MALAYSIAN FOOD

THE BEST MALAYSIAN AND SINGAPOREAN FOOD IN LONDON

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 06:08:00 +0000

Article by Londonist

The first thing you need to know about good Malaysian and Singaporean food in London is that you’re unlikely to find it in a Chinese takeaway. No matter what the menu says, Singapore fried noodles are as Singaporean as ‘spag bol’ is Bolognese.

So what makes food Malaysian or Singaporean? It's hard to come up with a single definition that sums up the flavours of nasi lemak (coconut rice served with fried anchovies and sambal belacan), laksa(yellow egg noodles in a tangy curry soup) or beef rendang (dark, caramelised beef stew). After all they're influenced by almost every major Asian cuisine — Malay, Chinese (and also the Straits Chinese), Indian, Indonesian, a sprinkling of Thai even.

Geography has a lot to do with this gastronomic confluence. In their early days, the British developed both countries as a trading crossroads in the East and early immigrants who flocked to the states of Malaya brought with them all manner of foods and spices. Perhaps what comes closest to describing the culinary culture of the region is the Malay word rojak, which means mixture (and interestingly also lends its name to a hodgepodge dish of fruit and vegetables coated in a thick peanut sauce).

Intrigued? Here are some places to get your fill of Malaysian and Singaporean food in London. And if you're around Trafalgar Square this Friday also check out Malaysia Night, a yearly smorgasbord of Malaysian food and culture.

Rasa Sayang, Chinatown

This Chinatown stalwart does all the staples solidly — nasi lemak, beef rendang and char kway teow(wok-fried flat noodles in a dark soy sauce). If you’re feeling adventurous, have a go at the Singapore chilli crab: that’s juicy crab meat covered in a sweet, savoury, eggy sauce. And don’t be put off by the name — it’s not that spicy.

C&R Cafe, Chinatown

To find this cramped, cafe-style joint you’ll have to make your way down the narrow Rupert Court alley (on a busy day, you’ll spot the queues first). Guardian food critic Jay Rayner has given a ringing endorsement to the seafood laksa here, while Singaporean and Malaysian visitors tend to go for the humbler but equally satisfying Hainanese chicken rice (tender poached chicken served on a bed of pandan-flavoured rice).

Hainanese chicken rice. Photo by Su-Lin on Flickr.

Sedap, Old Street

This decent spot is primarily a lunchtime place with a good selection of Malaysian curries. Try the beef rendang or more unusual curry tumis which has a sharp kick of tamarind.

Roti King, Euston

Roti canai is a type of Indian flatbread that’s served with a dipping bowl of curry. Making it is an art in itself — a ball of dough is spun into a thin, elastic disc that’s crisped up on a hot plate. If you’re lucky, the folks at this Malaysian-style greasy spoon will make your roti fresh in front of you.

You can get your roti plain, or stuffed with lamb or chicken. Or just for the sake of it, in the shape of a cone that's drizzled with chocolate sauce. (Yes, that’s actually a thing.)

Makan, Notting Hill

More a pit-stop than a restaurant, here you choose from a selection of rice and curry dishes from the bar. Try the curry puffs (curried chicken and potatoes in pastry) or ayam goreng (fried chicken).

Satay House, Paddington

A popular haunt amongst Malaysian and Singaporean students, Satay House has a big menu of traditional dishes, from its speciality satay to mee goreng. Nasi campur, an all-in-one dish of lamb, chicken or fish curry with steamed rice, salted fish and vegetables is another crowd pleaser. (Also close by is Pak Awie, which does similarly reliable comfort food.)

Sticky Satay.

Nasi lemak: Malaysian breakfast. Photo by Su-Lin on Flickr.

Malaysian Deli, Brockley

If you’re venturing south of the river, this hole-in-the-wall eatery does good nasi lemak and beef rendang, plus a very reasonable buffet.

Three other tips...

If you fancy a bit of heat, ask for sambal belacan, a spicy chilli condiment made from shrimp paste, to go with your food.

Teh tarik, a sweet and frothy tea made with condensed or evaporated milk, is another must-have.

