Malay cuisine is the traditional food of the

ethnic Malays Malays ( ms, Orang Melayu, Jawi: أورڠ ملايو) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to eastern Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and coastal Borneo, as well as the smaller islands that lie between these locations — areas that are col ...

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

, residing in modern-day

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

(parts of

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

and

Kalimantan Kalimantan () is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area. The non-Indonesian parts of Borneo are Brunei and East Malaysia. In Indonesia, "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo. In 2019, ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by th ...

Southern Thailand Southern Thailand, Southern Siam or Tambralinga is a southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand region by the Kra Isthmus. Geography Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bounde ...

and the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

(mostly southern) as well as

Cocos Islands ) , anthem = "''Advance Australia Fair''" , song_type = , song = , image_map = Australia on the globe (Cocos (Keeling) Islands special) (Southeast Asia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands , map_caption = ...

Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

. The main characteristic of traditional Malay cuisine is the generous use of spices.

Coconut milk Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ...

is also important in giving Malay dishes their rich, creamy character. The other foundation is '' belacan'' (prawn paste), which is used as a base for , a rich sauce or condiment made from , chilli peppers,

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...

s and

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

. Malay cooking also makes plentiful use of

lemongrass ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

and

galangal Galangal () is a common name for several tropical rhizomatous spices. Differentiation The word ''galangal'', or its variant ''galanga'' or archaically ''galingale'', can refer in common usage to the aromatic rhizome of any of four plant spec ...

. Nearly every Malay meal is served with

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

, which is also the

staple food A staple food, food staple, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard Diet (nutrition), diet for a given person or group of people, supplying a large fraction of ...

in many other Asian cultures. Although there are various types of dishes in a Malay meal, all are served at once, not in courses. A typical meal consists of a plate of rice for each person on the table. Dishes are meant to be shared among the diners and each dish is provided with a spoon. The diner proceeds to spoon the dishes of his choosing onto his rice plate. Food is eaten delicately with the fingers of right hand, never with the left which is used for personal ablutions, and Malays rarely use utensils.

History and influences

It is uncertain when the Malay culinary traditions took shape, but the earliest record of the tradition is from the 15th century when

Malacca Sultanate The Malacca Sultanate ( ms, Kesultanan Melaka; Jawi script: ) was a Malay sultanate based in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. Conventional historical thesis marks as the founding year of the sultanate by King of Singapura, Parames ...

became the important trade centre in the

Malay archipelago The Malay Archipelago ( Indonesian/ Malay: , tgl, Kapuluang Malay) is the archipelago between mainland Indochina and Australia. It has also been called the " Malay world," " Nusantara", "East Indies", Indo-Australian Archipelago, Spices Arc ...

. The most important legacy of Malacca derived from its involvement in the spice trade, its openness to the ingredients and culinary techniques introduced by foreigners notably the Arabs, Persians, Chinese and Indians and its cultivation of a rich eclectic gastronomy. Malacca was also a catalyst for the development of two other rich and unique culinary cultures which are the fusion of Malay with Chinese and European traditions, cuisines respectively known as

Nyonya The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, ...

and

Eurasian Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipela ...

. In the centuries before and after Malacca, there were other non-Malay groups from Buginese and Javanese to Minangkabau who were absorbed into Malay society at different times, aided by similarity in lifestyle and a common religion, and had varying degrees of influence on Malay food. It is important to understand the nuance and differences of what makes a dish Malay, which is intertwined with the differences between the concept of Malay as an ethnic group or as a race. In Indonesia, Malay cuisine more specifically refers to the cuisine of ethnic Malay people who traditionally inhabit the east coast of Sumatra, the

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula ( Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The ar ...

and coastal

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and e ...

. In Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and outside the Malay archipelago (such as Sri Lanka and South Africa) however, the term "Malay cuisine" often takes a broader scope, which includes the culinary traditions of other neighbouring common

Austronesian peoples The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar that speak Au ...

, often including Minangkabaus, Javanese and Bugis, or even their fusion derivatives. ''

Nasi lemak ''Nasi lemak'' is a dish originating in Malay cuisine that consists of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish. It is also the native dish in neighbou ...

'', rice cooked in rich coconut milk, is probably the most popular dish, ubiquitous in Malay towns and villages. is considered Malaysia's

national dish A national dish is a culinary dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons: * It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs that can be ...

. Another example is ''

ketupat ''Kupat'' (in Javanese and Sundanese), ''ketupat'' (in Indonesian and Malay), or ''tipat'' (in Balinese) is a Javanese rice cake packed inside a diamond-shaped container of woven palm leaf pouch, Originating in Indonesia, it is also fou ...

'' or '' nasi himpit'', compressed rice cooked in palm leaves. It is popular especially during '' Hari Raya''. Various meats and vegetables could be made into'' gulai ''or '' kari'', a type of curry dish with variations of spice mixtures that display an Indian influence long present in Malay cuisine. Since most Malays are

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

s, Malay cuisine rigorously observes

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ma ...

halal ''Halal'' (; ar, حلال, ) is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the Quran, the word ''halal'' is contrasted with '' haram'' (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification k ...

dietary law. Protein intake is mostly taken from beef, water buffalo, goat, and lamb, and also includes poultry and fish. Pork, non-halal meat, and alcohol are prohibited. ''

Laksa Laksa is a spicy noodle dish popular in Southeast Asia. Laksa consists of various types of noodles, most commonly thick rice noodles, with toppings such as chicken, prawn or fish. Most variations of laksa are prepared with a rich and spicy coco ...

'', a fusion of Malay and Chinese cuisine, is also a popular dish. Malay cuisine has also adopted some neighbouring food traditions, such as ''

rendang Rendang ( ; ) is a Minang dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has spread across Indonesian cuisine to the cuisines of neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the ...

'' adopted from

Minangkabau cuisine Padang food or Minang food is the cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is among the most popular cuisines in Maritime Southeast Asia. It is known across Indonesia as ''Masakan Padang'' (Padang cuisine, in English ...

in Sumatra, '' nasi ulam'' from

Betawi cuisine Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of regional immigrants that came from various places in the Indonesian archipelago, as well as Chinese, Indian, Arab, an ...

and satays from Javanese cuisine in

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

. However, the Malays have developed distinctive tastes and recipes. Malay cuisine has also spread outside the Malay archipelago and influenced other cuisine there. ''

Bobotie Bobotie (Afrikaans: ) is a well-known South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. Origin of name and recipe Bobotie appears to be a variant of ''Patinam ex lacte'', a dish documented by the ancient R ...

'' is a South African dish with its origins in Cape Malay. It consists of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. Of the many dishes common to South Africa, is perhaps closest to being the national dish because it is not commonly found in any other country. The recipe originates from the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

colonies in Batavia, with the name derived from the Indonesian '' bobotok''. In other countries, '' kalu dodol'' is a Sri Lankan dessert with

Sri Lankan Malay Sri Lankan Malay (also known as ''Sri Lankan Creole Malay'', ''Bahasa Melayu'', ''Ja basawa'' and ''Java mozhi'') is a creole language spoken in Sri Lanka, formed as a mixture of Sinhala and Shonam (Sri Lanka Muslim Tamil), with Malay being th ...

origins. It consists of

jaggery Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and ...

(from the sap of the

toddy palm Toddy palm is a common name for several species of palms used to produce palm wine, palm sugar and jaggery. Species so used and named include: *''Arenga pinnata'', the areng palm *''Borassus flabellifer'', the palmyra palm *''Caryota'', the fishta ...

), rice flour and coconut milk.

Terminology

Nearly every culture and language has contributed to the culinary language, including Malay with its own food terminology embracing its preparation, methods of cooking, and numerous food names. Malay food terminology has been shaped by cultural transmission over many generations. Traditionally Malay parents would pass down the skills and processes of cooking to their children through daily cooking activities as well as traditional events, including wedding ceremonies.

Food preparation

In Malay food preparation, the ingredients used are often described as spicy and flavorful as it is a melting pot of spices, herbs and roots. Strong, tangy and flavorful fresh herbs, spices and ingredients such as (

), (

screwpine ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...

), (a type of basil), (

polygonum ''Polygonum'' is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plant in the buckwheat and knotweed family Polygonaceae. Common names include knotweed and knotgrass (though the common names may refer more broadly to plants from Polygonaceae). In ...

), (

nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...

), (

turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...

) and ( wild ginger buds), (

mustard seeds Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants. The seeds are usually about in diameter and may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are an important spice in many regional foods and may come from one of three d ...

) and (

fenugreek Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...

) are often used. There are also a number of terms used for the equipment and utensils used for food preparation. Traditional cooking equipment includes several types of grinders called (

pestle and mortar Mortar and pestle is a set of two simple tools used from the Stone Age to the present day to prepare ingredients or substances by crushing and grinding them into a fine paste or powder in the kitchen, laboratory, and pharmacy. The ''mortar'' () ...

), (stone roller), and the (mill) used for preparing spices and pastes. Vegetables are diced on a (wooden cutting board); while a coconut scraper or is indispensable in making both curries and sweets. Pastries are also made for desserts and for this a (rolling pin) and (pastry board) are considered essential.

