List of Malaysian dishes facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Malaysian cuisine is super exciting, full of amazing flavors and dishes from different cultures! It's a mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and other traditions, making it a true food adventure. You'll find everything from yummy rice dishes and noodles to tasty snacks and sweet desserts. Get ready to explore some of the most popular foods you can find in Malaysia!

Staple Foods: What Malaysians Eat Every Day

Staple foods are the main things people eat regularly, like rice or noodles. In Malaysia, these foods are the base for many delicious meals.

Rice and Noodles: The Basics

Ambuyat

* This is a traditional food from Sarawak, Sabah, and Labuan. It's a bit like a thick paste made from sago palm, and it's eaten instead of rice by some local groups.

Bee Hoon

* These are very thin rice noodles, also known as rice vermicelli. They are used in many dishes across the country.

Pulut

* This is sticky rice, often made into dumplings or cakes. It's a popular treat nationwide.

Ketupat

* A special rice dumpling cooked inside a cool, diamond-shaped pouch woven from palm leaves. You'll see this everywhere!

Kway Teow

* These are flat, wide rice noodles. They are a common type of noodle used in many Malaysian stir-fries.

Lemang

* A traditional Malay dish made from sticky rice, coconut milk, and salt. It's cooked inside a hollow bamboo stick lined with banana leaves.

* This is the general word for noodles. They are made from dough and come in long strips or strings, used in countless Malaysian dishes.

Nasi Putih

* Simply steamed white rice. It's the most common staple food eaten with almost every meal in Malaysia.

Main Dishes: Delicious Meals to Try

These are the main courses that make up a big part of Malaysian meals. They often feature chicken, fish, or beef, cooked with lots of spices.

Chicken Dishes: Grilled, Fried, and Spiced

Ayam Bakar

* This is spiced chicken grilled over charcoal. It's super flavorful!

Ayam Goreng

* Spiced chicken fried in coconut oil. It's crispy and delicious.

Ayam Kecap

* Chicken simmered in a sweet soy sauce. It's a favorite in Southern Peninsular Malaysia.

Ayam Percik

* Grilled chicken served with a spicy, curry-like sauce. You'll find this on the East Coast.

Ayam Tandori

* Roasted chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, cooked in a special clay oven called a tandoor.

Fish and Seafood: From Grills to Curries

Asam Pedas Fish

* A sour and spicy fish dish, very popular in Malacca.

Chilli Crab

* A seafood dish with crab cooked in a spicy chili sauce, influenced by Chinese cooking.

Fish Ball

* Small balls made from fish, often added to soups or noodle dishes.

Ikan Bakar

* Grilled fish, often eaten with spicy sambal sauce or shrimp paste. It's popular all over Malaysia.

Ikan Goreng

* Spiced fish or seafood deep-fried in coconut oil.

Tempoyak Ikan Patin

* Catfish served in a sweet and spicy curry made with fermented durian. It's a unique taste from Northern and East Coast Peninsular Malaysia.

Otak-otak

* A cake-like dish made from fish meat and spices. It's traditionally steamed or grilled in banana or coconut leaves. It's very popular in Muar, Johor.

Oyster Omelette

* An omelette filled mainly with small oysters. It's a popular seafood dish.

Sata

* A traditional dish from Terengganu. It's spiced fish meat wrapped in banana leaves and cooked on a grill.

Other Main Dishes: Meat, Veggies, and More

Bean Sprouts Chicken

* A dish from Ipoh, Perak, served with light soy sauce flavored with oil.

Chai Tow Kway

* A common dish, often part of Dim sum, found nationwide.

Curry

* Many types of curry dishes, influenced by Indian cuisine, are popular all over Malaysia.

Gulai

* Meat cooked in a thick, rich, and spicy curry sauce.

Kari Ayam

* A chicken curry dish cooked with various spices.

Kari Kambing

* A lamb or mutton curry dish, popular in Peninsular Malaysia.

Kari Kepala Ikan

* Fish head curry, usually made with a red snapper head. It's a mix of Indian and Peranakan cooking styles.

Begedil

* Fried patties made from mashed potatoes, often mixed with minced meat or corn. It comes from Javanese cooking.

Rendang

* Chunks of beef stewed in coconut milk and a rich, spicy curry gravy. It's a famous dish across Malaysia.

Telur Pindang

* Hard-boiled eggs cooked in water with salt, shallot skins, teak leaves, and other spices.

Satay

* Small pieces of meat (like chicken or beef) grilled on skewers. You can find this delicious dish everywhere in Malaysia.

Satay Celup

* A unique dish where you dip raw or half-cooked food on skewers into a pot of hot, spicy satay sauce. It's popular in Malacca and Penang.

Soups: Warm and Comforting Bowls

Malaysian soups are often rich in flavor, with herbs, spices, and sometimes noodles or meat.

Sop Ekor

* A type of meat soup, popular in Peninsular Malaysia.

Sup Kambing

* Lamb soup, found all over Malaysia. It's a hearty and flavorful soup.

Sayur Lodeh

* A vegetable soup prepared in coconut milk, popular in Selangor and Johor.