And if you have Malaysian friends, get them to take you to Malaysia Hall, a canteen at the Malaysian High Commission that’s (sadly) only for Malaysian citizens.

SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 09:33:00 +0000

THE start of a new school year brings about a new wave of expatriates arriving and settling in Kuala Lumpur as their base of residence for a number of years.

As with any other country, Malaysia has its share of quirky practices that foreigners find different from what they are used to.

Dining out, for example, is a very enjoyable adventure to engage in.

The food choices are astounding; the price range is diverse, from the very low budget to the very high end.

There is no such thing as 1Malaysia when it comes to food, and I mean that is good.

The varying Chinese restaurants offering a wide selection of dishes from Cantonese, Hokkien and dim sum, to the northern and southern Indian cuisines, and of course the Malay kitchens with its signature generous use of spices has its origins from -- or should I say -- marriage with Indonesian cuisine mainly from Sumatran and west Kalimantan parts.

It is already dizzying.

Then there is the fusion of Chinese and Malay, which gave rise to the Nyonya cuisine.

And these are just the local choices.

Whether you are in search of molecular gastronomy, German bratwurst or Japanese fine dining, name it, Kuala Lumpur has it.

The Malaysian capital city in particular also has a very rich cafe culture, lots of French bakeries and patisseries – a couple or three are close to authentic – and endless brunch places to indulge those weekend mornings.

But before you begin your culinary journey, it is helpful to know that not all restaurants are alike in the way they conduct their services, or businesses.

To illustrate, when you walk into an Italian restaurant, in Italy or in any other part of the world, you are usually offered a small basket of bread, served with olive oil and balsamic to quell those hunger pangs, or just as an accompaniment to your aperitivo while you are going through the menu and deciding what to order.

And that is free. As in gratis. You do not need to pay for that.

Here in Kuala Lumpur, when you walk into a Chinese restaurant and they immediately serve you “tidbits” like boiled nuts or any other dim sum starter, please be informed that you will be charged for those if you consume them, regardless if you ordered them or not.

The same goes for the wet wipes they generously put on the table.

Do not assume that those are on-the-house. They are not.

Some restaurants and cafes will not seat you if the number of people you have reserved for are not complete.

Even if you have small children and even if you have to stand outside for as long as it takes, in the mid-morning humid heat, there is no exception.

The only plausible information I can come up with is that they want a fast turnover, they do not want any table lingering or waiting for others to order, they want it quick and fast.

It is a shame because the popular ones are the most notorious for these kinds of practices.

On the bright side, there is no shortage of other establishments which are more accommodating, and as a consumer, you always have a choice not to patronise the profit-oriented ones and opt instead for the customer-centred ones.

The most absurd and somewhat amusing experience I have had was the one in a popular general food store chain, which serves salads and bistro food, for dining in or take away.

There was no guest dining at 11.45am; and the person at the counter refused my order for two take-away salads just because, according to him, the cash register was still set at “breakfast” so he cannot ring up my order until noon.

Obviously, what this deli failed to realise is the missed business opportunity or increased revenues they could earn from people who want to avoid the lunch crowd, or just about anyone who wants to buy food before noon!

The best way to sample a wide array of local fare, like roti canai served with teh tarik, is to dine in a mamak stall.

Mamak stalls are inexpensive and serve unpretentious food in a very casual atmosphere.

According to John, our Indian family driver, the word mamak is from the Tamil word for maternal uncle, or maa-ma.

He also explained not all mamak stalls were the same.

The ones run by Muslims do not serve pork but serve beef, and Hindu stalls serve neither beef nor pork.

Finally, you will know it is a good mamak if you see many locals frequenting it.

A CULINARY ADVENTURE AND DINE ON CENTRAL ASIAN

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 04:24:00 +0000

WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD, PART OF THE ADVENTURE INCLUDES EXPLORING OTHER CULTURES. STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE OF SANDWICHES, WANTAN MEE OR EVEN NASI LEMAK, AND SAMPLE THIS NO-FRILLS PLACE OPENED SINCE DECEMBER 2011 WHICH SERVES UP EXOTIC FOOD FROM CENTRAL ASIA.

