 Nasi kerabu served with various herbs,solok lada (fish meat-stuffed chili pepper), salted egg, fried fish,keropok and marinated chicken | |
| Course | Main course, usually for breakfast |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Malaysia,Thailand |
| Region or state | Kelantan[1],Pattani, |
| Serving temperature | Room temperature |
| Main ingredients | Rice cooked withClitoria ternatea (butterfly-pea) flowers orturmeric, various herbs,coconut (sambal nyor),budu |
Nasi kerabu (Kelantanese:Nasik kabu;Jawi: ناسي کرابو) is aMalaysianrice dish, a type ofnasi ulam, in whichblue-colored rice is eaten with dried fish or fried chicken, crackers, pickles and other salads. The blue color of the rice comes from the petals ofClitoria ternatea (butterfly-pea) flowers(bunga telang), which are used as a natural food coloring in cooking it.[2] The rice can also be plain white rice or rice cooked usingturmeric. It is often eaten withsolok lada (stuffedpeppers) and is also eaten with friedkeropok.[3]
Nasi kerabu is very popular in the east coast states ofPeninsular Malaysia such asKelantan andTerengganu, and now can be found throughout Malaysia as well as in Pattani.
Boiled rice has been a keysource of carbohydrates in the diet of the people ofMalacca andMalay Archipelago since ancient times, and is an essential component of many local dishes. Most often, a portion of rice boiled in water,coconut milk or a mixture of both, is served with some kind ofgarnish. In Malaysian cuisine, as in many East Asian cuisines, rice is usually not aside dish, but the basis of the dish. The role of a side dish is performed by more or less significant additions to a serving rice. Accordingly, the names of such dishes usually contain the word "nasi" - "cooked rice" in Malay,[note 1] as well as some qualifier referring to the way the rice is cooked, or referring to its side dish.[4] One of these dishes is nasi kerabu, the name which literally means "rice with salad". Kerabu is one of the traditional types ofsalads made fromvegetables andherbs in Malaysian cuisine.[5]
In terms of its composition, nasi kerabu is similar to a number of other Malaysian national dish, in particular,nasi ulam, in which a portion of rice is also supplemented with vegetable salad and some other side dishes, and even considered as a kind of the latter.[6] However, the fundamental value of nasi kerabu is the bright color of rice is achieved through the use of naturalfood coloring - flowers of the trifoliate clitoria (Clitoria ternatea), which is native toSoutheast Asia.[4][7]
Nasi kerabu is a traditional dish of the northeastern coast ofWest Malaysia, primarily in the states ofKelantan andTerrenganu, from where it spreads to the other regions of the country by the beginning of the 21st century, as well as to neighbouringSingapore.[8][9][10] This dish is also very popular in the adjacent regions ofsouthern Thailand, populated mainly byMalays, among whom there areseparatist sentiments. Due to the latter circumstance, nasi kerabu is often perceived in this area not only as the most important culinary speciality, but also as one of the informal symbols of ethnic identity and connection with Malaysia. This point is reflected, in particular, in the book of Malaysian journalist, publicist and documentary filmmakerZan Azlee [ms],Operation Nasi Kerabu: Finding Patani in an Islamic Insurgency. Among the Thai-speaking population of Southern Thailand, nasi kerabu is known by the namekhao-yam (Thai:ข้าวยำ).[11][12]
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Nasi kerabu consists of several components: boiled rice, vegetable salad and at least one more, and more often several additions. And if dyed rice is an essential part of this dish, then the salad and to an even greater extent, additional ingredients can vary quite widely, which ultimately creates a huge variety of varieties of nasi kerabu.[8]
In water intended for boiling rice, several flowers ofClitoria ternatea, fresh or dried, are soaked for several minutes, as a result of which it acquires a very intense blue color with a hint ofindigo. In addition, a certain set ofspices is added to the water, which usually consists of finely chopped stems oflemon grass, leaves ofKaffir lime and a pandan plant, often -syzygium multiflora,ginger, and alsopalm sugar. Sometimescoconut milk[8][13] is added to the water.
Kerabu is a vegetable salad that is part of the dish, usually a mixture of no more than three or four ingredients: raw, soaked and, less often boiled. Most often,cucumbers,lettuce,cowpea,green beans,water spinach,bok choy,onions orgreen onions,cabbage,paprika,chili peppers,knotweed,bamboo sprouts or sprouted mungs are used for its preparation. The portion of the vegetable mixture added to the dish is usually no more than half the volume of a serving rice.[6][8]
In addition to the vegetable mixture, some animal product is almost always added to Nasi kerabu:chicken,fish,seafood ormeat. This part of the dish can be prepared in various ways: most often it isfried orstewed using some kind ofsauces.[6][8][13]
Along with these products, or instead of rice, this dish often uses such Malaysian cuisine specialties such assolok lada - fried capsicum stuffed with gratedflesh of a youngcoconut - andtelur masin - duck or much more rarely, a chickenegg, aged in a specialbrine with spices. Usually, one or two stuffed peppers and half salted egg are served per serving Nasi kerabu: the latter, which has a slightly gelatinous consistency, is often placed on a plate right in the shell. In addition, rice and other components of the dish are often sprinkled withkeropok.[6][8]
All components of Nasi kerabu are laid out on one flatplate. A pile of rice is usually the central part of the "composition", but may also be located on the edge of the plate. Lettuce and other additives are laid out to the next rice, or in whole or in part - on top of it. This dish, like many other traditional Malaysian dishes, is often served withsambal. Sometimes - in particular, at a festive or restaurant serving - a nasi kerabu dish is decorated with fresh flowers of Clitoria ternatea.[6][8]
Nasi kerabu is main dish usually served hot or, more rarely, at room temperature. In West Malaysia, this dish is very popular in both home and street cuisine: it is prepared both in modern style restaurants and in many traditional taverns. Afast food, "portable" version of this dish can be purchased at markets or street vendors, which can be eaten on the go or taken as a food supply: a small portion of blue rice with a usually rather modest side dish is wrapped in paper or newspaper.[10][9][14]
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