Tag Archives: snack

Keropok Amplang of Sabah

Keropok Amplang, the seafood cracker of Borneo

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Sabah is abundant in seafood, so many that we make crackers out of them. In the local market of Sabah, you would see piles of packaged yellowish and round-shaped snacks for sale. It’s Keropok Amplang (or Amplang), the most popular cracker of Sabah and a crunchy and savory snack made of seafood.

The scoop baskets are the traditional fishing tool of Sabah, so is the (standing) fish trap “Bubu” at the back. The motif on the blue sarong table cloth symbolizes squid.

In contrast to potato chips, which are packed in colourful bags bloated with air, Amplang is a “low-profile” snack sealed tightly in clear plastic bag. Potato chips (or crisps) is a junk food that only makes you thirsty, Amplang can be eaten as a complement food. You can dip Amplang in tomato sauce for richer taste. That reminds me of fish & chips, but Amplang is a “fish in chips” instead.

Amplang crackers are commonly made of ikan tenggiri (wahoo) or any type of Spanish mackerel

Most Amplang is made from the flesh of fish, prawn or squid, mixed with tapioca flour, starch, garlic, egg, sugar and salt (spice and MSG would be added). The mixture is then deep-fried in small pieces until it expands and turns crunchy.

Once you take amplang out of its packing, your whole room will be filled with seafood aroma.

Tawau in East Coast of Sabah is famous for producing the best Amplang in Sabah, so people think Amplang is a Sabah food. In fact, Amplang is first made in Samarinda, the capital city of East Kalimantan (Indonesian territory on Borneo Island).

I use seashell craft, fishing net, and seafood origami to hint that amplang is a seafood snack.

The traditional Amplang is made of freshwater fishes such as ikan pipih or ikan belida (Species: Chitala lopis). As the population of river fishes is declining, they are replaced by ocean fishes. The most common choice is Ikan Tenggiri (or Wahoo Fish, Species: Acanthocybium solandri), for its high quality flesh. Gabus (Striped snakehead) and Spanish mackerel are also used.

Ikan Tenggiri or Wahoo Fish is commonly used in making of Amplang and Hinava. The flesh of this big ocean fish remains white in raw and cooked states.

The original Amplang is fish flavour, but now you can find other flavours such as prawn, curry squid (sotong kari), sweet squid and cheese, and each has its own fans. I personally like curry squid and prawn which have stronger aroma.

Amplang in four flavours. 1) Original fish amplang (same colour as prawn amplang), 2) Curry Squid, 3) Squid, and 4) Cheese

Cheese Amplang tastes exactly like cheese ball crackers that melt in your mouth. Cheese amplang is double the price of fish amplang and it’s soft, taste great but not to my liking. Crab and seaweed flavours are available in Kalimantan, but I haven’t seen one in Sabah market.

Amplang of different flavours sold in plastic bags or nice package in the market

Amplang from Tawau is also available in other parts of Sabah. Other fish amplang might contain less seafood and taste starchy. Anyway, some sellers allow you to sample it before buying. A small pack of fish Amplang costs about RM6 or RM7.

Marshmallow Vs Amplang, West Vs East. Which is your favourite snack?

The more I look at Amplang, the more it looks like marshmallow, though they are totally different snacks. Anyway, in my heart, Amplang is always the “Marshmallow of the East”.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Kuih Lidah the Tongue Cake

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Kind words of the tongue make people feel good, and a Kuih Lidah (Tongue Cake) can make your tongue happy. Kuih Lidah is a traditional snack of Bruneian Malay (Orang Brunei) from Papar, Sabah (Malaysia) and it is getting popular throughout Malaysia.

Kuih Lidah Buaya (or Kuih Tiram) is a popular snack in Sabah

Kuih Lidah got the name (translated as Tongue Cake) from its tongue-like shape. But many think that Kuih Lidah looks like an oyster and call it Kuih Tiram (Oyster Cake) instead.

Does Kuih Lidah look like an oyster (left) or crocodile’s tongue (right)?

Other names of Kuih Lidah include kerepek layang (Kite Chips), kuih kertas (Paper Cake), kuih lidah kucing (Cat Tongue Cake), kuih lidah buaya (Crocodile Tongue Cake), and kuih kapal terbang (Aeroplane Cake). Whatsoever, Kuih Lidah is the name most commonly used in Sabah.

Usually Kuih Lidah is coated with icing sugar so it is sweet outside, and layers of thin fried bread creates the crispness and buttery flavour felt in your mouth.

Kuih Lidah originated from from Papar of Sabah. The gambus in the background symbolises the identity of Orang Brunei there.

Milk powder would be sprinkled on Kuih Lidah to add more milky and creamy taste. Kuih Lidah goes well with tea and coffee, so it becomes an ideal snack for tea break.

Frank Sonnenberg says, “it’s better to bite your tongue than to eat your words.” So if we have to shut up, biting and eating a Kuih Lidah would comfort you. Bring some to the meeting then. Just kidding.

A delightful tea break with Kuih Lidah. The plant at top right is also known as Lidah Buaya.

The main ingredients of Kuih Lidah are wheat flour, egg, and margarine. They are mixed and kneaded with a bit of salt, water, and potato flour to create a dough. Next this dough is flatten by a rolling pin. Cooking oil and margarine are spread on the surface, then this flat dough is rolled into a tube and sliced crosswise into smaller pieces, to be fried into Kuih Lidah in hot oil.