LOCATED AT THE HEART OF KL, RESTAURANT CENTRAL ASIA PULLS IN THE CROWDS WITH ITS DELICIOUS FARE SERVED A LA CARTE OR ECONOMY RICE STYLE.

CENTRAL ASIAN CUISINE COVERS THAT OF FAR-FLUNG COUNTRIES LIKE KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKISTAN, TURKMENISTAN, AFGHANISTAN AND UZBEKISTAN. AS THE REGION HAS MANY INFLUENCES, BEING PART OF THE SILK ROAD, YOU WILL FIND A MISH MASH OF DISHES HERE WITH DIFFERENT ORIGINS.

ENJOY MANTI OR STEAMED DUMPLINGS FILLED WITH JUICY MINCED MUTTON, ONIONS AND CUMIN DRIZZLED WITH SOUR CREAM.

MOST OF THE DISHES SERVED IN THIS RESTAURANT SLANTS TOWARDS UZBEK CUISINE, AS THE PLACE IS RUN BY NATIVES OF TASHKENT, THE CAPITAL OF UZBEKISTAN. SOME DISHES FOUND HERE LIKE SHASHLIK CAN TRACE ITS ORIGINS BACK TO GEORGIA OR BORSCHT TO RUSSIA. EVEN THE SIMPLE BUT COMFORTING OLIVYE OR POTATO SALAD WITH MAYONNAISE FOUND IN THE RESTAURANT IS A CLASSIC RUSSIAN SALAD.

ON THE SURFACE, THE WELL-HIDDEN RESTAURANT AT MEGAN AVENUE 2 ALONG JALAN YAP KWAN SENG SEEMS TO BE IN AN ILLOGICAL SPOT. A CHAT WITH THEIR OWNERS REVEALS THAT THE CHOICE TO OPEN HERE WAS DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO THE UZBEKISTAN AIRWAYS OFFICE (WHICH HAS NOW MOVED OUT) AND THE PRIVATE COLLEGE THAT IS ATTENDED BY MANY STUDENTS WHO HAIL FROM THE SAME REGION.

JOIN THE QUEUE FOR LUNCH AS THE STUDENTS TRICKLE IN BY 12.30PM.

ON WEEKDAYS, LUNCH FROM 11AM TO 3PM IS SERVED ECONOMY RICE STYLE TO CATER TO THE ENDLESS STREAM OF COLLEGE STUDENTS AND OFFICE WORKERS LOOKING FOR A QUICK MID-DAY BITE. REGULARS POINT US TO THEIR JUICY TENDER MEATBALLS OR EVEN TENDER CHICKEN PIECES TO BE EATEN WITH LEMON SLICES.

EVEN THE SIMPLE-LOOKING SCRAMBLED EGGS SWIMMING IN A RED HUED BROTH IS SO TASTY THAT YOU WANT SECONDS. MOST OF THE DISHES ARE STAPLES FOR THE RESTAURANT AND CHANGES TO THE DAILY LINE-UP OF FOOD ARE USUALLY MINIMAL. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE STUDENTS PILE THEIR PLATES HIGH WITH CARBOHYDRATES — A MIXTURE OF RICE, FRENCH FRIES AND EVEN PASTA — WHICH FILLS YOU UP.

PICK UP SAMSA WHERE FLAKY PASTRY IS FILLED WITH MINCED BEEF, MUTTON, CHOPPED ONIONS AND FLAVOURED WITH CUMIN.

IF YOU PREFER, LOOK TOWARDS THEIR A LA CARTE MENU TO SAMPLE OTHER DELICACIES. START BY NIBBLING ON SAMSA WHICH IS THE UZBEK TRIBUTE TO THE ALL-TIME FAVOURITE SAMOSA, WHICH IS BAKED RATHER THAN FRIED. OUR CLOSEST LINK TO IT LOCALLY WOULD BE OUR SIEW PAU, THOSE GOLDEN PASTRIES MADE FAMOUS IN SEREMBAN TOWN.

