coconut milk.

This mixture is wrapped in banana leaves and then steamed or grilled.

Typically, the grilled version is preferred as the spices infuse into the fish, and the entire aroma of the fish and spices is encapsulated in the banana leaves, releasing an enticing fragrance when unwrapped.

Tepung pelita

Tepung pelita is a type of kuih (Malaysian sweet cake).

True to its name, this cake is visually appealing and delectable, with main ingredients including coconut milk, sugar, and pandan leaves, providing a fragrant aroma.

By Dawn/Tuoi Tre News

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour