Kind of Blue

In Kelantan rice is all the time everywhere, in every imaginable form: pressed into squares, formed into logs and stuffed with fish, loose and coconut milk-scented, sweetened with smoky palm or white sugar and folded into banana leaves, steamed in tins, brightened with turmeric or sunset-hued curries, ground and made into thick wide noodles for the local version of laksa.

Our favorite Kelantanese rice dish by far is nasi kerabu, a salad-y concoction of purple-blue rice (tinted with a liquid made with the petals of the pea flower preferably, but often with food coloring) topped with kerisik (grated coconut, dry-fried), sambal (chili sauce), sweetened ground fish, budu (a super-fermented fish condiment that's a kitchen staple of southern Thailand, and is reminiscent of Thai bplaa raa) and a mixture of bean sprouts and fresh herbs sliced thin.

Nasi kerabu topped with kerepok (fish crackers) and accompanied by salted egg and fried fish

Dave and I have been enamored of nasi kerabu since we moved to Kuala Lumpur six years ago, where we made its acquaintance at a grotty street stall in front of the Chow Kit post office. So it was no hardship to find ourselves scouring Kota Bharu last week for superior versions.

We found one on our second-to-last morning in town -- and revisited it the next day -- at the lively wholesale morning market that sprawls over a pot-holed parking lot in the center of town, home also to the city's night market. There, mostly women vendors squat behind mounds of produce displayed in plastic bags or loose on tarps spread on the concrete.

At one edge of the market in front of a row of drinks shops, young studs preen as they work an enormous smoking grill covered with halved chickens; at the opposite side of the parking lot a fresh chicken seller singsongs come-ons into a megaphone. Porters push metal carts laden with tree trunk-sized bunches of petai (stink beans), hedge rows of water spinach (morning glory), and kilos upon kilos of lada hijau, the long pale green chilies that Kelantanese love to stuff with a sweet-savory mixture of ground fish and coconut.

In the midst of all this chaos two lively ladies serve a very fine nasi kerabu (pictured above), and an equally delicious nasi dagang (steamed unpolished rice enriched with coconut milk, eaten with fish or chicken curry), both cooked in their home kitchens while most of the city sleeps.

nasi dagang with hard-boiled egg and mackerel curry

From before dawn until they pack up around 10am the crowd around their stall is steady to bordering on overwhelming. It's a mix of housewives and office laborers, shoppers at the market and those passing through on the way to work. There's a wee bit of jostling -- especially when someone places an order for a dozen packets -- but it's all done in a good-natured Kelantanese sort of way.

We'd love to send you to their stall, and to Kota Baru's wonderfully lively wholesale market. But today was its last day. The market is being moved several kilometers outside of town to an "agro bazaar" on the side of a highway.

The relocation is no doubt a boon for the individuals contracted to construct the building and charged with collecting rent from the vendors. But as is so often the case, it's a hardship for the people for whom this conveniently located market is been central to daily life -- both as a source of income and a place to find good-quality produce at reasonable prices.

Should you be up for a trek outside of town, you can find these ladies' excellent nasi kerabu and nasi dagang at Taman Agro Business Negara, Highway Pasir Mas Salo. We think you'll find it well worth the effort.

Comments

[flexnib]

You'll laugh, but at the moment those bananas look like the best thing ever! Of course, this is because I am a deprived West Australian who hasn't eaten a banana in months. Our banana supply has been badly affected by storms and floods and the price has shot up (AU$12 - $15 a kilo!)...

But seriously, the nasi kerabu looks divine...

[Savio]

Colorful pics!

[Sticky]

That nasi kerabu is a funk of a dish, isn't it...a lotta colour going on!

I'm intrigued by that hairy looking stuff in the purple plastic bags?

Saddened by the demise of yet another Asian wet market...as you know, the trend is the same in Vietnam...just last weekend I was out scouting some of the big suburban markets that have disappeared or been relocated to less propitious places since my last trip out there.

Here, market vendors carry no clout and everyone else is pretty complacent (even happy) about this kind of 'progress'.

[DangerousV]

I am hungry. Miss Malaysian food :(

[Annapet]

Hi, Robyn! Wow, of course this is leaving me hungry again and homesick for Asia. You got me on the Blue Rice, and of course rice is queen to me ;-). I'll look into pea flowers.

Budu, is very similar to bagoong (fermented) na isda (fish) in the Philippines. One of my favorite condiments!

Thank you for sharing!

[Hungry Female]

I absolutely adore Nasi Kerabu too, sometimes we forget about the awesome food up in the Northern States of Malaysia

[Nisha India]

Your pics made me hungry, all the dishes seems to be so yummy :)

[Plumbing]

This is very unique. Blue rice or something its my first time to see this. Thanks for sharing

[kitchenvoyage]

Lovely colours!

[Anisha]

variety of food.....i am feeling hungry

[Pooja SIngh]

Wow really nice pics feeling so hungry after watching them.

[Anabol Dianabol]

Nasi kerabu topped with kerepok I loooove this dish. Great picture.

Dianabol Anabol

[Divya]

Nasi dagang looks delish!

[Lizzie]

Does this mean the night market has moved too? I only stopped in Kota Bharu for one night, but had an awesome Murtabak.

[m_Reiseberichte]

I take pics of food for quite a while http://www.flickr.com/photos/81223571@N00/sets/72157606477774246/ but now that I've descovered this blog I clearly see that there's lots of room for improvement!
Thanks for for those mothwatering pics!

[May]

I thought I saw u that morning when u and ur partner were taking pics of the nasi dagang. Was so tempted to say hello ^^