Sarawak Ethnic Foods ^^

Umai Sarawak (Umai Ikan Tenggiri)

Umai Ikan Tenggiri

Eventhough it used to become the Melanau's staple food, it had became so famous in Sarawak that one can find this delicacies in a five star hotel in Sarawak. But nothing can beat a homemade umai, pronounced as 'umei'. There are many variations to umai. One can use boneless/boneless sea fish e.g tenggiri, bawal (duwei in Sarawak), prawn or even salted ikan terubok. 

Basic Ingredient:
Fresh meaty/boneless fish
Onion
Red chilli
Shallot (pounded)
Asam Paya/Lime Juice
Ginger
Salt
Sugar

Laksa Sarawak

Laksa Sarawak

Laksa Sarawak I should say, is the most famous dish which is easily identifiable with Sarawak.

I would not go into detail about the history of Laksa Sarawak, but suffice to say that this Sarawakian Chinese dish has become so dear to almost every Sarawakian wherever they are.

To make Laksa Sarawak is actually quite easy and does not require precise cooking skill, provided you can obtain the laksa paste which is available only in Sarawak. You can buy it online, you can also obtained the Halal-produced laksa paste. Not that the non-Halal-produced contained any non-halal ingredient anyway. The only reason why Laksa Sarawak making is such a fuss is that the preparation of the laksa base and its garnishing can be pretty time consuming. I will add few tips on how to 'repair' the laksa if it is not up to your expectation at the end, which I have learned myself and you might not normally encounter in other Laksa Sarawak recipe.

Umai Udang

Prawn Umai

Umai Udang

This is another version of the famous Fish Umai, which is the Prawn Umai. The ingredient shall still be the same, except that the need to use more lime juice compare to the Fish Umai in order for it to be cooked thoroughly and safe for consumption. As usual, use the freshest seafood that you can find.

For this Prawn Umai, used the most basic ingredient for umai.

Ingredient:

prawn

lime juice
Onion

Shallot

Ginger

Red Chillies
Bird Eye's chillies or to suit
Salt and sugar 

Midin Masak Belacan

Stir Fried Midin with Shrimp Paste
  

Midin (Stenochlaena palustris-source here ) is one type of jungle ferns that can be found in a tropical South East Asia countries. In  Sarawak, these can be found in abundance, and it has become a very familiar vegetable dish especially in restaurants. Locally it is also being called milin or bilin.

Before the commercialization of midin, the Dayak has been consuming midin for a very long time. However, they normally consumed the more leafy portion of midin which is also known as Paku Merah. It is identified by its red color, and it'll turn to green when it is fully mature and become inedible. Since only the leaves are used and it produced less bulk when it wilted, they normally will add-in a bit more water to this stir-fried dish, or added into simple 'one-dish' soup which consist of few types of protein and vegetables.

  

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Umai Obor-Obor

Jellyfish Umai (ceviche) 

This is a preserved jellyfish which can be commonly found in wet markets in Sarawak especially Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. It is another popular type of umai which is originated from Melanau ethnic. It is sold in brine water and can last very long.

Preparation of this preserved jellyfish umai is pretty simple, it only needs to be soaked in clean water for about 1-2 hours to remove the saltiness, and will be prepared as how other umai are done, except of adding salt in its seasoning.

This ceviche-like dish is great for appetizer. 

Dont forget to try all the recommended ethnic cuisine in Sarawak when u on vacation at there! 

Have fun!