I’m not one to eat (or serve my son) fast food. But when the fast food in question is part of the culture and cuisine of another country, I make an exception. For the oil rich country of Brunei, we chose the country’s iconic fast food dish called Nasi Katok.

Who doesn’t like some fried chicken?

THE PLACE AND ITS CUISINE

Brunei, or Brunei Darussalam (which means “abode of peace”) is one of those countries I knew practically nothing about before starting this adventure. But I am a big fan of the cuisine of the country’s surrounding it.

Brunei sits on the island of Borneo in the South China Sea, which also includes parts of Malaysia and Indonesia.  It’s a very wealthy country thanks to lots of gas and oil (and not the kind we use to fry the chicken). In fact, the Sultan of Brunei is considered one of the wealthiest people in the world. His wealth is estimated at 40 billion dollars. Considering how cheap the food is, he can eat like a King, or a Sultan.

The country is an official Muslim state (and is the only country in south east Asia to rule by “Sharia Law”) and because of that alcohol is banned and pork products or anything not considered “halal” is prohibited.

Other meats however are more common, especially fish considering its geographic location.

Much like its nearby neighbors of Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia), rice and noodles are a major staple food and dishes tend to be very spicy. Herbs, spices, and fruits are common in the cuisine.

Food stalls and fast food, as is evidenced by the dish we attempt, is a common sight through Brunei. The food culture runs deep and from my research, it seems like one I would love to explore.

Traditional dishes:

Ambuyat – the National Dish, this is a very intriguing dish that is made from sago starch and is essentially a flavorless sticky substance that you pick up with a special utensil called a chanda and then dip it in an assortment of spicy sauces or dips

Kelupis – a popular snack or special occasion dish that is gluttonous rice cooked in coconut milk, flavored with pandan, and then wrapped in daun nyirik leaves

Selurut – a steamed rice and sago dessert that is drenched in coconut milk and salt water

Bamboo Chicken – a unique preparation where marinated chicken is stuffed into a bamboo pole  with spices and onions and then cooked over an open fire

BURNEIAN FOOD IN NEW YORK

Malaysian and Singaporean food are available in New York, but  but sadly under-represented.

Bruneian cuisine, on the other hand, seems impossible. Somebody please help us out here. We need some places to try this unique cuisine. I really need to try Ambuyat and am not able to travel to Brunei any time soon. Seriously – this is why I live in New York!!

THE VIDEO

Brunei is a very exciting video because it is our 25th episode!! Can’t believe we have been doing these for what feels like a quarter of a century.

Sam and I learn a little about math, seasonality, and sarcasm. Along the way we deal with some strong chilies, onions, and a blender that only works when plugged in. Imagine that!

THE DISH

Here in New York, I spend time searching for the best versions of iconic dishes (like pizza and bagels). If I lived in Brunei, no doubt I would be able to tell you where to get the best version of Nasi Katok.

This fried chicken and rice dish is sold throughout the country at restaurants, fast food stands, and markets. It’s available 24 hours a day and is always priced at just $1BND (roughly $.75 USD).

Nasi means “rice” and Katok means “knock”. When this dish first became popular in the 1980’s, the story goes that you had to knock on the windows of the vendors selling it to order. And that’s where the name came from and it stuck.

Chicken is first marinated in lots of bold flavors, including ginger, garlic, turmeric and soy sauce. It’s then dredged with flour (sometimes rice and AP) and then deep fried until golden. It’s served with plain white rice and a signature spicy sauce called sambal, which is usually made from a chili pepper paste and an onion paste. Most vendors serve the chicken and rice wrapped up in brown paper (presumably to soak up all the grease).

This is the basic Nasi Katok recipe, but variations abound mostly when it comes to the sauce. One that is very intriguing and almost made it on our plate is the addition of a rich buttermilk sauce.

SPECIAL INGREDIENTS

Truthfully this dish can be made with nothing out of the ordinary for American kitchens. Maybe tamarind is a bit more difficult to find, but it’s available at most health food stores at this point in both dried and paste form.

Everything else is often added in Brunei but not always. I’ve seen recipes calling for shrimp paste and other unique flavorings, but others without.

I like to try to find as many authentic and unique flavors as possible plus I already had a jar of this on hand from my previous Thai cooking.

Shrimp Paste

Sam likes to smell the ingredients we use, but after his experience with shrimp paste, that tradition might quickly go away.

This is a stinky jar but it adds a ton of funky flavor that balances the sweet, sour, and spicy notes of a dish. And a little goes a long way.

Shrimp paste is a paste made from ground up, dried, and fermented shrimp. It’s important in a lot of Southeast Asian cuisine, including Thai, Malaysian, and of course Brunei.

I happened to have a jar with bean oil, but it is also available without. You should easily be able to find this at any Asian grocery store, especially ones specializing in Southeast Asian ingredients.

THE RECIPES

Inspired by:

BFB Welfare Support

HOW WE SCREWED IT UP

After all this spicy heat, we’re going to cool things down next week when we head back to the Balkans to the country of Bulgaria. While meat is very common here, we’re going to do something amazing and go completely vegetarian…