Kek Ang: A Terengganu Traditional Food That is Not a Cake

Recently I found a traditional Terengganu food by the name of Kek Ang being sold at Pasar Ramadan. Sounds like Chinese or English? Any way this food looks like laksam. The difference is that there is no ulam and its gravy is somewhat sweet.

Kek Ang and its gravy.

Kek Ang is made of flour dough and cut in pieces. Then the pieces were put in the boiling water. When they float, it is considered cook. Then drain it and cool it. For the gravy, the ingredients are coconut milk, grilled fish (without bones and pounded), onions, ginger, halba, a bit of salt and sugar (according to taste) and black pepper. Mix all of them, cook it until coconut milk thickens. Then, mix the pieces with the gravy, serve it hot. I found its gravy tastes like tupat sutong gravy due to its halba and coconut milk.

Some say there is another technique to cook the dough i.e. steam it. I do not know which method give a better taste. This Kek Ang is not found daily. If you wish to eat, it is better to order from those who can make it. Happy travelling.

Pulut Gaur Nyior : A Terengganu Breakfast

Pulut Gaur Nyior is a cooked glutonous rice, shaped like a tennis ball and sprinkled with grated young coconut. It is a breakfast menu for Terengganu folks. It is eaten with fish. The fish may be fried fish, fried salted fish, or boiled mackerel then fried. It is very tasty. Gaur is a Terengganu word for mixing.

 The Pulut is served with grated coconut and fried fish.

The ingredients for making this breakfast are gluton rice (soak overnight in water), young coconut, fish, pandan leaf, pinch of salt and sugar. The soaked rice is drained  and was put in the steamer. Add some pandan leaf (for good smell), steam until cook. When it was cooked, shape the rice into  several tennis balls and put them  in the container. Young coconut is grated and add a pinch of salt  and sugar and spread over the rice. The pulut is served with the cooked fish or fried fish.

This food is sold in almost all food stalls in Terengganu. You can find this in Pasar Kedai Payang and Pasar Chabang Tiga in Kuala Terengganu  (in the morning). Happy travelling.

Sample food of Terengganu

Terengganu has many variety of food for you to taste. It started from simple snack to cakes and  rice. The rice also has many types of dish such as nasi minyak, nasi dagang, nasi kuning, nasi kerabu, nasi beriani etc.

What I am going to tell you is about Nasi Minyak (ghee rice). It is some kinds (sample) of food that can give you the taste of Terengganu. It is tasty, easy to digest and cheap too.

This food is served all day in most restaurants and food stalls in Terengganu by virtue of its demand. It is also served during the wedding reception, feast, or lunch or dinner. In other words, it is a common menu for Terengganu people.

Beef Curry or "Gulai Daging"

The Pickle or "Acar Timun" and "Mango acar" (an option)

The Flavoured Fried Chicken 

The Rice (with an option of meat inside)

The overall menu.

This is considered heavy as it has rice (which give carbohydrate), beef and chicken ( which give protein) and the pickles (which give roughage). If you happen to order this food, you just say "Nasi Minyak" then the waiter will prepare for you and serve you with this menu. The price for this set menu varies from stalls to stalls or from place to place. But it should not be more than RM10 per plate per person.

Next, I am going to tell you about dessert that used to be common in Terengganu. This dessert is also served in food courts, feast, dinner, lunch or wedding reception.

The Baked Creme Puff. Made of flour, eggs and custard (filling)

Akok, made of flour,sugar and eggs. Very sweet.

Agar-agar or jelly. Made of jelly, sugar, egg, and pandan leaf (blend to get the juice for colouring)

If you like to taste this food, you can get them in most restaurants. But the desserts may vary. Some of these desserts are not served in  the restaurants. You can get this dessert in the markets such as Pasar Kedai Payang, Kuala Terengganu but the quality may differ. Happy travelling.