HERE THE PASTRY IS CRUMBLY AND GENEROUSLY STUFFED WITH A FILLING OF MINCED BEEF AND MUTTON, CHOPPED ONIONS, FENNEL AND PEPPER. IN A SIMILAR VEIN, THERE’S MANTI OR DUMPLINGS WITH THE SAME FILLING USED IN THESAMSA. AS THESE ARE STEAMED WITH THIN STRETCHED WHEAT FLOUR SKINS, THE LARGE DUMPLINGS MAKE JUICY BITES AND ARE BEST EATEN PIPING HOT.

LAGMAN MAY SOUND STRANGE TO OUR EARS BUT WHEN THE PLATE OF NOODLES ARRIVE, YOU WILL RECOGNISE THE FAMILIAR STRANDS AS IT’S THE UZBEK VERSION OF LA MIAN. THE NOODLES ARE SIMPLY SUPERB WITH A BOUNCINESS AND BITE THAT WILL TRUMP ANY OF THE FAMOUS LA MIAN RESTAURANTS IN TOWN. SLURP DOWN THE STRANDS WITH THE HEARTY BROTH SWEETENED WITH CELERY, CAPSICUMS AND TOMATOES, ALL TOPPED WITH TENDER BEEF SLICES.

THEIR LAGMAN IS SUPERB WITH HANDPULLED NOODLES THAT BOAST AN ELASTIC TEXTURE AND A TASTY BROTH MADE WITH TENDER BEEF SLICES, TOMATOES, CELERY AND CAPSICUMS (LEFT). ORDER A POT OF UZBEK BLACK TEA OR GREEN TEA TO SHARE (RIGHT).

FOR A TRADITIONAL TASTE, ORDER THE PLOV BETTER KNOWN AS UZBEKISTAN’S NON-OFFICIAL NATIONAL DISH. SIMILAR TO BIRYANI RICE AND BOASTING PERSIAN INFLUENCES, THIS VERSION AT THE RESTAURANT HAS BEAUTIFUL FLUFFY BASMATI GRAINS COOKED WITH SHREDDED CARROTS, MUTTON FAT, CHICKPEAS AND RAISINS, WHICH IS LIGHTLY SPICED AND TOPPED WITH TENDER PIECES OF MUTTON. THE CARROTS GIVE THE RICE A SLIGHT SWEET TASTE. HEARTY EATERS CAN ALSO ORDER THEIR SHASHLIK OR SKEWERS OF MEAT. THE MEAT HERE IS LIGHTLY SEASONED AND EACH PIECE IS JUICY THAT PAIRS WELL WITH THE REFRESHING ONION SLICES.

FOR A COMFORTING MEAL, TRY THE SHO’RVA WITH MUTTON, POTATO AND CARROT IN A TUMMY SATISFYING TOMATO BROTH

.LIGHT EATERS CAN SLURP A BOWL OF THEIR HEARTY SHO’RVA SERVED WITH A PIECE OF MUTTON WITH BONE, POTATO AND CARROT. PAIR THIS WITH THEIR FRESHLY BAKED BREADS KNOWN AS NON. THE UZBEK BREAD HAS A LIGHT CRUMB WITH A SLIGHT CHEWY GOLDEN CRUST, WHICH IS SPRINKLED WITH NIGELLA SEEDS. OTHER DISHES LIKE CHUCHVARA WHERE SMALL DUMPLINGS ARE EATEN WITH SOUP, OR THEIR VERSION OF THE RUSSIAN BORSCHT WILL REQUIRE MORE VISITS TO THIS PLACE.

FOR DESSERT, THERE’S AN ARRAY OF HOME-BAKED CAKES YOU CAN ORDER, LIKE MEDOVIY, A HONEY CAKE, WHICH TRACES ITS ORIGINS TO RUSSIA. THE LAYERS OF HONEY CAKE AND CREAM IS DUSTED WITH FRESHLY BAKED BREAD CRUMBS. IT’S A LITTLE SWEET ON ITS OWN, SO PAIR IT WITH A CUP OF UZBEK BLACK OR GREEN TEA, WHICH IS DRUNK WITHOUT ANY MILK. IF YOU PREFER A COOL REFRESHING DRINK, ORDER THE AYRON — YOGHURT DILUTED WITH WATER AND MIXED WITH SALT. SIMILAR TO LASSI, IT QUENCHES YOUR THIRST ESPECIALLY ON A HOT HAZY DAY.