Cooking methods

Different cultures and language tend to have their own unique ways of cooking and each of them has different terminologies which often come from historical necessity. Traditional cooking methods in Malay cuisine are quite similar to life in Malay villages, slow and relaxed, as most Malay food is cooked on low heat for a long time compared to Chinese food. There are numerous methods of cooking which consist of dry and moist methods. (using a small amount of oil or fat in a shallow pan over relatively high heat), (food smoked or grilled with the ingredients often cut into pieces or thinly sliced to facilitate fast cooking), (food, mainly dried spices, fried without oil), and (warmed over low heat to dry) are examples of terms for dry-heat cooking methods. On the other hand, moist-heat cooking methods includes terms such as (cooking in a pot, especially rice), (boiling or simmering), (blanching or dipping food such as vegetables into hot water) and (simmering or boiling food).

Characteristics

As defined by Ainuddin, Malay food has five characteristics: * It is rich in herbs and spices; * Coconut milk is one of the main ingredients; * It is usually spicy; * Meat is usually stewed with a thick gravy; and *

Fried fish Fried fish is any fish or shellfish that has been prepared by frying. Often, the fish is covered in batter, egg and breadcrumbs, flour, or herbs and spices before being fried and served, often with a slice of lemon. Fish is fried in many parts ...

and seafood are usually seasoned with

powder.

Regional cuisine variations

Brunei

Bruneian Malay

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

is often spicy and commonly eaten with either rice or noodles. Beef ''rendang'', ''

nasi lemak ''Nasi lemak'' is a dish originating in Malay cuisine that consists of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish. It is also the native dish in neighbou ...

'' and are popular foods in

. Among the few dishes peculiar to Brunei is '' ambuyat'', a sticky ball of flavourless

sago Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is c ...

starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human die ...

, which is wrapped around a bamboo fork and dipped into a spicy and sour gravy. , which literally means "knock rice", is a popular meal which consists of plain rice,

fried chicken Fried chicken, also known as Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating o ...

and sambal, a spicy relish made from ground chilli peppers and a variety of secondary ingredients including but not limited to

shrimp paste Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. They are ei ...

, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, lime juice, vinegar and anchovies. is traditionally served wrapped in brown paper.

Indonesia

The cuisine of

Malay Indonesians Malay Indonesians ( Malay/ Indonesian: Orang Melayu Indonesia; Jawi: اورڠ ملايو ايندونيسيا) are ethnic Malays living throughout Indonesia. They are one of the indigenous peoples of the country. Indonesian, the national langu ...

spread on the east coast of

and

, primarily

West Kalimantan West Kalimantan ( id, Kalimantan Barat) is a province of Indonesia. It is one of five Indonesian provinces comprising Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital city is Pontianak. The province has an area of 147,307&nbs ...

. Because of the close ethnic kinship and proximity to Malaysian Malays, many dishes are shared between the two countries. For example, ''nasi lemak'' and '' nasi ulam'' are considered native dishes of

Riau Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accordi ...

and

Jambi Jambi is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the east coast of central Sumatra and spans to the Barisan Mountains in the west. Its capital and largest city is Jambi. The province has a land area of 50,160.05 km2, and a sea area of 3 ...

. Malay cuisine also shares many similarities with the neighboring

of West Sumatra, Palembangese cuisine of South Sumatra and

Acehnese cuisine Acehnese cuisine is the cuisine of the Acehnese people of Aceh in Sumatra, Indonesia. This cuisine is popular and widely known in Indonesia. Arab, Persian, and Indian traders influenced food in Aceh although flavours have substantially change ...

of Aceh, such as sharing ''gulai'', '' asam pedas'', ''kari'', '' lemang'', '' nasi minyak'', ''

pempek ''Pempek'', ''mpek-mpek'' or ''empek-empek'' is a savoury Indonesian fishcake delicacy, made of fish and tapioca, from Palembang, South Sumatera, Indonesia. Pempek is served with rich sweet and sour sauce called ''kuah cuka'' or ''kuah cuko'' ...

'', '' pindang'', ''rendang'' and ''

roti canai Roti canai (pronunciation: /tʃanaɪ/) or roti prata, also known as roti chenai and roti cane (/tʃane/), is an Indian flatbread dish found in several countries in Southeast Asia, especially in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thail ...

''. This is due to the fact that the Minangkabaus are culturally closely related to the Malays. Malay Indonesian cuisine has also been influenced by

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

, Betawi, Chinese,

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

and Javanese cuisine. ''

Otak-otak ''Otak-otak'' (lit. brains in Malay and Indonesian) is a Southeast Asian fish cake made of ground fish mixed with spices and wrapped in leaf parcels. ''Otak-otak'' is traditionally served steamed or grilled, encased within the leaf parcel it ...

'' is a dish involving fish pieces wrapped in banana leaves. The grilled fish cake is made of ground fish mixed with tapioca starch and

spices A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are ...

'' Tempoyak'' is a fermented durian sauce and '' belacan'' is a Malay-style sambal made of fresh chillies and toasted '' belacan'' in a stone mortar. Both are familiar condiments in Sumatra. Other Malay Indonesian dishes include ''

acar Acar is a type of vegetable pickle of Maritime Southeast Asia, most prevalent in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. It is a localised version of Indian '' achar''. It is known as atjar in Dutch cuisine, derived from Indonesian ''acar ...

'', '' amplang'', ''

ayam goreng Ayam goreng is an Indonesian and Malaysian dish consisting of chicken deep fried in oil. ''Ayam goreng'' literally means " fried chicken" in Malay, Indonesian and also in many Indonesian regional languages (e.g. Javanese). Marination ...

'', '' ayam pansuh'', '' ayam penyet'', ''ayam percik'', '' begedil'', '' bihun goreng'', '' bobotok'', ''bubur asyura'', '' bubur cha cha'', ''bubur lambuk'', '' bubur pedas'', '' cincalok'', '' epok-epok'', various '' gulai'', '' ikan bakar'', various '' ikan patin'' dishes, '' kangkung belacan'', '' kemplang'', ''

'', '' kwetiau goreng'', various ''

laksa Laksa is a spicy noodle dish popular in Southeast Asia. Laksa consists of various types of noodles, most commonly thick rice noodles, with toppings such as chicken, prawn or fish. Most variations of laksa are prepared with a rich and spicy coco ...

'', '' lepat'', '' lontong'', ''

martabak Motabbaq ( ar, مطبق) is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread which is commonly found in the Arabian Peninsula and Southeast Asia, notably in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and Bangladesh ( Mughlai par ...

'', '' mi celor'', '' mi goreng'', '' mi kari'', '' mi rebus'', '' nasi ambeng'', '' nasi briyani'', various '' nasi goreng'', ''

nasi kari Nasi kari (lit. curry rice) is an Indonesian rice dish from Acehnese, Minangkabau and Malay cuisine as well as Javanese cuisine. This rice dish is popular in Sumatra and Java, Indonesia. Nasi kari comprises the following: * Steamed rice, ketupa ...

'', '' nasi kebuli'', '' pekasam'', '' rojak'', ''

roti jala Roti jala, roti kirai or roti renjis (English: net bread or lace pancake; Jawi: روتي جالا) is a popular Malay and Minangkabau tea time snack served with curry dishes which can be found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. This is a ver ...

'', '' roti john'', '' roti tisu'', sambal ''sotong'', ''

samosa A samosa () or singara is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, and peas. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. Sam ...

'', satay, ''

sayur lodeh Sayur lodeh is an Indonesian vegetable soup prepared from vegetables in coconut milk popular in Indonesia, but most often associated with Javanese cuisine. Ingredients Common ingredients are young unripe jackfruit, eggplant, chayote, ''melinjo'' ...

'', various '' siput gonggong'' dishes, '' soto'', '' soto mi'', ''sup ikan'', '' sup kambing'', ''sup rusa'', '' tauhu goreng'', '' tekwan'', ''

terang bulan "Terang Bulan" () is a traditional Indonesian song. This song is an adaptation based on the song named "La Rosalie". History The song was a traditional folk song adapted from the popular French melody of La Rosalie. Following the popularity of t ...

'' and ''

ulam Ulam may refer to: * ULAM, the ICAO airport code for Naryan-Mar Airport, Russia * Ulam (surname) * Ulam (salad), a type of Malay salad * ''Ulam'', a Filipino term loosely translated to viand or side dish; see Tapa (Filipino cuisine) * Ulam, the l ...

''.

Malaysia

Malaysian Malay Malaysian Malay ( ms, Bahasa Melayu Malaysia), also known as Standard Malay (Malay: ''Bahasa Melayu Standard''), ( English translation: Malaysian language), or simply Malay, is a standardized form of the Malay language used in Malaysia (as o ...

bears many similarities to Malay Indonesian

. It has also been influenced by Chinese,

, Thai, Javanese and Minangkabau cuisine. Many Malay dishes revolve around the '' rempah'', which is usually sauteed in oil to draw out its flavours to form the base of a dish. A dipping relish called is an essential accompaniment for most Malay dishes. ''

'' is rice cooked in rich coconut milk and considered Malaysia's national dish. The drink '' sirap bandung'' consists of evaporated or condensed milk flavoured with

rose syrup Rose water ( fa, گلاب) is a flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water. It is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals, a by-product of the production of rose oil for use in perfume. Rose water is also used to fla ...

, giving it a pink colour. The drink is an adaptation of rose milk from India. Other Malay dishes in Malaysia include '' apam balik'', ''

'', '' ayam masak merah'', '' ayam pansuh'', ''ayam percik'', '' bubur pedas'', ''

char kway teow ''Char kway teow'' () is a stir-fried rice noodle dish from Maritime Southeast Asia and is of southern Chinese origin. In Hokkien and Teochew, ''char'' means 'stir-fried' and ''kway teow'' refers to flat rice noodles. It is made from flat ...

'', '' cincalok'', '' ikan bakar'', various '' kari'', '' karipap'', '' kebebe'', ''kerabu'', '' keropok lekor'', '' kerutuk daging'', various ''

'', Maggi ''goreng'', ''masak lemak'', '' mee bandung'', '' mee Jawa'', ''

mee kolo Mee kolo or kolok mee ( Malay: ''Mi Kolok''; Iban: ''Mi Kering'' or ''Mi Rangkai''; ) is Malaysian dish of dry noodles tossed in a savoury pork and shallot mixture, topped off with fragrant fried onions originated from the state of Sarawak, c ...

'', '' mee siam'', '' mee soto'', '' mee wantan'', '' nasi ambeng'', '' nasi beriani'', '' nasi dagang'', '' Nasi kerabu'', '' nasi goreng'', '' nasi paprik'', ''

nasi tumpang ''Nasi tumpang'' is a rice dish originating in Kelantan, Malaysia. ''Nasi tumpang'' is rice with different layer of dishes wrapped in a cone shape with banana leaf packed. Traditionally, it was staple food for travelers or farmers in Kelantan to ...

'', ''

pek nga Pek Nga is a traditional food in Kedah. It is also known as Lempeng Kelapa in Kelantan and Terengganu. Pek nga may be eaten with fish curry, coconut sticky rice, or dried fish. It is usually served during breakfast. See also * Cuisine of Malay ...

'', ''

'', '' roti john'', satay, '' taugeh ayam'', '' tempoyak'' and ''

''.

Singapore

Situated between Malaysia and Indonesia, Singaporean Malay dishes are influenced by the food of the neighbouring Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and the Riau Islands. Despite absorbing regional influences, it tends to be adapted to local tastes and differ from its counterparts in neighbouring countries. Hence, Singaporean Malay cuisine features a unique set of influences, especially from Minangkabau and Javanese cuisine. '' Dendeng'' is a thinly sliced dried meat. It is preserved through a mixture of sugar and spices and dried via a frying process and shows Minangkabau influences. Other Malay Singaporean dishes include '' assam pedas'', ''

bakso Bakso or baso is an Indonesian meatball, or a meat paste made from beef surimi. Its texture is similar to the Chinese beef ball, fish ball, or pork ball. The word ''bakso'' may refer to a single meatball or the complete dish of meatball soup. '' ...

'',

curry puff A curry puff ( ms, Karipap, Epok-epok; ; th, กะหรี่ปั๊บ, , ) is a snack of Maritime Southeast Asian origin. It is a small pie consisting of curry with chicken and potatoes in a deep-fried or baked pastry shell. The con ...

, '' gulai daun ubi'', Katong laksa, ''

'', ''lemak siput'', '' mee siam'', '' mee goreng'', ''

naan Naan ( fa, نان, nān, ur, , ps, نان, ug, نان, hi, नान, bn, নান) is a leavened, oven-baked or tawa-fried flatbread which is found in the cuisines mainly of Western Asia, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, ...

'', '' nasi goreng'', ''

'', ''

nasi padang Nasi padang, sometimes referred to as Padang rice, is a Minangkabau dish of steamed rice served with various choices of pre-cooked dishes originating from West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is named after the city of Padang, capital of the West Suma ...

'', '' rojak bandung'', '' roti john'', sambal stingray, satay,

satay bee hoon Satay bee hoon is a dish invented by Singaporean due to cultural fusion between Malay or Javanese with the Teochew people who immigrated to Singapore. Satay bee hoon sauce is a chilli-based peanut sauce very similar to the one served with sa ...

, '' soto'' and ''sup tulang''.

South Africa

Cape Malay

is a tradition of the Cape Malay people in

. It has been influenced by Malay and Javanese cuisine. Thus, Cape Malay influence has brought spicy curries, , pickled fish and a variety of fish stews to South Africa. Adaptations of traditional foods such as ''

bobotie Bobotie (Afrikaans: ) is a well-known South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. Origin of name and recipe Bobotie appears to be a variant of ''Patinam ex lacte'', a dish documented by the ancient R ...

'' and ''

sosatie Sosatie (pl sosaties) is a traditional South African dish of meat (usually lamb or mutton) cooked on skewers. The term derives from ''sate'' ("skewered meat") and ''saus'' (spicy sauce). It is of Cape Malay origin, used in Afrikaans, the primary ...

'' are staples in many South African homes. Faldela Williams wrote three cookbooks, including the ''Cape Malay Cookbook'', which was instrumental in preserving the cultural traditions of Cape Malay cuisine. ''

Sosatie Sosatie (pl sosaties) is a traditional South African dish of meat (usually lamb or mutton) cooked on skewers. The term derives from ''sate'' ("skewered meat") and ''saus'' (spicy sauce). It is of Cape Malay origin, used in Afrikaans, the primary ...

'' is a traditional Cape Malay dish of meat (usually lamb or mutton) cooked on skewers. The term is derived from ''

sate Satay ( , in USA also , ), or sate in Indonesian spelling, is a Southeast Asian dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. The earliest preparations of satay is believed to have originated in Javanese cuisine, but ha ...

'' (skewered meat) and '' saus'' (spicy sauce). To prepare it, mutton chunks are marinated overnight in fried onions, chillies, garlic, curry leaves and

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabacea ...

juice, then threaded on skewers and either pan-fried or grilled. Cape Malay yellow rice, a sweet dish made with raisins, cinnamon and sugar, also has its origins in Cape Malay cookery, often referred to as Cape Malay yellow rice. Other Cape Malay dishes include biryani, '' boeber'',

chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce ...

falooda A ''falooda'' is a Mughlai Indian version of a cold dessert made with noodles. It has origins in the Persian dish '' faloodeh'', variants of which are found across West, Central, and South Asia. Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, ...

, ''

frikkadel Frikkadel is a traditional Afrikaner dish consisting of usually baked, but sometimes deep-fried, meatballs prepared with onion, bread, eggs, vinegar and spices. These meatballs can be served hot or cold. Many recipes have put modern twist on this ...

'', '' koesister'',

roti Roti (also known as chapati) is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trin ...

, sambals, '' samoosa'' and ''

tomato bredie Tomato bredie is a South African stew, referred to in Afrikaans as 'tamatiebredie', normally made with mutton. It is cooked for a very long time, and its seasonings include cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves as well as chilli. "Bredie" is th ...

''.

Sri Lanka

has played a significant role in shaping

Sri Lankan cuisine Sri Lankan cuisine is known for its particular combinations of herbs, spices, fish, vegetables, rices, and fruits. The cuisine is highly centered around many varieties of rice, as well as coconut which is a ubiquitous plant throughout the count ...

. '' Achcharu'' is a dish that originates from the local Malay community and is now widely popular among all ethnic groups in the country. It is a selection of vegetables in a pickled sauce and blends sweet, sour and spicy flavours. '' Mee goreng'' and '' nasi goreng'' are also popular, a result of cultural influences from Indonesia and the country's Malay community. Other Sri Lankan Malay dishes include varieties of

curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...

, '' ekor sop'', '' kalu dodol'', sambals and

watalappam Watalappam (also called watalappan or vattalappam) (, , Sri Lankan Malay: ''serikaya'') is a coconut custard pudding made of coconut milk or condensed milk, jaggery, cashew nuts, eggs, various spices, including cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg, ...

List of Malay dishes

Dishes

Acar Acar is a type of vegetable pickle of Maritime Southeast Asia, most prevalent in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. It is a localised version of Indian '' achar''. It is known as atjar in Dutch cuisine, derived from Indonesian ''acar ...

, pickled vegetables or fruits with dried chilli, peanuts, and spices * Ambuyat, a dish derived from the interior trunk of the sago palm. It is a starchy bland substance, similar to tapioca starch. It is the national dish of Brunei. * Amplang, a cracker made from

Spanish mackerel Scomberomorini is a tribe of ray-finned saltwater bony fishes that is commonly known as the Spanish mackerels, seerfishes or seer fish. This fish closely resembles the King Mackerel. This tribe is a subset of the mackerel family (Scombridae) ...

, tapioca starch and other seasonings, and then deep fried. * Apam johol, a sweetened rice cake, wrapped in rambai leaves to preserve the aroma and make it look good. It is sometimes eaten with , ''tumis'' and bean porridge. *

Arisa Rosalba Pippa (born 20 August 1982), better known by her stage name Arisa, is an Italian singer and actress. Early life Arisa was born in Genoa, Italy. A week after her birth, her family moved back to their original hometown, Pignola, a villag ...

