KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — When it comes to our local salads, it is worlds apart from the Western healthier leafy salads but it wins hands down in taste.
Take for instance the Indian rojak or pasembur, an Indian-Muslim specialty. Essentially it is a salad of mixed vegetables like yam bean, cucumber and sometimes bean sprouts, combined with soft dough fritters and crispy prawn fritters doused in a spicy, sweet peanut-based sauce.
For a more substantial meal, opt for additions like cuttlefish or sotong and hard boiled eggs.
In the Klang Valley, most neighbourhoods will have their own resident Indian rojak stall housed in a mobile van. You also have cendol that goes hand in hand with the spicy sweetish dish, giving you some much-needed cool relief. More of a lunch or teatime snack, crowds will usually hit up these places at those times.
The stalls will be parked under leafy trees or the roadside. Enterprising stall owners often place tables and chairs around their stalls for their customers to enjoy their rojak immediately. Some stalls even sell variations whereby yellow noodles or mee is combined with the same ingredients to create mee rojak.
Hasan’s Rojak
Mobile van outside CS Foods
Jalan 21/37, Seapark, PJ
Open: 10am to 5pm. Closed on Friday.
Popular with the Chinese neighbourhood, this place gets crowded during lunch time as people pop over for a quick bite. The rojak here is a mix of yam bean, cucumber and the not-so-common bean sprouts. You will find that the sauce has well balanced spicy and sweet flavours. Even the prawn fritters still remain crispy. Order the cendol that is served in a plastic container. There is also another mobile van parked around the SS2 area near Maruzen Lighting that is run by the stall owner’s younger brother that starts from 11am onwards.
Rojak Bellamy
Jalan Bellamy, Bukit Petaling, KL
Open daily: 7.30am to 5.30pm
Open since 1958, this stall is located near the ikan bakar stalls behind the old palace. Here the sauce tends to be rather sweeter with a heavier peanut taste. It’s also a little watered down. A plate of rojak is a mixture of cucumbers, yam bean, dough fritters, crispy fritters and fried bean curd. Aside from the usual sotong addition, this stall offers fried chicken with your plate of rojak. You can also dine on mee goreng and mee rebus. They also have branch at Plaza Damansara, Damansara Heights.
Rojak SS15 Subang
Stall along Jalan SS15/3B, Subang Jaya
Open daily: 11.30am to 7.30pm
Arguably the best in town, it draws crowds of fans who will wait patiently for their rojak. The rojak biasa is a mix of coconut fritters, crispy prawn fritters, deep fried bean curd, shredded cucumber and yam bean. You can also add sotong, a piece of hard boiled egg or a combination of both items. Since turnover is so high, the crunchy fritters and sliced vegetables are rather fresh. Pair it with a bowl of cendol and it makes a satisfying meal. Look for other goodies too around the neighbouring stalls like the freshly fried vadai that is served with whole green chillies. They also have a branch at No. 47, Jalan 52/18, PJ New Town and a recently opened kiosk at the Kompleks PKNS in Section 14 Shah Alam that serves rojak and cendol.
Rojak Taman Bahagia
Stall at the playground opposite Taman Bahagia LRT station
Jalan SS2/5, PJ
Open: 10am to 5.30pm
This 20-year-old plus stall sells rojak next to a playground that makes it easier for you to sit and enjoy your meal. Here the peanut sauce has a hint of spiciness to it. You can also get a bowl of cendol together with your rojak.
Rojak Bandar Puteri 9 Puchong
Stall along Persiaran Puteri
Puchong
Open: 11am to 6pm
A neighbourhood stall, this place serves dough fritters studded with freshly grated coconut in their rojak together with the usual assortment of items and a thick peanut sauce that is not overly spicy. You can also opt to add their stir fried sotong that is a little dry. They also have stalls in Petaling Jaya and Bukit Jalil.