ASIA'S FINEST CUISINE OF MALAYSIAN FOOD

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Sun, 13 Sep 2015 07:59:00 +0000

Talking About Food And Fruit

Food is a popular conversational topic in this country and visitors will discover that Malaysians enjoy eating out. Savour a variety of items at different times of the day. Malaysia offers Asia's best variety of cuisine given the wide array of cooking styles and traditions. Eating out here is a gastronomic adventure ranging form aromatic Malay dishes to piping hot Chinese delicacies and spicy Indian fare. The unique peranakan, also known as nyonya, cuisine is a fusion of Chinese and Malay styles.

Cuisine of Malaysia:

Natural, home grown ingredients figure prominently in Malay food. Coconut, chili, lemon grass, line leaves, spices and turmeric are basic ingredients cooked with fish, meat and vegetables. Try Malaysia's signature dish, satay, consisting of skewers of thick, succulent marinated meat barbecued over charcoal fire and served with peanut dip.

The chinese enjoy rice as a staple served with meat or vegetable dishes but noodles feature prominently in great variety and combination. Indian cooking is one of Malaysia's distinctive foods with both southern and northern styles available. A popular Indian Muslin dish is Nasi Kandar. It is a rice meal eaten with chicken, meat or fish in rich, thick gravies and curries.

Malaysian Dishes

In Sarawak, rice and meat are placed in hollow bamboo tubes and cooked over a fire while in sabah picked dishes are a local specialty.

Popular dished among locals include Roti Canai, a light crispy pancake made form wheat flour and cooked o a griddle. Try it with a cup of Teh Tarik- tea pulled form one mug to another to give it a smoother flavor.

Fruits:

Malaysia has a great variety of refreshing tropical fruits. some are seasonal while others are available thought the year. Mangostten is loved for its sweet, juicy white flesh while the adventurous should try the durian. Controversial for its smell, the locals call it the "King of fruits".

For a truly Malaysian experience dine out in an open air food court where visitors can enjoy delicious food at affordable prices. Elsewhere, small restaurants televise popular football matches on big screen televisions to pull in the crowd. Kopitiams otherwise known as coffee shops are interesting to dine in. Also look out for vendors selling snacks or drinks on push carts.

Malaysian Fruits

The interesting potpourri of local cuisine has been complemented with cosmopolitan influences and Italian, French, Japanese, Thai, Vientiane and Middle eastern cuisine is available in selected restaurants, vegetarian restaurants can be found in major cities in the country mainly serving either Chinese or Indian style dishes.

Visitors should be aware that Muslims only consume halal food and only dine in restaurants, which are certified halal. Pork and alcohol are not consumed by Muslims.

Visitors are encouraged to check the local dailies and hotel what's on guides for current listings on the best dining sports around the country.

BEST FOOD GIFT FROM MALACCA

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Sat, 12 Sep 2015 16:29:00 +0000

Nyonya dumplings

After sightseeing and eating up a storm in the historic state of Malacca, shop around for some of the best food gifts the picturesque town has to offer!

Tan Kim Hock Product Centre and San Shu Gong are some of the biggest places to get all kinds of local snacks and titbits but if you stroll along Jonker Walk, you'll come across countless stalls selling anything from gula Melaka to pineapple tarts and more!

We have suggestions for a day’s worth of eating, but when it’s time to leave, here are HungryGoWhere’s choices for food souvenirs from Malacca that we think your family and friends will love, young or old!

Pineapple tarts

After chicken rice balls, pineapple tarts are the next thing that pops into our minds when it comes to Malacca. Crumbly, buttery pastry with sticky-sweet pineapple jam, we could easily polish off an entire case of them in one sitting!

fineapple

If you hover over some of the more popular stalls on Jonker Walk (Christina Ee, LW, Pooh Keon, Nyonya Story Enterprise, just to name a few), you might just be able to catch samples fresh out of the oven! When it comes to deciding which to bring home, check out our taste test to see which brand comes out on top.

Gula Melaka

A sweet gift for your sweetie.