Yong Tau Foo

* A Chinese-style soup dish where various ingredients like tofu and vegetables are stuffed with fish paste.

Ayam Pansuh

* A chicken soup cooked inside bamboo with seasonings. It's a special dish from Sarawak.

Bak Kut Teh

* A soup with meaty pork ribs in a complex broth of herbs and spices. It's boiled for hours with pork bones and is famous in Klang, Selangor.

Breads: Flatbreads and More

Malaysian cuisine includes a variety of breads, often served with curries or as snacks.

Apam

* A steamed pancake made from rice flour, coconut milk, yeast, and palm sugar. It's usually served with grated coconut.

Chapathi

* A thin, unleavened flatbread that came from India. It's often served with beef or mutton curry.

Dosai

* A fermented crepe or pancake, also from Indian cuisine.

Kaya Toast

* Toast prepared with kaya, which is a sweet coconut jam. It's a popular breakfast item.

Murtabak

* A pancake-like dish with fillings, influenced by Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine.

Naan

* A leavened, oven-baked flatbread, usually eaten with sauces like chutney and curries.

Ramly Burger

* A very popular Malaysian hamburger, often found at street stalls, especially in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Roti Canai

* A type of flatbread that came from Indian cuisine. It's often served with curry for dipping.

Roti Jala

* Thin, net-like pancakes, often served with curry. It's a famous Malaysian food.

Roti John

* A popular Malay sandwich in Malaysia and Singapore.

Salads: Fresh and Flavorful Mixes

Malaysian salads are often vibrant and can include fruits, vegetables, and sometimes even seafood.

Acar

* A type of pickled condiment and salad found in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.

Kinilaw

* A cooking process from Sabah that uses vinegar to "cook" ingredients, similar to ceviche. It's often used for raw seafood.

Pasembur

* A type of Indian salad, popular in Penang.

Popiah

* A fresh spring roll, often found at street vendors across Malaysia.

Rojak

* A traditional fruit and vegetable salad dish, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Ulam

* A salad of raw vegetables that can be eaten as is, or with cucumber, cabbage, and eggplant.

Urap

* A salad dish of steamed vegetables mixed with seasoned and spiced grated coconut.

Yusheng / Yee Sang

* A salad eaten during Chinese New Year celebrations.

Noodle Dishes: Stir-fried, Soupy, and Spicy

Noodles are a big deal in Malaysian cooking, appearing in many different forms.

Pan Mee

* A noodle dish from Hakka cuisine.

Char Kway Teow

* A popular noodle dish made from flat rice noodles, stir-fried with ingredients like shrimp, cockles, and bean sprouts.

Curry Mee

* Thin yellow egg noodles or rice vermicelli in a spicy curry soup with chili, coconut milk, and various toppings.

Duck Soup Noodles

* Noodles with duck meat in a hot soup mixed with herbs, popular in Penang.

Hokkien Mee

* Fried noodles served in many Southeast Asian countries, brought by immigrants from Fujian, China.

Laksa

* A famous noodle soup with many regional variations. The Penang laksa is especially well-known.

Laksa Sarawak

* A very popular noodle soup dish unique to Sarawak.

Lor Mee

* A Chinese-inspired noodle dish, popular in Singapore and found nationwide.

Maggi Goreng

* A popular type of instant noodles, stir-fried with various ingredients.

Mee Bandung Muar

* A traditional noodle dish from Muar, Johor.

Mee Goreng

* A stir-fried noodle dish, influenced by Chinese cuisine.

Mee Kolok

* A type of noodles popular in Kuching, Sarawak.

Mee Pok

* A type of Chinese noodle.

Mee Rebus

* A popular boiled noodle dish in Malaysia and Singapore.

Mee Siam

* A dish of thin rice noodles, popular in Peninsular Malaysia.

Soto

* A traditional noodle soup dish, popular in both Indonesia and Malaysia.

Wonton Noodles

* A noodle dish influenced by Cantonese cuisine.

Rice Dishes: From Fragrant to Colorful

Rice is central to Malaysian meals, and there are many ways it's prepared.

Banana Leaf Rice

* A rice dish served on a banana leaf, influenced by Indian cuisine.

Briyani

* A rice dish from Indian cuisine, with a famous local version in Batu Pahat, Johor.

Bubur Ashura

* A type of porridge made from grains.

Bubur Ayam

* Chicken rice porridge.

Bubur Pedas

* A unique porridge from Sarawak, made from ground rice and grated coconut, popular during Ramadan.

Claypot Chicken Rice

* Rice cooked in a clay pot, often served with Chinese sausage.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

* A rice dish with chicken, brought by Hainanese immigrants.

Nasi Ambeng

* A popular Javanese dish from the west coast of Malaysia, eaten on special occasions.

Economy Rice

* A simple rice dish served with a choice of protein and vegetables.

Nasi Dagang

* Rice steamed in coconut milk, served with fish curry and other ingredients like fried coconut and hard-boiled eggs. It's from Kelantan and Terengganu.

Nasi Goreng

* A popular fried rice dish in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Nasi Goreng Pattaya

* A Malaysian dish where chicken fried rice is covered or wrapped in a fried egg. It's often served with chili sauce.

