Nasi Kerabu

Nasi kerabu is the dish of Kelantan and the east coast, and the first thing about it is the colour: the rice is steeped with butterfly pea flowers, which turn it a strong blue-purple without adding flavour, though white rice versions are common too. What goes with it is the kerabu part - a salad of finely sliced raw herbs and vegetables, bean sprouts, long beans, torch ginger flower and kaffir lime leaf - along with grated coconut toasted with spices called kerisik, salted duck egg, fish or prawn crackers, fried chicken or grilled fish, and a fermented fish sauce, budu, which is Kelantan's own condiment and the element that most divides visitors. It is eaten at any time of day, and in Kelantan it is common as breakfast from morning stalls.

Highlights

• Blue rice - coloured by butterfly pea flowers, without changing the taste.
• A raw herb salad - sliced herbs, sprouts, long beans and torch ginger.
• Salted egg and crackers - the standard accompaniments on the plate.
• Budu - the Kelantan fermented fish sauce served alongside.

When to go

All year; morning stalls in Kelantan. A meal.

Good to know

Budu is pungent and an acquired taste - it is served on the side, so it can be left. Kelantan's weekend is Friday and Saturday, which affects stall opening. Portions are modest.

Nearby

Kota Bharu's markets and museums are where most stalls are concentrated.