Extracted from the sap of coconut palm trees, the rich, earthy aroma of gula Melaka makes it a popular ingredient in Peranakan cooking. You can find it drizzled generously over cendol or in the classic Nyonya dessert, the sticky-sweet sago gula Melaka.

Often shaped into cylindrical blocks, the sugar is plentiful in Malacca. We were told that the lighter the colour of the blocks, the more it's mixed with refined sugar so the darker the brown, the more gula Melaka you'll be getting!

Nyonya dumplings

Nyonya dumplings are unique for their sweet-savoury flavour and characteristic bright blue colour, tinted by pea flowers. The sticky rice dumplings are stuffed with candied winter melon and minced pork which gives it its sweet and salty taste.

Poh Piah Lwee and East & West Rendezvous Cafe are some of the places you can find these delicious Nyonya dumplings and if you visit at the right time, you can even watch them being made!

Kacang tumbuk

If the other gifts don't work, here’s what you get when you feel 'crushed'.

Literally translated from Malay to "punched peanuts", kacang tumbuk is a flaky peanut biscuit. The nuts are crushed to a fine dust, mixed with a little sugar, and compacted into a square biscuit. They're really crumbly so pop the whole thing into your mouth to avoid a mess. Get some to go and munch on them while you stroll along Jonker Walk or take some home from any souvenir shop you stumble on.

For more gift suggestions, check out the full 8 Food Gifts in Malacca guide. Malacca has a lot to offer, so just take a quick road trip there if you happen to have a weekend off like we did. If you like to explore our cultural food heritage, then check out another food trail as an introduction to Malacca cuisine. – September 10, 2015.

If good food is your passion, then HungryGoWhere is your perennial kaki makan. Use our comprehensive online guides and user reviews to find the best food Malaysia can serve up, platter optional. Download our brand new HungryGoWhere app, bringing you the best of both Malaysia and Singapore in one solitary app! Currently available for iOS, with Android coming real soon to you!

MALAYSIAN DESERT

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 15:28:00 +0000

Here’s, taught about the varieties of Desert in Malaysia

Malaysia, Truly Asia. This slogan which is used extensively for Malaysian Tourism keeps conjuring to my mind every time I think of Malaysian food. A melting pot of multicultural backgrounds and heavily influenced by Dutch, Portuguese, Japanese and British colonisations, it is no surprise that the food scene in Malaysia is depicted as one of the best in the world. However, not many people outside Malaysia actually know much of Malaysian cuisine, let alone tasted the Malaysian desserts, so here I am with a bit of enlightenment for all of us, as in my humble opinion, the arrays of desserts one find in Malaysia is second to none.

When you think of French desserts, one would even classify macarons as the National 'dessert'. For Malaysians, 'kueh' is the Malaysia's answer to macarons, the local pièce de résistance. Kueh is one of the traditional steam cakes which is famous amongst the Malays and Baba Nyonyas of Malaysia. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of variations to kueh, from the typical use of rice flour, natural food flavourings of squeezed pandan leaves up to the upbeat, colourful varieties of semolina and tapioca laden in coconut milk as well as glutinous rice layers; all these could be found in almost all the stalls and restaurants in Malaysia. Some of the kuehs come in layers, hence known as Kueh Lapis, or Layered Steam Cakes; whilst some are known by the ingredients used in making them such as Talam Suji (Semolina Steamcake) or Lapis Pandan ( Pine leave layered steam cake). The art of making kueh is very much inherited from generations to generations, where the 'recipes' are mostly an approximate based on one's experience instead of the exact measurements. Sometimes the 'kueh' of same title tastes completely different throughout the 13 regional states of Malaysia! One thing that is common throughout is the use of rice flour and coconut milk in abundance, whilst the kueh itself would be encased in beautiful cases, triangles and boxes made of coconut leaves and banana leaves; an art that is as good as origami.

Wait, there's more..don't forget the savouries!
If you think that is all there is to Malaysian sweet tooth, you are wrong, as this is only the tip of the iceberg. As the cuisine also drew influences from the Indian, Chinese and Thai culture, you may find that a lot of tea time snacks in Malaysia are savouries from Kerala, South India or Chinese backgrounds such as Vadaa, deep fried dhal patties with curry leaves and Yau Char Kway, the chinese fried crullers, delicious with tea or on its own. It is fair to say that most Malaysians are familiar with all the cuisines of all sorts as a dessert platter contains Malay, Chinese, Indian and even Thai desserts all on a plate!