, a boiled, cracked, or coarsely-ground wheat, mixed with meat and seasoned. Its consistency varies between a porridge and a dumpling. * Asam pedas, a sour stew of fish (usually mackerel),

, chilli, tomatoes,

okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

and Vietnamese coriander. * Ayam golek or ayam percik, grilled chicken with spicy sauce. *

Ayam goreng Ayam goreng is an Indonesian and Malaysian dish consisting of chicken deep fried in oil. ''Ayam goreng'' literally means " fried chicken" in Malay, Indonesian and also in many Indonesian regional languages (e.g. Javanese). Marination ...

, a generic term for deep-fried chicken, typically marinated in a base of seasonings prior to cooking. ** Ayam goreng kunyit, deep-fried chicken, marinated in a base of turmeric and other seasonings. * Ayam masak merah, a casserole of chicken pieces in dried chilli sambal. It tends to be a home-cooked dish, so many variations on the recipe exist. * Ayam pansuh, a dish prepared by cooking chicken in a bamboo stalk, filled with water (which will later be the soup), seasonings and covered with tapioca leaves from the cassava plant. * Begedil, spherical fritters made from mashed potato and occasionally ground meat. * Bihun belacan, rice

vermicelli Vermicelli (; , , also , ) is a traditional type of pasta round in section similar to spaghetti. In English-speaking regions it is usually thinner than spaghetti, while in Italy it is typically thicker. The term ''vermicelli'' is also used ...

dressed in a gravy made from ground chillies, , tamarind, and dried shrimp. It is garnished with cured

cuttlefish Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...

, julienned cucumber, bean sprouts and

century egg Century eggs (), also known under a wide variety of names (see infobox), are a Chinese egg-based culinary dish made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks to s ...

wedges. * Bihun goreng, stir-fried rice vermicelli. * Bihun kari, rice vermicelli mixed with curry, served with mung bean sprout, fried tofu and red chilli . *

, Cape Malay dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. * Bubur cha cha, breakfast dish prepared using pearled

, sweet potatoes, yams, bananas, coconut milk, pandan leaves, sugar and salt. * Bubur lambuk, a savoury rice porridge consumed during the fasting month of Ramadhan, made with a mixture of lemongrass, spices, vegetables, and chicken or beef. It is usually cooked communally at a local mosque, which is then distributed to the congregation as a meal to break the fast every evening. * Bubur pedas, a traditional porridge made from finely-ground sauteed rice and grated coconut, a specialty of

. * Cincalok, fermented small shrimp or

krill Krill are small crustaceans of the order Euphausiacea, and are found in all the world's oceans. The name "krill" comes from the Norwegian word ', meaning "small fry of fish", which is also often attributed to species of fish. Krill are consi ...

. It is usually served as a condiment together with chillies, shallots and lime juice. * Dalca, a stewed vegetable curry with lentils. * Dendeng, a thinly-sliced dried meat. *

Frikkadel Frikkadel is a traditional Afrikaner dish consisting of usually baked, but sometimes deep-fried, meatballs prepared with onion, bread, eggs, vinegar and spices. These meatballs can be served hot or cold. Many recipes have put modern twist on this ...

, Cape Malay dish comprising usually baked, but sometimes deep-fried, meatballs prepared with onion, bread, eggs, vinegar and spices. * Gulai, a type of soupy curry-like dishes made from various ingredients: meats, fish or vegetables. This dish originates from Minangkabau. **

Gulai ayam ''Gulai'' is a class of spicy and rich stew commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The main ingredients of this dish are usually poultry, goat meat, beef, mutton, various kinds of offal, fish and seafood, as well as vegetables suc ...

, chicken . **

Gulai kambing ''Gulai'' is a class of spicy and rich stew commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The main ingredients of this dish are usually poultry, goat meat, beef, mutton, various kinds of offal, fish and seafood, as well as vegetables suc ...

, goat or mutton . ** Gulai ketam, crab , a speciality of the Deli Malays of

Medan Medan (; English: ) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, as well as a regional hub and financial centre of Sumatra. According to the National Development Planning Agency, Medan is one of the four mai ...

, North Sumatra. * Ikan bakar, grilled/barbecued fish with either chilli, (

) or other spice-based sauce. ** Ikan mas panggang, barbecued

common carp The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...

dish, a specialty of

. ** Ikan pari bakar, barbecued

stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ...

dish. * Ikan patin, large catfish cooked in various ways such as and , a speciality of Riau, Sumatra and Pahang. * Kacang pool, a stew of cooked broad beans served with vegetable oil, cumin, and optionally with chopped parsley, garlic, onion, lemon juice, chilli pepper and other vegetable, herb and spice ingredients. * Kangkung belacan, water spinach wok-fried in shrimp paste ''(')'' and hot chilli peppers. Various other items are cooked this way, including

petai ''Parkia speciosa'', the bitter bean, twisted cluster bean or stink bean, is a plant of the genus ''Parkia'' in the family Fabaceae. It bears long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds the size and shape of plump almonds which have a ra ...

(which is quite bitter when eaten raw) and yardlong beans. * Kari, the Malay adaptation of curry dishes. Just like , it can be made from various meats or vegetables. A popular style is '' kari ayam'' (chicken curry). ** Kari ayam, chicken curry. ** Kari kambing, goat curry. ** Kari kepala ikan, fish head curry. * Kebebe, food made of thirteen ingredients with a bitter, salty, sweet, sour and spicy taste. It is allegedly able to cure indigestion after a large meal. * Kemplang, traditional savoury fish cracker commonly found in southern parts of Sumatra, made of

wahoo Wahoo (''Acanthocybium solandri'') is a scombrid fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is best known to sports fishermen, as its speed and high-quality flesh makes it a prized and valued game fish. In Hawaii, the wahoo is ...

. * Kerabu, a type of

salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...

-like dish which can be made with any combination of cooked or uncooked fruits and vegetables, as well as the occasional meat or seafood ingredient. There are many kerabu recipes; a popular style is . * Kerutuk daging, a type of coconut milk-based curry. Traditionally it is eaten with white rice, and . *

Ketupat ''Kupat'' (in Javanese and Sundanese), ''ketupat'' (in Indonesian and Malay), or ''tipat'' (in Balinese) is a Javanese rice cake packed inside a diamond-shaped container of woven palm leaf pouch, Originating in Indonesia, it is also fou ...

, a type of glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in a woven palm leaf pouch and boiled. As the rice cooks, the grains expand to fill the pouch and the rice becomes compressed. This method of cooking gives the its characteristic form and texture. Usually eaten with (a type of dry beef curry) or served as an accompaniment to satay or . is also traditionally served at open houses on festive occasions such as

Eid al-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , date ...

. * Kuning, rice dish cooked with turmeric, lemongrass, salt, bay leaves, and other spices to taste. *

Kurma Kurma ( sa, कूर्म; , 'Turtle', 'Tortoise'), is the second avatar of the Hindu preserver deity, Vishnu. Originating in Vedic literature such as the Yajurveda as being synonymous with the Saptarishi called Kashyapa, Kurma is mo ...

, chicken or mutton braised with a medley of ground spices, nuts, and coconut milk or grated coconut. * Kuzi ayam, a thick curry. Traditionally it is eaten with white rice, and . * Kwetiau goreng, a stir-fried flat rice noodle dish from

. The Malay version is without pork. *

, a spicy noodle soup that consists of thick wheat noodles or rice vermicelli with chicken, prawn or fish, served in spicy soup based on either rich and spicy curry coconut milk or sour (tamarind or ) of various types. ** Laksa asam, sour, fish and tamarind-based soup of . ** Laksa kari, coconut-based curry soup of . *

Lakso Lakso is a spicy Indonesian noodle dish served in savoury yellowish coconut milk-based soup, flavoured with fish, and sprinkled with fried shallots. The dish is one of the regional specialty of Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra, Indo ...

, noodle dish served in savoury yellowish coconut milk-based soup, flavoured with fish, and sprinkled with fried shallots. * Lekor, a speciality of the state of

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith") ...

and other states on the east coast of the Malaysian Peninsula. It is a savoury cake made from a combination of batter and shredded fish. Sliced and fried just before serving, it is eaten with hot sauce. * Lemang, glutinous rice and coconut milk cooked in a hollowed bamboo stick lined with banana leaves. * Lepat, a sticky rice dumpling mixed with peanuts cooked with coconut milk and packed inside a young coconut leaf or palm leaf. * Lontong, compressed

rice cake A rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten and are particularly preval ...

in the form of a cylinder wrapped inside a banana leaf. * Masak lemak, a style of cooking which employs liberal amounts of turmeric-seasoned coconut milk. * Mi bandung, a famous noodle dish cooked with dried shrimp and blended chilli. Often served with half-boiled egg. * Mi celor, a noodle soup served in a coconut milk and shrimp-based broth, specialty of

Palembang Palembang () is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River on the eastern lowland of southern Sumatra. It had a population of 1,668,848 at the 2020 Census. Palembang ...

, South Sumatra. * Mi goreng, spicy stir-fried noodle dish, originating from Indonesia **

Maggi goreng ''Mee goreng'', or ''mi goreng'', refers to fried noodles in the Malay-speaking cultures of several countries, such as the Southeast Asian states of Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore. A notable variant, ''mee goreng mamak'' is associated with M ...

