KUCHING, July 13: The tantalising Dabai Fried Rice or Nasi Goreng Dabai is a unique dish. It is a local specialty and popular among locals for its distinct flavour.
The star ingredient in Dabai Fried Rice is the paste made from the creamy fresh or preserved flesh of the Dabai fruit. Combined with rice and other ingredients, just the smell of the savoury stir-fried dish is guaranteed to whet anyone’s appetite.
In the past, it was not so easy to access the delectable dish as it would only be available when indigenous Dabai was in season and plentiful.
These days, preservation allows the fruit to be readily available all year round. Thus, the dish has become a popular feature on many menus.
Traditionally, Dabai fruit is eaten and served as a side dish or relish. The fruit needs to be immersed for a few minutes in hot water to make it soft and edible.
The fruit is creamy and bears a similar texture to avocado. It tastes even better when sprinkled with sugar, salt and soy sauce before it is consumed.
To the natives, Dabai is a treasured fruit. Any excess fruit will be preserved.
Since it is also not customary in native culture to waste precious food, natives use it to flavour their stir-fried rice.
While it may have initially been a seasonal dish created by the natives to not waste food, Dabai Fried Rice has not only become a source of local pride, but also a favourite dish of many Sarawakians.
Thus, this unique and scrumptious dish is often found on the menus of local food caterers and eateries.
There are many fried rice stalls serving this unique dish here but a good place to start is Aniey Muslim Food run by self-taught kitchen maestro Rohani Helmi.
“My food stall serves different varieties of fried rice and Dabai Fried Rice is one of them,” said Rohani when met by the writer recently.
“The dish is popular among locals because they like Dabai fruit. In off-season like this, the nearest they can get to the fruit is having the flavour. Thus, the Dabai Fried Rice.
“We used preserved Dabai fruit for the fried rice and it imparts a unique taste to the dish. Locals love this fried rice and it is one of the best sellers at my stall,” she revealed.
Rohani said that a single serving of Dabai Fried Rice dish takes only a few minutes to prepare.
“You saute all the ingredients like blended garlic, shallots, egg, a few dried anchovies, green vegetables and the preserved Dabai fruit paste first before adding the rice. A quick stir and put some seasoning to taste and voila! You’ve got the dish.
“I don’t use much of the preserved Dabai paste, maybe equivalent to four fruits. We don’t want the dish to be salty. For a single portion meal, you get enough taste of the Dabai fruit.
“Too much of the Dabai paste will spoil the flavour and the fried rice dish is ruined,” she cautioned.
Rohani said that her version of Dabai Fried Rice is a simple dish but her patrons may request to add side dishes like a sunny side up egg or fried chicken.
She disclosed that to serve Dabai Fried Rice daily, she must ensure that there is a constant supply of preserved Dabai paste.
“I don’t like to disappoint my patrons if I can. I like to see them enjoy their meal. It is the only satisfaction I get in this business,” she jested.
Apart from Dabai Fried Rice, Rohani also served many other types of fried rice dishes. This includes another local speciality, Nasi Goreng Terubok (Fried Rice with Salted Terubok Fish).
“Terubok Fish (Toli Shad or Chinese Herring) is a premium fish synonymous with Sarawak and Kuching. The fish is popular with locals and West Malaysians who will buy it not just for the sweet meat of the fish but also the fish roe.
“Fried rice is very appetising when eaten with a crispy fried salted Terubok fish,” she said.
“To me, we must promote and serve food that is native to Sarawak so that people will know how to appreciate them. If not, the future generation will lose out when it comes to local dishes,” she lamented.
Rohani’s stall, located at Premier Food Republic BDC also serves other types of rice and noodles dishes as well as beef broth.
Her stall is open daily from 7am to 10 pm. She also does catering. For further inquiries, call 016-808 9946. — DayakDaily
