Just One Food - Nasi Kak Wok

Most of us (in KL) would be familiar with Kelantan specialities like Nasi Kerabu and Nasi Dagang but what the heck is Nasi Kak Wok?

I'm just as blur as the next person as this dish called Nasi Kak Wok (or Nasi Kak Wook) also has similarities with other nasi ayam-type dishes like Nasi Ayam Goreng Kunyit, Nasi Soho (as I learned from Mimi's Dining Room) and even Nasi Mmanggey (as per vkeong's blog).  After all, they have three things in common....bite-sized pieces of ayam goreng kunyit (turmeric fried chicken), some kind of a curry and a side of sambal belacan.  So, excuse me if I seem confused! >_<

My first taste of what I thought was Nasi Kak Wok actually turned out to be Nasi Ayam Goreng Kunyit (from a stall in a Ramadan bazaar) where bite-sized pieces of fried chicken are marinated in turmeric (hence the name ayam goreng kunyit obviously).  The packet of rice also comes with some vegetables, a stir-fry of kacang panjang (long beans) and onions.  Well, I'm not so familiar with Malay food and all their names....so, they looked similar to me with the same bite-sized pieces of fried chicken, some kind of a gravy and a fresh sambal.

And then I read that Nasi Mmanggey (more commonly known to us as nasi kukus ayam goreng berempah) also has similarities with Nasi Kak Wok except that the fried chicken is bite-sized pieces of ayam goreng berempah or spiced fried chicken (which has a more prominent lemongrass flavour).

Since I enjoyed eating this turmeric fried chicken, I began keeping an eye out for it whenever I find myself in the vicinity of Malay stalls.  The next time I bumped into something similar was at our neighbourhood pasar malam.  I asked a lady manning the stall if that was Nasi Kak Wok and I felt she kinda made fun of me with her reply...it's Nasi Kak 'someone's name' (I didn't catch the name she mentioned).  She was probably implying that it's her dish, Nasi Kak '(her name)'.  I didn't think she needed to be condescending (we can't be well-versed in every cuisine or know every type of food or its name...ish!).  As I left without buying anything from her, I felt a sense of redemption that even she doesn't know the Kelantanese dish of Nasi Kak Wok....hahaha! :P

And then, when I least expected it, I noticed a shop in my neighbourhood that sells Nasi Kak Wok...and there can be no mistake whatsoever this time since the words "Nasi Kak Wok Pandan Indah" was clearly stated in their signboard!  I think they've been here for quite a while and I've seen them before, I just didn't know what it was.  Inside, the ingredients of a Nasi Kak Wok were laid out simply...cucumber, sambal, ayam goreng kunyit and a creamy "gulai" (a yellowish curry-like sauce).

It's a joy to see them scoop everything so fast...and with precision.  It's like they just know how much of curry and sambal is needed in each serving to ensure a perfect combination of flavours.  The way they pack it in an elongated shape is also unique to this dish.

Nasi Kak Wok starts with warm, freshly cooked fluffy rice...ok, maybe this one not so fluffy! ;P

Next, you need the star of the show...and that's the bite-sized pieces of turmeric marinated fried chicken.

The fact that the chicken is fried in bite-sized pieces makes it extra fragrant with a nice crisp on the outside though it may not be as tender as some of the fried chicken I've had before.

In some places, the fried chicken may be served in larger pieces...as it's the case here sometimes too (when the chicken pieces are not chopped small enough).

I prefer it in smaller pieces as I find that the marination is able to penetrate better in the smaller nuggets of chicken thus allowing the pieces to be well-browned which make it even more fragrant.

Then, there's a yellowish kind of curry sauce, like a creamy gulai, that the rice needs to be doused in.  P/S: Pretend you didn't see the soft yolk hard-boiled egg, that's my own addition...hehe! ;P

And finally, it needs to be finished off with a spoonful of fresh tasting sambal that can be quite spicy, at least this one was.  As you can see from the many different pictures of the Nasi Kak Wok, I've had this numerous times already.

Some places might add on some vegetables like cucumber slices.

This simple serving of plain rice with just three basic ingredients combine so well together to create a delicious meal...and that could be the reason why this well-loved Kelantan favourite is so popular.  The other reason would be the price factor, definitely.  At RM5 a packet, you can't deny that Nasi Kak Wok is cheap.....and good! ^o^