Nasi Hujan Panas

* A colorful "rainbow" rice dish, often eaten with protein and vegetables.

Nasi Itik

* Rice served with braised or roasted duck.

Nasi Kandar

* A popular dish from Penang, where rice is served with various curries and side dishes.

Nasi Kebuli

* Steamed rice cooked in goat broth, milk, and ghee. It's usually served during Mawlid.

Nasi Kerabu

* Blue-colored rice (from butterfly pea flowers) eaten with dried fish or fried chicken, crackers, and pickles. It's from Kelantan and Terengganu.

Nasi Kuning

* Yellow rice, often served during special occasions.

Nasi Lemak

* The national dish of Malaysia! It's fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf, usually served with anchovies, peanuts, a hard-boiled egg, and spicy sambal.

Nasi Minyak

* A popular east coast Malaysian dish, often served at weddings.

Nasi Tomato

* A popular west coast Malaysian dish, usually eaten with Ayam Masak Merah (chicken in red sauce).

Nasi Tumpang

* A popular east coast Malaysian dish from Kelantan.

Nasi Ulam

* Steamed rice mixed with various herbs, vegetables, and spices, served with different side dishes.

Snacks: Quick Bites and Treats

Malaysian snacks are perfect for a quick bite or a treat, often found at street stalls.

Keropok (Crackers)

* Popular crackers, especially prawn crackers, found nationwide. They are often served during festive celebrations.

Kerepek (Crackers)

* Another popular snack, often a vegan version of Keropok.

Jemput-jemput (Cokodok, Cucur)

* Traditional Malaysian fritters made from flour, with flavors like banana, anchovies, or onion.

Curry Puff

* A type of snack or pastry, usually filled with chicken and potato in a dried curry.

Amplang

* A fish cracker snack from Sabah, made from mackerel.

Rempeyek

* A deep-fried savory Javanese cracker made from flour with other ingredients.

Mee Siput Muar

* A deep-fried, circular-shaped dried noodle snack from Muar, Johor, eaten with Sambal.

Keropok Lekor

* A type of fish cracker from Terengganu.

Pisang Goreng

* Deep-fried banana dipped in flour. A popular sweet snack!

Akok

* A traditional Kelantanese dessert snack made from egg, flour, and brown sugar.

Preserved Meat: Savory Delights

These dishes involve meat that has been prepared to last longer, often with unique flavors.

Bakkwa

* A type of dried meat, found nationwide.

Belutak

* A sausage made from fermented meat, popular in Brunei and Sarawak.

Char Siu

* A type of roasted pork meat.

Chinese Sausage

* A sausage made from pork.

Dendeng

* Thinly sliced dried meat, preserved with spices and fried.

Pekasam

* Freshwater fish that is fermented until it tastes sour, then seasoned with chili and sugar.

Serunding

* Grated coconut that is sautéed and spiced, often eaten with traditional staple foods.

Sinalau Bakas

* Smoked wild boar from Sabah.

Desserts: Sweet Treats to End Your Meal

Malaysian desserts are often colorful, refreshing, and full of unique flavors.

Ais Kacang

* Also known as air batu campur or ABC. It's shaved ice with sweet syrups, beans, corn, and jelly. Super refreshing!

Agar Agar

* Puddings and jellies, often flavored with fruits.

Cendol

* A popular dessert with green jelly noodles, coconut milk, and palm sugar syrup, often served with shaved ice.

Dadih

* A cheese made from buffalo milk, popular in Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu.

Dodol

* A sweet, sticky confectionery, often served during Muslim Aidilfitri celebrations.

Bubur Kacang Hijau (Green bean porridge)

* A sweet porridge made from mung beans.

Bubur Pulut Hitam

* A sweet porridge made from black glutinous rice.

Bubur Cha Cha

* A type of sweet porridge with colorful ingredients, popular in Penang and Malacca.

Mango Sticky Rice

* Mango eaten with sticky glutinous rice.

Durian Sticky Rice

* Durian (a famous local fruit) eaten with sticky glutinous rice.

Roti Tissue

* A very thin, crispy bread, often served as a dessert with sweet toppings.

Puding Diraja

* A royal pudding from Pekan, Pahang, garnished with jala emas (golden threads) and served with a cold sauce.

Putu Mayam

* A dish from Tamil Indian cuisine, often served with grated coconut and brown sugar.

Tapai

* A popular dessert made from fermented glutinous rice or tapioca, often enjoyed during Hari Raya.

Spreads: What to Put on Your Toast

These are delicious toppings for bread or other foods.

Kacang Coklat

* Peanut butter, often eaten with toast.

Kaya

* Coconut jam, a sweet spread usually eaten with toast.

Condiments and Sauces: Adding Flavor to Everything

These are the extra touches that bring out the amazing flavors in Malaysian food.

Belacan

* A strong-smelling shrimp paste used as an ingredient in many dishes.

Budu

* A sauce traditionally made by fermenting anchovies and salt. It's used as a flavoring and eaten with fish, rice, and vegetables. It's popular in Kelantan and Terengganu.