In Malaysia, we have sweet porridge for high-tea..

One of the unique Malaysian desserts that I truly miss is the arrays of sweet congees also known as 'Bubur' or 'Pengat'; these congees are usually sweetened with cocconut palm sugar ( I tell you, they taste way better than Muscovado sugar), and liberal use of tropical fruits and vegetables as the main ingredients. For example, Pengat Labu or literally translated as Sweet Pumpkin Porridge is a scrumptious comfort food enjoyed during tea time, and Bubur Cha-Cha, a Nyonya dessert made with colourful sweet potatoes, yam, black-eye peas, tapioca jelly, cooked in sweetened coconut milk base is a treat for the nation, and a must amongst Chinese who celebrate the Chap Goh Mei festival.

Cool local frappes to quench the thrist, all year long of summer..

Malaysia's year-long summer is also beautifully complemented with the varieties of cold desserts and 'frappes'. Even before Starbucks launched the frappucinos, Malaysians are well accustomed with ABC- Ais Batu Kacang (Ais is Malaysian spelling for Ice); which is a concoction of shaven ice drizzled with sweetcorn, jellies, rose syrup, roasted peanuts, ice-cream and many more! If you would rather err on side of caution, there are also 'less adventurous' cold desserts that can be tried; the famous Cendol made from rice flour jelly, mango pudding with fruit cocktails and agar-agar, to name a few.

I hope this snapshot will give you a glimpse of Malaysian cuisine and if you ever visit Malaysia, do try out the desserts as they are truly delectable. It is very difficult to sum up 'Malaysian Desserts' in a page as they are really a plethora of various cuisines, and the hybrid that forms Malaysia, and I think that is where the beauty lies. To celebrate Malaysian desserts with The Daring Kitchen members, I shall be sharing Malaysian desserts recipes on weekly basis in my food blog, so do visit “The Cooking Doctor” for Malaysian dessert recipes every Saturday from this week onwards. Let's be daring and try out the aforementioned recipes in the article above and many more, in your own kitchen.

TRADITIONAL MALAY FOOD

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 14:19:00 +0000

Both are my favorite food which normally as breakfast .

Nasi Kerabu

Nasi Kerabu happens to be my most favourite rice dish ever. I have this ex-colleague of mine name Jeff who used to live in Kampung Baru and I will get him to tapau (take out) for me every week. I've always wanted to make nasi kerabu but when I look at the long list of ingredients and the amount of afford putting into making a dish I tend to forgo it. Being overseas doesn’t help either as it can be quite difficult for me to get some of the ingredients but because of this MFF event I don't mind spending a few hours in the kitchen to cook this meal as it is all worth it. The meal turns out great.

One of the key ingredients in Nasi Kerabu is the fish, specifically Mackerel. I was so confident I could head down to the Asian supermarket and buy some Mackerel, little did I know there is no such thing as a simple Mackeral here in the USA! I was confronted with Atlantic Mackeral, Pacific Mackerel, Indian Mackerel etc. I had no idea which one to buy as none looked familiar to me as they were huge. Almost as long as my arm, I kid you not! The fish that I'm familiar with that normally accompanies my Nasi kerabu were all cute looking and petite. That’s just the first problem I faced. The second problem was that I could not find any budu (salted / fermented anchovy sauce). Nasi kerabu without budu is like Nasi Lemak without the Sambal or teh Tarik without the froth. You can do it but it's just not the same. These all changed when my good friend gave me half a bottle of budu brought all the way back from Terengganu. I just had to make this Nasi Kerabu by hook or by crook. No more excuses!

Not many people know that Nasi Kerabu comes in a few colours other than blue although blue is the most popular colour. Variations can be white (normal white rice), yellow (turmeric and cekur / sand ginger) which is called Nasi Kerabu Tumis and grey (from Mengkudu leaves / noni / Morinda Citrifolia ) which is known as Nasi Kerabu Hitam although blue is also known by the same name. In reality, there are so many different combinations of accompaniments and styles of cooking that it is quite impossible to list them all here. If you are interested, remember 'Google' is your best friend.

