NASI KERABU KELANTAN

One doesn't really know Kelantanese or Kelantan before tasting this uniquely healthy and refreshingly traditional rice. Appears basically in three versions; white rice, yellow rice or blue rice, Nasi Kerabu never fails to satisfy many people's taste buds. Preparing it may looked tricky and tedious, but let me assure everyone that it worths the effort. For me, this recipe is indeed just another expression of love by my beloved mother, Ruhani Syed Mohd Yusof who always painstakingly laboured herself just to cheer us up with this wonderful family favourite rice.

To mom, this post is a tribute to you. I love you always.

To my readers out there, happy trying!

INGREDIENTS:

Part A: Gravy

Coconut milk
Chili (fresh or dry)
onion
garlic
lemongrass
Traditional palm sugar
Anchovies sauce (Budu)
Sugar
Salt

Method:

Blend garlic, chillies and onion with little water and coconut milk. Heat a pot, pour the mixture into the pot and add bruised lemongrass. Bring the mixture to boiling. Once it boils, reduce the fire and keep simmering until oil from coconut milk surfaces. Keep on stirring from time to time. Season with salt and sugar and little achovies sauce. Add some palm sugar to taste.

Part B: Coconut sprinkle

Fry grated coconut
Onion
Chilies
Grill fish
salt
traditional palm sugar

Method:

Heat pan on slow fire and brown grated coconut in it. Once ready, set aside. Deboned grill fish, preferably mackerel and pound the flesh, add in salt, and palm sugar. Mix with the coconut, add in chopped chillies, and sliced onion. Heat the pan again and just keep flipping the ingredients together for two minutes. Keep aside.


Part C: Herbs and raw vege

Vietnamese mint or Daun Kesum (finely chopped/sliced)
Bean sproat (cleaned)
Carrot (julieaned)
Ginger Torch bud or Bunga Kantan (finely sliced)
Long bean (finely sliced)
Cucumber (julieaned)
Onion (thinly sliced)

Part D: Blue rice

Rice
Blue colouring (traditionally, a type of pea flower used by grinding and extracting the colour)
Kaffir lime leaves
Lemongrass (bruised)
* For yellow rice, simply replace the blue colouring with turmeric powder/fresh turmeric juice or yellow food colouring.

Method:

Cook rice as usually. Add the colouring, kaffir lime leaves and bruised lemongrass.


When serving, the Blue Rice or Nasi Kerabu is accompanied by the coconut sprinkle, sauce, and all the raw vege or herbs. The best way to eat this rich rice is to mix everything with our hand.

Traditionally, many side dishes will also grace the rice. These include; Ayam Percik (Grilled Chicken with Sweet Coconut Gravy), Ikan Percik (Grilled Fish with Sweet Coconut Gravy), Grilled or fried chicken, beef or fish, Fried fish coated with rice flour batter (i.e tempura like), Solok Lada (Stuffed Green Chillies), Garlic pickle, Salted egg and Keropok Ikan (Fish craker).