Kuih Lidah is usually sold and packed in clear plastic bags in local markets.

Some tourists would want to bring home some Kuih Lidah as souvenir. However, Kuih Lidah is too brittle to travel long distance. Without dry agent, the sugar on the kuih would melt in hot day. That’s why most Kuih Lidah sold in our market is the “compact version”.

Different types of Kuih Lidah. The ones on blue plate are the original Kuih Lidah. On top, from left to right, are chocolate, green bean and milk powder flavours.

The compact version of Kuih Lidah is smaller, rounder and denser (harder), which allows it to be packed securely in clear plastic bags. You can find packaged Kuih Lidah easily in local markets and food stores of Sabah, for about RM3 to RM5 a pack.

Some would prefer bite-sized Kuih Lidah than the long and thin version.

However, compacted Kuih Lidah looks and tastes a bit different. Anyway, it’s received well and is one of the best selling Sabah snacks.

The three most common flavours of Kuih Lidah are milk powder, chocolate and green bean. Some creative makers invent special tastes such as strawberry, yam and cinnamon, but these are not popular. Which taste do you like or want to try?

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Kuih Pinjaram, the UFO Cake of Sabah

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Kuih pinjaram (or Penyaram, Penjaram, Cucur Jawa) is nicknamed “UFO cake” because of its flying saucer shape. Though pinjaram is a traditional snack of the Bajau and Bruneian Malay people in the state of Sabah (Malaysia), it has become one of the favourite snacks of Sabahans to go with their tea time or coffee break.

Three flavours of Kuih Pinjaram: original (yellow), pandan (green) and brown sugar (dark brown)

Pinjaram is a sweet and round cake with soft and chewy texture. Its edge is crispy, but fluffy and springy toward middle. As pinjaram is made of rice flour, cornflour, sugar, and coconut milk, gobbling up a few delicious pinjaram as your breakfast boosts your energy and mood.

Kuih pinjaram goes well with tea and coffee. The colourful baskets are Serdang, made of nypa palm leaves, and the bright-colored table runner has Bajau motif on it.

Pinjaram is available in three flavours (and colours), i.e. original (yellow), pandan (green) and brown sugar (dark brown). Some sellers use pandan syrup or palm sugar instead of regular sugar to create a more tantalizing aroma.

Many love Pandan-flavored Kuih Pinjaram because of its refreshing pandan aroma

Some cooks get creative and invent special flavours of pinjaram, for example, sweet potato, corn, chocolate, yam and durian flavors. If you are interested, you can order or see more at the Facebook of Pinjaram D’telisz (Whatsapp / Tel: +60 17-3015620, E-mail: theresaejum7@gmail.com).

Special flavours of Kuih Pinjaram. Photo credit: Pinjaram D’telisz @ Facebook

Pinjaram also has big and small versions. The big one is about 50% larger and can be found at Friday tamu (open-air native market) of Donggongon town (near Kota Kinabalu City). The small ones seem to be more common and one of the places to buy them is at tamu of Kota Belud town on Sunday. Big pinjaram is great as a stomach filler, and the small one is a wonderful tasty snack.

Which flavour of pinjaram is your favourite?

Besides festive and wedding parties, pinjaram is also served in local markets. FYI, 3 small Pinjaram costs only RM1.00. Five big pinjaram is sold for RM4.00 at Donggongon tamu. Anyway the prices vary in different towns.

Seller cooks kuih pinjaram on the spot (taken at tamu of Kota Belud)

The cooking of pinjaram is fun to watch. I like to see the sellers cook it on the spot (and pinjaram tastes best while it’s hot). First, the cooking oil is heated in a small wok. The batter is then poured in slowly to the hot oil from a small cap.

The batter swells, sizzles and turns from an unidentified frying object into an UFO cake. The pinjaram is flipped every few seconds to ensure that it is evenly cooked. The perfect pinjaram is said to be fluffy with a tinge of brown surrounding it, to give it a slightly crusty feel on the thin edges.

Pinjaram for breakfast, anyone?

There is a viral post about pinjaram because of its beautiful shape, which is fondly known as Kuih Penyaram ‘Ngah Apoi’.

Kuih Penyaram ‘Ngah Apoi’ has perfect shape. Photo credit: Facebook of Asiah Asong

Its special recipe (credit: Melissa Mahli) is shared online too, so I translate it to English here for you to try.

Ingredients (for making 35 to 45 Pinjaram)

  • 1 Kg of Wheat flour
  • 1 Kg of Palm Sugar (Gula Apong in Malay language)
  • Baking powder (1 table spoon)
  • Salt water (mix 1 tea spoon)
  • Plain water (approximately 750ml)
  • Cooking oil
The making of kuih pinjaram

Cooking Steps

  1. Pour plain and salt water into the flour
  2. Add baking powder
  3. Add the palm sugar
  4. Mix well until foam appears on the surface of the mixture
  5. Let the batter settled for a few minutes
  6. Heat up moderate amount of cooking oil (not overly hot) in a wok
  7. Pour about a small ladle of the batter to the hot cooking oil slowly to fry it
  8. Use a spatula to turn and flip the pinjaram until it’s cooked evenly and thoroughly
  9. Transfer the pinjaram to an oil drain rack

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo