Nasi Dagang Terengganu - Versi Manir

Star Q

i.  Kelantan Revisited

ii.  A Visit to the East Coast

During the recent school holidays, I managed to set aside two days to go to Terengganu with some friends.  It had been a very long time since I went there.  Come to think of it, I never actually spent any time in that state.  All those times living in the state of Cik Siti Wan Kembang, I only passed by Terengganu on my way back to Kuala Lumpur and back.

Of course I was excited to have the chance to visit Terengganu especially Kuala Terengganu where the famous and much talked about Pasar Payang is located.  The state government has done well to develop the shore line of the area because apart from the Pasar, this new development also seem to attract a large crowd of tourists, local and abroad.

So, back to Pasar Payang where I bought myself some ingredients to make the well-known Nasi Dagang.  Incidentally, I had already had some Nasi Dagang at a friend's home somewhere near Manir, one of the districts in this state.  And this Nasi Dagang recipe which I am sharing, is not dissimilar to the many versions you can find all over Malaysia (yes! Nasi Dagang is THAT famous!)  The difference in my friend's version is the salad that accompanies the rice; at least I've never seen this version before!

Of course, good etiquette and sheer politeness actually stopped me from filling my plate to the brim when I took my portion of Nasi Dagang served by my friend.  So, feeling dissatisfied and still craving for more home-made Nasi Dagang, I decided to make it myself with the ingredients I bought at Pasar Payang!

For the Nasi Dagang

• 1 kg Nasi Dagang rice
• 300 ml coconut cream mixed with 1 tsp salt
• 1 thumb size ginger, julienned
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds

Wash the rice to get rid of any dirt and the excess starch.  Soak the rice for at least six hours.  Heat a steamer.  Rinse the rice, place in a container and steam for about 15 minutes.  Take out the rice, stir in the coconut milk and steam again.  After 15 minutes, take out the rice, stir in the rest of the ingredients and steam again for another 10 minutes.

For the Salad

• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 cucumber, core removed and julienned
• 1 large red onion, sliced into rings
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cabbage, shredded
• 3 tbs rice vinegar
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp salt

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients thoroughly.  Cover the bowl and put in the fridge to allow all the ingredients to macerate.

Note :  This is a long entry.  The gravy will be posted in my next entry!