KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — Mention rojak and immediately everyone thinks of the Indian version filled with all kinds of fritters and vegetables in a spicy peanut sauce.
The less common and incredibly hard-to-find Penang-style rojak is more like a fruit salad tossed in a thick pungent sauce made from fermented prawn paste, sugar and tamarind juice.
Crunchy fritters and yau char kwai give it crunch, while a generous sprinkle of toasted peanuts give it additional fragrance.
Each rojak seller has his/her own combination of fruits and vegetables; papaya, cucumber, yambean, green mangoes and pineapple. Unusual additions include the juicy rose apple or tangy ambra.
Some sellers like to cut the fruits just before they start tossing it with the sauce. This prevents the fruits from drying out. It’s best to eat the rojak as soon as it’s been tossed, since the mix of fruits and vegetables will emit their juices, diluting the thick sauce.
Usually, the rojak sauce is cooked by the seller, taking many hours to achieve the thick viscous texture. Rojak connoisseurs look for the stinkiest version since it signals a good grade of fermented prawn paste or hae koh.
Nowadays, it’s getting harder to find the legendary rojak sellers in pedicabs. Most of these old uncles have retired, preferring to enjoy their twilight years. One recent retiree is the rojak stall uncle at Jalan Batai, Damansara Heights.
Rojak is now found at fresh fruit stalls; the owners earn some extra ringgit mixing their freshly cut fruits with the pungent sauce. You can also find rojak in restaurants at higher prices but with better quality ingredients.
For instance, most stalls don’t serve rojak with a sprinkle of finely chopped torch ginger flower or bunga kantan, which is a Nyonya touch. The addition of the delicate pink flower uplifts the fragrance of the sauce. Two places you can enjoy this aromatic version is Bayu Timor, a cafe in Taman Megah, and JP Teres, the coffeehouse at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.
Stall opposite Pasar Jalan Genting Klang, Jalan Prima Setapak 1, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 1pm to 7pm. Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
This old uncle is one of the last of the pedicab vendors around the Klang Valley. He has been trading here for the past 10 years, as he lives at the nearby Setapak Air Panas village. Previously he used to sell his rojak at Taman Tun Dr Ismail, as he is the uncle of the owners of the famous stall there. His own cooked sauce is thick and aromatic. He also fulfils unusual requests like coating his thin fritters with the sauce and sprinkling toasted peanuts on the rojak or regular clients.
Van parked at Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1 (opposite 7- Eleven), Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 11am to 5pm. Closed on Thursdays and Mondays.
One of the most popular stalls in the Klang Valley; the second generation runs this stall that sells rojak and grilled tofu. You also have the option to add sotong to your rojak. The sauce served here is thick with a fragrant kick that makes it addictive.
Fruit stall at Restoran Kum Chuan, Jalan SS13/1, Subang Jaya. Open: 10.30am to 3.30pm. Closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
This stall serves the prettiest looking rojak with the fritter pieces decorated like a flower. The sauce is incredibly thick but tends to be sweet versus pungent. The fruits are pre-cut and kept in a cooler box for convenience.
Stall at Restoran Wong Chau, Jalan Helang 13, Puchong Jaya. Open: 5pm to 10.30pm. Closed two days a month.
Even though the stall owner hails from Ipoh, he has tweaked the recipe to suit locals by omitting belacan since it’s not healthy. He uses a mix of crystal pineapple, yam bean, ambra, papaya and cucumber. The fritters and yau char kwai is added lastly together with toasted peanuts.
Fruit stall at D’Tau Heritage Food Village, 80-82, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, KL. Open: 10.30am to 4pm.
Look for the fruit stall in front of this popular restaurant for a mild tasting rojak. The mixture of ambra, yam bean, guava, papaya, cucumber and pineapple is tossed in a sauce made from Penang fermented prawn paste. The lady adds tamarind water and a sprinkle of toasted belacan when mixing the items together. It’s finished with toasted peanuts and fritters.
