Mi Loka a traditional dessert that’s ‘easy to prepare’
MI loka may not be familiar to many, but the traditional Negri Sembilan dessert is a perennial favourite among the locals here, especially during Ramadan. Mi loka is a type of Malay sweet porridge that is mixed with a noodle known as mi siput.
Ibu Soko (female leader) of the Seri Lemak Minangkabau Lingkungan clan, Nazariah Mohd Noh, 68, said mi loka was a popular Adat Lingkungan dish in the Adat Perpatih community in the state.
“Mi loka is a highly favoured dish here, especially among the elderly, as it is very easy to prepare.
“All you need is gula enau (palm sugar), sugar, pisang nangka (banana), pandan leaves and coconut milk.
“It can also be eaten with bread or pulut (steamed glutinous rice),” she said after a cooking demonstration of traditional Adat Lingkungan desserts in Seri Menanti, here, recently.
Nazariah said mi loka was also among the much-anticipated desserts during Ramadan as it could be found only in certain areas.
In fact, she said nowadays, the Negri Sembilan heritage dish was hardly found at restaurants or food markets, making it less popular among the people, especially the youth.
Nazariah, who acquired the skill of making mi loka from her mother, hoped that the younger generation would learn to cook the traditional dish, to ensure it did not go extinct.
Another sought-after traditional Adat Lingkungan dessert during the fasting month is kuih sopang, which is made of glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, gula enau and freshly grated coconut.
Housewife, Limah Ali, 73, of the Tanah Datar Lingkungan clan said many had mistakenly equated kuih sopang with badak berendam, as the two dishes had some similarities.
“They are actually different, as badak berendam is round in shape while kuih sopang resembles a curry puff.
“Kuih sopang is also served with thick coconut milk gravy and takes only an hour to cook,” she added.
Negri Sembilan Museum Board director Dr Shamsuddin Ahmad said the cooking demonstration was aimed at introducing iftar dishes that represented every Adat Lingkungan clan.
It was also to revive the tradition of exchanging food, especially kuih that are made by ibu soko with neighbours during the month of Ramadan, he said.
“We invited experts like ibu soko who have the skills and knowledge in making Adat Lingkungan traditional desserts such as puteri mandi, kelepung gula enau, kuih sopang, kuih koci and mi loka to do a cooking demonstration,” Shamsuddin said.