, a variant of mi goreng using Maggi instant noodles. * Mi jawa, noodle dish made up of yellow egg noodles drenched in a blended sweet potato base with tomato sauce and prawn stock. * Mi kari, thin yellow noodles or

rice vermicelli Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks', but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rath ...

with spicy curry soup, sambal, coconut milk, spices and a choice of toppings. * Mi kolo, light and tossed noodles in a transparent sauce. * Mi rebus, a famous noodle dish which consisting of (noodle, salt and egg) served with a tangy, spicy, sweet potato-based sauce. It is sometimes also called , perhaps as a nod to its Javanese origins. * Mi siam, noodle dish of fried rice vermicelli with spicy gravy. * Mi wantan, thin egg noodles with

wonton A wonton () is a type of Chinese dumpling commonly found across regional styles of Chinese cuisine. It is also spelled wantan or wuntun in transliteration from Cantonese () and wenden from Shanghainese (). There are many different styles o ...

dumplings. *

Murtabak Motabbaq ( ar, مطبق) is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread which is commonly found in the Arabian Peninsula and Southeast Asia, notably in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and Bangladesh (Mughlai para ...

, a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread eaten with curry gravy, commonly found in Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia. *

Nasi ambeng Nasi ambeng or Nasi ambang is an Indonesian fragrant rice dish that consists of - but is not limited to - steamed white rice, chicken curry or chicken stewed in soy sauce, beef or chicken rendang, sambal goreng (lit. fried sambal; a mildly spicy ...

, a fragrant rice dish that consists of steamed white rice, chicken curry or chicken stewed in soy sauce, beef or chicken , ,

urap ''Urap'' (sometimes spelled ''urab'' or in its plural form ''urap-urap'') is a salad dish of steamed vegetables mixed with seasoned and spiced grated coconut for dressing. It is commonly found in Indonesian cuisine, more precisely Javanese cui ...

perkedel ''Perkedel'' are vegetable fritters from Indonesian cuisine. Most common ''perkedel'' are made from mashed potatoes, yet there are other popular variants which includes ''perkedel jagung'' (peeled maize ''perkedel'') and ''perkedel tahu'' (tofu '' ...

and

serundeng Serundeng refers to a side dish or condiment to accompany rice in Indonesian and Malay languages. Serundeng may taste sweet, or hot and spicy according to recipe variants. Its best known variant is an Indonesian preparation of sautéed grat ...

. *

Nasi Beringin Nasi Beringin is a traditional food, a rice dish, in Johor, Malaysia. It used to be served to Johor royalties in the late 1890s; the sultans would have this fragrant dish especially when guests were invited to dine in the palace. Usually peop ...

, a fragrant rice dish that used to be served to Johor royalties in the late 1890s; the sultans would have this fragrant dish especially when guests were invited to dine in the palace. * Nasi briyani, Malay style of flavoured rice dish cooked or served with mutton, chicken, vegetable or fish curry. ** Beriani gam, a flavoured rice dish usually served with chicken or mutton, specialty of

Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...

. *

Nasi berlauk Nasi campur (Indonesian for 'mixed rice'), also known as nasi rames or sega campur (; ) in Java, refers to an Indonesian dish of a scoop of ''nasi putih'' (white rice) accompanied by small portions of a number of other dishes, which includes me ...

, plain rice served with a variety of dishes. *

Nasi dagang ''Nasi dagang'' ( Jawi: ناسي داڬڠ, lit. 'trader's rice') is a Malaysian dish consisting of rice steamed in coconut milk, fish curry and extra ingredients such as pickled cucumber and carrots. It is a well-known breakfast food in the s ...

, the east coastal counterpart of found mostly in the states of

and

Kelantan Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode"). Kelantan is located in the ...

, as well as

Riau province Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accordi ...

in Indonesia. *

Nasi goreng ''Nasi goreng'' (English pronunciation: ) is a Southeast Asian fried rice dish, usually cooked with pieces of meat and vegetables. One of Indonesia's national dishes, it is also eaten in Malay-speaking communities in countries such as Malaysi ...

, a fried rice dish with various types. ** Nasi goreng kampung, a typical variant, traditionally flavoured with pounded fried fish (normally mackerel), though recently fried

anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

are used in place of it. ** Nasi goreng kari, fried rice cooked with curry. ** Nasi goreng masak pedas, spicy fried rice served with chicken or beef. **

Nasi goreng pattaya Nasi goreng pattaya, or simply nasi pattaya, is a Southeast Asian fried rice dish made by covering or wrapping chicken fried rice, in thin fried egg or omelette. Despite its name, the dish is believed to originate from Malaysia, and today is a ...

, chicken fried rice covered or wrapped in a thin fried egg or omelette. ** Nasi goreng teri medan, anchovy fried rice. This dish is a Malay Deli speciality of North Sumatra. *

Nasi kari Nasi kari (lit. curry rice) is an Indonesian rice dish from Acehnese, Minangkabau and Malay cuisine as well as Javanese cuisine. This rice dish is popular in Sumatra and Java, Indonesia. Nasi kari comprises the following: * Steamed rice, ketup ...

, curry rice dish with Indonesian origin. * Nasi katok, rice dish consisting of plain rice, fried chicken and . * Nasi kerabu, a type of rice which is blue in colour (dyed by ''

Clitoria ternatea ''Clitoria ternatea'', commonly known as Asian pigeonwings, bluebellvine, blue pea, butterfly pea, cordofan pea or Darwin pea is a plant species belonging to the family Fabaceae, endemic and native to the Indonesian island of Ternate. In India, ...

'' flowers), originating from

. *

, rice steamed with coconut milk. * Nasi Lemuni, It's like nasi lemak but cooked with herb that's called daun lemuni(English:

Vitex trifolia ''Vitex trifolia'', the simpleleaf chastetree, is a large coastal shrub or small tree. Description ''Vitex trifolia'' is a large coastal shrub or small tree, less than 5 m in height with the stems covered by soft hairs (tomentose). The leaves a ...

leaves). *

Nasi minyak Nasi minyak ( Palembang Malay for "oily rice") is an Indonesian dish from Palembang cuisine of cooked rice with ''minyak samin'' ( ghee) and spices. This rice dish is commonly associated with Palembang city, the capital of South Sumatra provinc ...

, rice flavoured with whole dried spices and

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...

, usually served with . As the name implies, it is buttery and rich ( means oil). A variation of dyed in multiple shades is called . *

Nasi padang Nasi padang, sometimes referred to as Padang rice, is a Minangkabau dish of steamed rice served with various choices of pre-cooked dishes originating from West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is named after the city of Padang, capital of the West Sumat ...

, steamed white rice served with an array – sometimes twelve or more– pre-cooked dishes, a miniature banquet usually laid out on small plates. *

Nasi paprik Nasi pad prik is a Malaysian dish of fried rice flavoured with sauteed chilli paste. ''Nasi'' is Malay for rice and pad prik is a Thai phrase ผัดพริก where ''pad'' means stirfry and ''prik'' means chili. Although Nasi Pad Prik tod ...

, a rice dish with , typically chicken, originating from southern Thailand. *

Nasi tumpang ''Nasi tumpang'' is a rice dish originating in Kelantan, Malaysia. ''Nasi tumpang'' is rice with different layer of dishes wrapped in a cone shape with banana leaf packed. Traditionally, it was staple food for travelers or farmers in Kelantan to ...

, rice packed in a cone-shaped banana leaf. It consists of an omelette,

meat floss ''Rousong'' or ''yuk sung or bak hu'' ( ; ), also known as meat floss, is a dried meat product with a light and fluffy texture similar to coarse cotton, originating from China. ''Rousong'' is used as a topping for many foods, such as congee, ...

, chicken or shrimp curry and sweet gravy. The dish originates from

. *

Nasi ulam ''Nasi ulam'' is a traditional Indonesian dish of steamed rice (''nasi'') served with various herbs and vegetables (''ulam'') The herbs being used especially the leaves of ''pegagan'' (''Centella asiatica'') or often replaced with ''kemangi'' ( ...

, a steamed rice dish mixed with various herbs, especially the leaves of ''

Centella asiatica ''Centella asiatica'', commonly known as gotu kola, kodavan, Indian pennywort and Asiatic pennywort, is a herbaceous, perennial plant in the flowering plant family Apiaceae. It is native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, and islan ...

'' or often replaced with '' kemangi'', vegetables, and spices and accompanied with various side dishes. *

, a spicy fish cake grilled in a banana leaf wrapping. *

Pekasam Pekasam, Pakasam or Bekasam is a Malay term for fermented food, more precisely fermented fish product. In Malay and Banjar cookery, pekasam usually refers to freshwater fish fermented with salt, palm sugar, toasted rice grains and pieces of ' ...

, the Malay term for fermented food. In Malay cookery, usually refers to freshwater fish fermented with salt, palm sugar, toasted rice grains and pieces of . Making is a tradition in South Kalimantan as well as the northern states of

Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...

Chenderoh Lake The Chenderoh Lake ( ms, Tasik Chenderoh) is a natural lake in Kuala Kangsar District, Perak, Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal t ...

in the state of

Perak Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...

is a hub for freshwater fishing as well as the production of . *

Pasembur Pasembur (locally ''Pasemboq'' or ''Pasembot'') is a Malaysian salad consisting of cucumber (shredded), potatoes, beancurd, turnip, bean sprouts, prawn fritters, spicy fried crab, fried squid or other seafoods and served with a sweet and spicy nu ...

, a salad of shredded cucumber, boiled potatoes, fried bean curd, turnip, bean sprouts, prawn fritters, spicy fried crab, and fried octopus. *

Pempek ''Pempek'', ''mpek-mpek'' or ''empek-empek'' is a savoury Indonesian fishcake delicacy, made of fish and tapioca, from Palembang, South Sumatera, Indonesia. Pempek is served with rich sweet and sour sauce called ''kuah cuka'' or ''kuah cuko'' ...

, a savoury

fishcake A fishcake (sometimes written as fish cake) is a culinary dish consisting of filleted fish or other seafood minced or ground, mixed with a starchy ingredient, and fried until golden. Asian-style fishcakes usually contain fish with salt, water, ...

, made of fish and tapioca, from

South Sumatra South Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Selatan) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southeast of the island of Sumatra, The province spans and had a population of 8,467,432 at the 2020 Census. The capital of the province is Palembang. The prov ...

. * Perut ikan, a spicy stew comprising mainly vegetables and herbs which gets its distinctive taste mainly from fish bellies preserved in brine and ''

piper sarmentosum ''Piper sarmentosum'' is a plant in the family Piperaceae used in many Southeast Asian cuisines. The leaves are often confused with betel, but they lack the intense taste of the betel leaves and are significantly smaller. ''Piper lolot'' (lolot ...

''. *

Pindang Pindang refers to a cooking method in the Indonesian and Malay language of boiling ingredients in brine or acidic solutions. Usually employed to cook fish or egg, the technique is native to Sumatra especially in Palembang, but has spread to Jav ...

, fish or eggs cooked in salt and certain spices. * Pulut, glutinous rice, is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is widely eaten during the Raya festive seasons as traditional food. *

Rendang Rendang ( ; ) is a Minang dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has spread across Indonesian cuisine to the cuisines of neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the ...

, a spicy meat stew originating from the

Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see belo ...

ethnic group of Indonesia, and adopted by Malay throughout the archipelago. is traditionally prepared by the Malay community during festive occasions. *

Rojak Rujak (Indonesian language, Indonesian spelling) or Rojak (Malay language, Malay spelling) is a salad dish of Javanese cuisine, Javanese origin, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The most popular variant in all three countries ...

, a traditional fruit and vegetable salad of various types which shows Javanese influences. **

Rojak bandung Rujak ( Indonesian spelling) or Rojak ( Malay spelling) is a salad dish of Javanese origin, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The most popular variant in all three countries is a salad composed of a mixture of sliced fruit an ...

, a dish consisting of boiled

water spinach ''Ipomoea aquatica'', widely known as water spinach, is a semi- aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. ''I. aquatica'' is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is widely cultivate ...

, cucumber, and cuttlefish, dressed with a black shrimp paste sauce with added garlic and chilli paste. *

Roti Roti (also known as chapati) is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trinid ...

, a term encompassing all forms of bread in the

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

and

Indonesian language Indonesian ( ) is the official language, official and national language of Indonesia. It is a standard language, standardized variety (linguistics), variety of Malay language, Malay, an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language that has be ...

s. In Cape Malay cuisine, is a round flatbread usually made from wheat flour. *

Roti canai Roti canai (pronunciation: /tʃanaɪ/) or roti prata, also known as roti chenai and roti cane (/tʃane/), is an Indian flatbread dish found in several countries in Southeast Asia, especially in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thai ...

, a thin unleavened bread with a flaky crust, fried on a skillet with oil and served with condiments or curry. **

Roti prata Roti canai (pronunciation: /tʃanaɪ/) or roti prata, also known as roti chenai and roti cane (/tʃane/), is an Indian flatbread dish found in several countries in Southeast Asia, especially in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thaila ...

, Singaporean Malay fried flatbread cooked over a flat grilling pan. *

Roti jala Roti jala, roti kirai or roti renjis ( English: net bread or lace pancake; Jawi: روتي جالا) is a popular Malay and Minangkabau tea time snack served with curry dishes which can be found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. This is a ve ...

, a special bread with a five-hole perforation used to make the bread look like a fishing net. It is usually eaten as an accompaniment to a curried dish or served as a sweet with . is made from a mixture of boiled coconut milk, brown sugar and pandan leaves. *

Roti john Roti john is an omelette sandwich first believed to be made in Singapore during the 1960s or 1970s. It later became widely popular, spreading throughout the Malay Peninsula in present-day Malaysia and in modern-day Indonesia as street food. Or ...

, a spiced meat omelette sandwich, popularly eaten for breakfast or as a snack. * Roti kaya bakar, a traditional breakfast dish.

Kaya Kaya may refer to: People *Kaya (given name) *Kaya (surname) Places *Kaya, Burkina Faso, a town in Burkina Faso, capital of the department *Kaya Airport, serving the town * Kaya Department, a department or commune of Sanmatenga Province in centr ...

is a sweet coconut and egg jam which is spread over toasted bread. * Roti tissue, a variant of made as thin as a piece of tissue paper and in diameter. It is then carefully folded by the cook into a tall, conical shape and left to stand upright. may be served with curry gravy, and chutneys, or finished off with sweet ingredients such as caramelised sugar and eaten as a dessert. *

Samosa A samosa () or singara is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, and peas. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. Sam ...

or samoosa, Malay-style of samosa—a fried or baked pastry with a savoury filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, , cheese, beef or other meats. *

Sata SATA (Serial AT Attachment) is a computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid-state drives. Serial ATA succeeded the earlier Parallel ATA (PATA) standard t ...

, a traditional dish from Terengganu, consisting of spiced fish wrapped in banana leaves and cooked on a grill. *

Satay Satay ( , in USA also , ), or sate in Indonesian spelling, is a Southeast Asian dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. The earliest preparations of satay is believed to have originated in Javanese cuisine, but ha ...

, a dish originally from Java and Sumatra in Indonesia, and distributed widely across the Malay Archipelago. It is widely popular and common in Indonesian cuisine with rich variations and recipes. Malay chicken satay closely resembles

Madura Madura Island is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately (administratively 5,379.33 km2 including various smaller islands to the east, southeast and north that are administrati ...

satay with a rich

peanut sauce Peanut sauce, satay sauce (saté sauce), ''bumbu kacang'', ''sambal kacang'', or ''pecel '' is an Indonesian sauce made from ground roasted or fried peanuts, widely used in Indonesian cuisine and many other dishes throughout the world. Peanut ...

. In Malaysia, the most popular variant is satay. * Satay celup, a dish in which an assortment of raw and semi-cooked seafood, meats (including raw meat) and vegetables on skewers are dunked into a boiling pot of satay gravy. *

Sayur lodeh Sayur lodeh is an Indonesian vegetable soup prepared from vegetables in coconut milk popular in Indonesia, but most often associated with Javanese cuisine. Ingredients Common ingredients are young unripe jackfruit, eggplant, chayote, ''melinjo' ...

, a stew of vegetables cooked in a lightly spiced coconut milk gravy. It has Javanese influences and is mostly popular in the southern region of Malaysia. * Siput gonggong, a seafood dish made of ''

Laevistrombus canarium ''Laevistrombus canarium'' ( commonly known as the dog conch or by its better-known synonym, ''Strombus canarium'') is a species of edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Strombidae (true conches). Known from illustrations in ...

'', a specialty of the

Riau Islands The Riau Islands ( id, Kepulauan Riau) is a province of Indonesia. It comprises a total of 1,796 islands scattered between Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, and Borneo including the Riau Archipelago. Situated on one of the world's busiest shipping la ...

and Bangka Belitung. *

, a traditional Cape Malay dish of meat (usually lamb or mutton) cooked on skewers. The term derives from ( skewered meat) and (spicy sauce). * Soto, a noodle soup. The most popular variety is , chicken soup with rice vermicelli and ''

'', with influences from Indonesian cuisine. **

Soto mi ''Soto mie'', ''Soto mi'', or ''Mee soto'' is a spicy Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian noodle soup dish commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. ''Mie'' means noodle made of flour, salt and egg, while ''soto (food), soto'' refers to ...

, a spicy noodle soup dish with gravy. * Sup ikan, a fish soup specialty of the Riau Islands usually made of red snapper and dried shrimp, seasoned with shallot, garlic, pepper, soy sauce, and fish sauce, with tomato, scallion and fried shallots. * Sup kambing, a hearty mutton soup slowly simmered with aromatic herbs and spices and garnished with fried shallots and fresh cilantro. * Sup rusa, a soup dish made of

venison Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of antlered ungulates such as elk or deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, ...

, carrots, cabbage, celery and spices. * Sup tulang, a soup dish made of mutton or beef leg bones stewed in spices. The bones are broken to allow the marrow to be eaten. *

Tahu goreng Tahu goreng ( Indonesian spelling) or Tauhu goreng (Malaysian and Singaporean spelling) is a generic name for any type of fried tofu dish in the cuisines of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Preparation When preparing the dish, cakes of har ...

, fried bean curd served with condiments, such as or sweet sauce. * Taugeh ayam, steamed chicken with bean sprouts and light soya sauce flavoured with oil. *

Tekwan Tekwan is a Palembang soup dish originated from the Indonesian region of Palembang. The dish contain some small size fish cakes made of local Musi river's fish similar to pempek preparation, and it served with the savoury shrimp (or prawn) broth ...

surimi is a paste made from Fish as food, fish or other meat. The term can also refer to a number of East Asian cuisine, East Asian foods that use that paste as their primary ingredient. It is available in many shapes, forms, and textures, and is ofte ...

fishcake akin to , rice noodles,

jicama ''Pachyrhizus erosus'', commonly known as jícama ( or ; Spanish ''jícama'' ; from Nahuatl ''xīcamatl'', ) Mexican turnip, is the name of a native Mexican vine, although the name most commonly refers to the plant's edible tuberous root. Jícam ...

and mushroom soup. *

Telur pindang Telur pindang or pindang eggs are hard boiled eggs cooked in the '' pindang'' process, originating from Javanese cuisine, Indonesia, and popular in Malay as well as Palembang cuisine. The eggs are boiled slowly in water mixed with salt, soy s ...

, marbled eggs boiled with herbs and spices. *

Tharid Tharid ( ar, ثريد, also known as ''trid'', ''taghrib'', ''tashreeb'' or ''thareed'') is a bread soup from Arab cuisine found in many Arab countries. Like other bread soups, it a simple meal of broth and bread in this instance crumbled flatbr ...

, a lamb stew of pieces of bread in a vegetable and lamb broth. * Tomato bredie, mutton stew cooked for a long time; its seasonings include cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves as well as chilli. * Tumis kangkung, stir-fried water spinach. * Ulam, a traditional salad of undressed herbs, greens and vegetables which may be cooked or uncooked. An spread may include items such as banana blossoms, cucumber,

winged bean The winged bean (''Psophocarpus tetragonolobus''), also known as , goa bean, four-angled bean, four-cornered bean, manila bean, princess bean, asparagus pea, dragon bean, is a tropical herbaceous legume plant. Winged bean is widely recognised b ...

s, '' pegaga'' leaves,

, and yardlong beans. is typically eaten with a pungent dipping sauce like .

Condiments

* Balado, a hot and spicy sauce, made by stir-frying ground red hot chilli pepper with other spices including garlic, shallot, tomato and

key lime The Key lime or acid lime (''Citrus'' × ''aurantiifolia'' or ''C. aurantifolia'') is a citrus hybrid ('' C. hystrix'' × '' C. medica'') native to tropical Southeast Asia. It has a spherical fruit, in diameter. The Key lime is usually picked ...

juice in coconut or palm oil. * Budu, a fermented anchovy sauce. *

Kerisik Kerisik, nyo gule (Terengganu), nyo gulo (Kelantan), mumbu or mumbu masak (Sarawak) is used in Malaysian, Indonesian and Singaporean cooking. Coconut is grated, toasted, then ground to a paste. It is sometimes referred to as coconut butter. It ...

, coconut-based condiment made with coconut which is grated, toasted, and ground to a paste. It is sometimes referred to as coconut butter. It is used in dishes such as salads and . *

Sambal Sambal is an Indonesian chilli sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of a variety of chilli peppers with secondary ingredients, such as shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. ''Sambal'' is an Indo ...

, a common chilli-based condiment to accompany many foods. ** Sambal belacan, made with chillies, shallots, garlic, stewed tomatoes, tamarind paste, coconut sugar, salt and (shrimp paste). ** Sambal gesek, made by pounding fried anchovies, bird's eye chilli, onions, and garlic together and frying until fragrant. ** Sambal sotong,

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

cooked in a -based sauce made with chillies, shallots, garlic, stewed tomatoes, tamarind paste and . * Serikaya, a

jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and ente ...

made from a base of coconut milk, eggs and sugar. * Serunding, spiced

originating from Javanese cuisine. may also refer to any dish where the primary meat or vegetable ingredient is shredded and pulled into thin strands. In Indonesia, this term strictly refers to a dry-toasted grated coconut mix. * Tempoyak, a popular Malay condiment made of durian extract which is preserved and kept in an urn. Commonly eaten with chillies and other dishes.

Snacks

Keropok Lekor Keropok lekor () is a traditional Malaysian Malays, Malay fish cracker snack originating from the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. It is made from fish and sago flour and seasoned with salt and sugar. It is slightly greyish in colour and gives off ...

, a traditional fried fish cracker (

keropok ''Krupuk'' ( Javanese), ''kerupuk'' ( Indonesian), ''keropok'' ( Malay), ''kroepoek'' (Dutch) or ''kropek'' ( Tagalog) is a cracker made from starch or animal skin and other ingredients that serve as flavouring. Most krupuk are deep fried, ...

) from

. * Mee Siput Muar, a deep-fried circular dried noodle snack from Muar,

made from flour and eaten with .

''Kue'' and ''kuih''

Kue Kue is an Indonesian bite-sized snack or dessert food. Kue is a fairly broad term in Indonesian to describe a wide variety of snacks including cakes, cookies, fritters, pies, scones, and patisserie. Kue are made from a variety of ingredients ...

'' and ''

kuih ''Kuih'' ( Indonesian: '' kue''; derived from the Hokkien and Teochew ''kueh'' – ) are bite-sized snack or dessert foods commonly found in Southeast Asia and China. It is a fairly broad term which may include items that would be called ca ...

'' (plural: ) is a selection of confectionery eaten as a snack during the morning or during midday, and is an important feature of festive occasions. It is a tradition shared by both the

and the

Peranakan The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, ...

communities. *

Agar-agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from ogonori (''Gracilaria'') and "tengusa" (''Gelidiaceae''). As found in nature, agar i ...

, the Malay word for a species of

red algae Red algae, or Rhodophyta (, ; ), are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta also comprises one of the largest phyla of algae, containing over 7,000 currently recognized species with taxonomic revisions ongoing. The majority ...

. A natural vegetarian gelatin counterpart, it is used to make puddings and flavoured jellies such as almond tofu, as well as fruit

aspic Aspic or meat jelly () is a savory gelatin made with a meat stock or broth, set in a mold to encase other ingredients. These often include pieces of meat, seafood, vegetable, or eggs. Aspic is also sometimes referred to as ''aspic gelée'' or ' ...

s. *

Akok Akok is a small town in northern Gabon on the border with Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is b ...

, a traditional sweet dessert in

, Malaysia. Made mainly from eggs, coconut milk, flour and brown sugar, has a distinctive caramel taste. It is often served during afternoon snack together with coffee. is prepared in a cooking utensil called made of solid brass, which is surrounded with charcoal. *

Apam balik '' Apam balik'' () also known as ''Martabak Manis'' (),, ''terang bulan'' (), peanut pancake or ''mànjiānguǒ'' (), is a sweet dessert originating in Fujian cuisine which now consists of many varieties at specialist roadside stalls or resta ...

, terang bulan or martabak manis (in Indonesia), a bread-like puff with

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

, corn, and coarsely-ground nuts in the middle. *

Bahulu Bahulu or baulu ( Jawi: ) is a traditional Malay pastry (kue/kuih). It is similar in concept to the madeleine cake, but round in shape and composed of different ingredients. There are three versions available, the most common being ''bahulu cer ...

, a traditional round

sponge cake Sponge cake is a light cake made with egg whites, flour and sugar, sometimes leavened with baking powder. Some sponge cakes do not contain egg yolks, like angel food cake, but most of them do. Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated ...

. *

Batik Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a ''ca ...

, a type of chocolate cake similar to a

hedgehog slice A hedgehog slice is an uncooked flat, square or bar-shaped chocolate snack/dessert, similar to a fudgey chocolate brownie but with alternating lighter and darker areas. The darker areas are chocolate flavoured. The lighter areas are crushed bi ...

, made using

Marie biscuit A Marie biscuit is a type of biscuit similar to a rich tea biscuit. It is also known (in various languages) as María, Mariebon and Marietta, amongst other names. Description The biscuit is round and usually has the name embossed upon its to ...

s. *

Bika ambon Bika ambon or golden cake or golden kuih bingka in Singapore, is an Indonesian dessert, made from ingredients such as tapioca flour, eggs, sugar, yeast and coconut milk. Bika ambon is generally sold in pandan and banana flavor, but today it ...

, a sponge cake made from ingredients such as tapioca flour, eggs, sugar, yeast and coconut milk. This cake is a specialty of North Sumatra. * Bingka ubi, a baked of grated tapioca mixed with a little tapioca flour, coconut milk and white or brown sugar. The is yellow if white caster sugar is used and brown if raw sugar or palm sugar is used. After baking, a dark brown crust tops the cake. * Cara berlauk, a cake made of flour, egg, coconut milk and turmeric. The mixture is mixed thoroughly before being cooked in a special mould until it hardens. Before it hardens, a filling of either spiced beef or chicken is added. This is very popular in the month of Ramadhan. *

Cincin Cincin (which literally translates to 'ring cakes' in English) is a traditional kuih for the Bruneian Malay people in the states of Sabah, Malaysia as well in Brunei. File:Close-up to Kuih cincin.JPG, Close-up to Kuih cincin See also * M ...

, a deep fried dough pastry-based snack. * Clorot, a traditional cake with Javanese influences made from a mixture of and rice flour, then rolled with palm leaves into cones and steamed. *

Dadar gulung ''Dadar gulung'' (lit: "rolled pancake/omelette") is a popular traditional ''kue'' (traditional snack) of sweet coconut pancake. It is often described as an Indonesian coconut pancake ''Dadar gulung'' is one of the popular snacks in Indonesia ...

or ketayap, a pancake mix filled with coconut filling. Traditionally, the juice of pandan leaves is added to the batter to get the green colour. Today green colouring is added and the flavour of the pandan leaves is obtained with artificial essence or by using pandan leaves to flavour the filling. *

Dodol ''Dodol'' is a sweet toffee-like sugar palm-based confection commonly found in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Originating from the culinary traditions of Indonesia, it is also popular in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philipp ...

, a sweet, sticky, and thick toffee-like confection, made with heavily reduced coconut milk,

, and rice flour. * Epok epok or karipap, a small pie consisting of curry with chicken and potatoes in a deep-fried pastry shell. The curry is especially thick and rich to keep it from running. *

Jemput-jemput Jemput-jemput or cekodok is a traditional fritter popular in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore that is made from wheat flour. It is usually round in shape and tends to vary in size. There are many varieties of this snack, some using bana ...

, a traditional

fritter A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables or other ingredients which have been Batter (cooking), battered or breading, breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients, that is deep-frying, deep-fried. Fritters ar ...

made from flour and then fried. *

Kalu dodol Kalu dodol ( si, කලු දොදොල්, Tamil: தொடோல்) is a sweet dish, a type of dodol that is popular in Sri Lanka. The dark and sticky dish consists mainly of kithul jaggery (from the sap of the toddy palm), rice flour and ...

, a solid toffee- and jelly-like confection made by lengthy reduction of coconut milk, thickened with rice flour and sweetened with jaggery. This dish is a specialty of

. *

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

, a pyramid of glutinous rice flour filled with a sweet peanut paste. *

Koe'sister A koesister or koe'sister is a traditional Cape Malay pastry often described as a spicy dumpling with a cake-like texture, finished off with a sprinkling of coconut. The inaugural World Koesister Day was celebrated on Sunday, 1 September 2019 at ...

, a traditional Cape Malay pastry often described as a spicy dumpling with a cake-like texture, finished off with a sprinkling of coconut. * Kaswi, rice cakes made with palm sugar. The ingredients are mixed into a batter and poured into small cups (traditionally Chinese teacups). When served, the cup is removed and the rice cake is topped with grated coconut. * Keria,

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...

doughnuts. Each doughnut is rolled in caster sugar. They are usually eaten in Malaysia for breakfast or morning tea along with other cakes such as or the more savoury . * Ku, a small round or oval-shaped cake made of a soft, sticky glutinous rice flour skin wrapped around a sweet filling. * Lapis sagu or sembilan lapis, a steamed multicoloured and multilayered firm made from tapioca flour, coconut milk, and flavoured with pandan. The layers are separately steamed. * Lapis sarawak, a layered cake served in

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the M ...

on special occasions. It originates as a form of layer cake with various spices found in Indonesia called

lapis legit Spekkoek (kue lapis legit or spekuk in Indonesian) is a type of Indonesian layer cake. It was developed during colonial times in the Dutch East Indies. The firm-textured cake is an Indo (Dutch-Indonesian) version of the European multi-layere ...

. *

Makmur Kue makmur ( Malay: ''kuih makmur'', Jawi: ) is a traditional Malay kue or kuih. This cake made from butter, ghee and flour, and served during special occasion of Eid al-Fitr. Kue makmur is identified with its white colour and usually in a ro ...

, a traditional cake made from butter,

and flour. Served during

and identified by its white colour and typical round shape. * Pai ti, a thin and crispy pastry tart shell filled with a spicy, sweet mixture of thinly-sliced vegetables and prawns. * Pinjaram, a saucer-shaped deep fried fritter with crisp edges and a dense, chewy texture towards the centre. *

Pisang goreng A banana fritter is a fritter made by deep frying battered banana or plantain in hot oil. It is a common dish across Southeast Asia and South India,Kerala. Varieties Brunei Banana fritters are a traditional snack in Brunei, where they are cal ...

, battered fried bananas. * Pulut inti, glutinous rice topped with caramelised grated coconut and wrapped in a cut banana leaf to resemble a square pyramid. * Pulut tartal, glutinous rice served with white coconut milk sauce. * Pulut tekan, a glutinous rice cake. It is served with

kaya Kaya may refer to: People *Kaya (given name) *Kaya (surname) Places *Kaya, Burkina Faso, a town in Burkina Faso, capital of the department *Kaya Airport, serving the town * Kaya Department, a department or commune of Sanmatenga Province in centr ...

coconut jam (jam from pandan leaves). The glutinous rice cakes are coloured with '' bunga telang''. Half-cooked glutinous rice is divided into two portions. Both have coconut milk added but one half has juice added. This gives the rice cake a bright blue-indigo colour. The half-cooked glutinous rice is then scooped in an alternating fashion into the tray to give it a blue and white marble effect. The rice is cooked longer and cut into tall rectangles after cooling. * Seri muka, a two-layered dessert with steamed glutinous rice forming the bottom half and a green

custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency fro ...

layer made with pandan juice. Coconut milk is a key ingredient in this variety of . It is used as a substitute for water when cooking the glutinous rice and making the custard layer. * Talam (lit. tray cake), a consisting of two layers. The top white layer is made from rice flour and coconut milk, while the bottom green layer is made from green pea flour and extract of pandan leaf. *

Wajik ''Wajik'' or ''wajid'', also known as ''pulut manis'', is a traditional glutinous sweet made with rice, sugar and coconut milk. It is an Indonesian ''kue'', and a ''kuih'' of Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia (especially in the state of Sabah). Def ...

, a compressed confection made of glutinous rice cooked with coconut milk and

palm sugar Palm sugar is a sweetener derived from any variety of palm tree. Palm sugar is sometimes qualified by the type of palm, as in coconut palm sugar. While sugars from different palms may have slightly different compositions, all are processed s ...

Drinks

Air janda pulang Jando Pulang is a traditional drink in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is suitable to drink with lunch and during hot days. References

Malaysian drinks Non-alcoholic drinks Non-alcoholic mixed drinks {{mixed-drink-stub ...

, a traditional drink from

Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...

. It is suitable to drink with lunch and on hot days. *

Ais kacang ''Ais kacang'' (), literally meaning "bean ice", also commonly known as ABC (acronym for ''air batu campur'' (), meaning "mixed ice"), is a Malaysian dessert which is common in Malaysia, Singapore (where it is called ice ''kachang'') and Br ...

, a dessert drink made of shaved ice and red beans. * Ais krim potong, a popsicle made from coconut milk or milk, flavoured with ingredients such as red beans, rose syrup, durian, pandan, creamed corn and

jackfruit The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...

. *

Boeber Boeber () is the Cape Malay name for a South African pudding. It has become a traditional Cape Malay sweet, milk drink, made with vermicelli, sago, sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, stick cinnamon, and rose water. The pudding is traditionally s ...

, a Cape Malay sweet milk drink made with vermicelli, sago, sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, stick cinnamon and rose water. *

Cendol Cendol is an iced sweet dessert that contains droplets of green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. It is commonly found in Southeast Asia and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Laos, Vietnam, ...

, an iced dessert that contains droplets of green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup. *

Dadiah Dadiah (Minangkabau) or dadih ( Indonesian) a traditional fermented milk popular among people of West Sumatra, Indonesia, is made by pouring fresh, raw, unheated, buffalo milk into a bamboo tube capped with a banana leaf and allowing it to ferme ...

, a dairy-based dessert made from milk, sugar and salt which has been acidified with whey (obtained by fermenting milk overnight with '' asam gelugur'') and steamed to form a custard-like texture. It shows influences from

. *

Faluda A ''falooda'' is a Mughlai Indian version of a cold dessert made with noodles. It has origins in the Persian dish '' faloodeh'', variants of which are found across West, Central, and South Asia. Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, ...

, a cold drink made by mixing rose syrup, vermicelli, and

sweet basil Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also kno ...

seeds with milk, often served with ice cream. * Kopi tarik, a coffee drink made of dark roasted coffee with margarine and sugar, sweetened with condensed milk and frothed. * Laksamana mengamuk, a traditional drink from

made from mango mixed with coconut milk and sugar. * Milo dinosaur, a beverage made of a cup of iced

Milo Milo may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Milo'' (magazine), a strength sports magazine *'' Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze'', a 2011 children's novel by Alan Silberberg * ''Milo'' (video game), a first-person adventure-puzzle computer ga ...

with undissolved Milo powder on top. * Sirap bandung, a drink made of evaporated or condensed milk flavoured with rose syrup, giving it a pink colour. The drink is an adaptation of rose milk served in India.Naleeza Ebrahim, Yaw Yan Yee, ''Singapore. Not just a good food guide'' (Ed. rev. et augm.) 2007, p.253-4 * Teh krisan, a

Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums (), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus ''Chrysanthemum'' in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center ...

tea. *

Teh tarik Teh tarik () is a popular hot milk tea beverage most commonly found in restaurants, outdoor stalls, mamaks and kopitiams within the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. Its name is derived from the pouring ...

, a popular hot milk tea beverage most commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It is made from a strong brew of black tea blended with condensed milk.

Notes

External links

Malay Cuisine, Melayu Online
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Cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

*Malay cuisine Indonesian cuisine-related lists