Ingredients for the Rice:
Adapted from Betty Saw's Cookbook

420 gm. (2 1/2 rice cup) Rice (I used Basmathi rice)
8 - 10 Butterfly pea flower / blue pea flower / bunga telang, soaked in hot water or a few drops of blue colouring
2 -3 kaffir lime leaves / daun limau purut - optional
1stalk lemongrass, bruised - optional
1 tsp. Salt - optional (I did not add)

Wash and drain the rice. Soak the rice with the butterfly pea flower water for 10 minutes (if using) and then put in kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and salt and cook the rice as usual. If you are just using blue colouring, drop a few drops of the colour and cook as usual.

Ingredients for Kerisik Sambal Ikan / Coconut Flaked Fish

2 - 3 Chubs Mackerel / Indian Mackerel / ikan kembung, grilled and flaked
1 skinned Coconut, grated
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Sugar

Ingredients to be ground:

8 Shallots, peeled
2. 5 cm knob ginger, peeled
1/4 tsp. ground White pepper

Dry fry the grated coconut until lightly brown. If the grated coconut you are using is a little bit coarser, just pound it lightly to make it finer. Cool completely. Into a mixing bowl, put flaked fish, ground ingredients and kerisik. Add salt and sugar and mix well. Transfer to a serving dish.

Ingredients Coconut Sauce / Sambal Tumis Kelapa

10 dried chillies, soaked with hot water to soften
8 Shallots, peeled
1 litre coconut milk, squeezed from 1 grated coconut with sufficient water added.
2 pcs dried sour fruit / asam gelugur / asam keping
2 stalks Lemongrass / serai, lightly bruised
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt - optional
2 - 3 tbsp. Budu / Salted (fermented) anchovy sauce or to taste - optional

1. Combine dried chilies and shallots by grinding or blending in a blender. Into a pot, put coconut milk, ground chilies and shallots, dried sour fruit slices and lemongrass. Bring to a slow boil.
2. Simmer gently, stirring constantly for 10 minutes or until oil separates. However, if you are using canned coconut, the oil will not separate no matter how long you cook. In this instance, just cook until the gravy thickens.
3. Add sugar and salt or budu (whichever one you prefer), then transfer to a serving bowl.

Ingredients for Turmeric Battered Fried Fish / Ikan Goreng Tepung
Source: Shereen's

8 small / medium Chubb mackeral / Indian Mackeral / Kembung
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Tamarind pulp / asam jawa + 2 tbsp. Water, strained
Cooking oil

Batter

1 cup rice flour / tepung beras
125 ml Water
1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder
a pinch of Salt

1. Rub fish with salt and tamarind juice. Leave for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare batter. Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
2. Dip seasoned fish into batter and fry in hot oil for 2 - 3 minutes on each side. When cooked through and light golden, drain fish and transfer to a serving dish.

Ingredients for Roasted Turmeric Beef / Daging Bakar
Source: Shereen's

300 gm of any tender cut Beef (I used Sirlion)
2 tsp. salt or to taste (saltier nicer)
2 tsp. Turmeric powder
1 tbsp. Oil

1. Coat the beef with salt and turmeric (if you have the time, marinate for a few hours). Preheat oven at 400 degree F (grill function).
2. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Rub a wire grid with some oil. Rub beef pieces with oil and place onto the oiled grid.
3. Grill for 40 minutes or until the surface looks dry, turning once every ten minutes. Leave beef to cool down and slice thinly to serve.

Other Suggested Accompaniments:

Solok Lada – recipe coming up soon
Salted eggs
Turmeric fried chicken
Fish crackers / keropok ikan

Garnishing (use as many or as few as preferred)

1 cucumber, shredded
3 cabbage leaves, finely sliced (I used this)
a handful of bean sprouts / taugeh
6 long beans / snake beans, finely sliced (I used this)
4 - 5 four angle bean / winged bean / kacang botol
5 - 6 sprigs Polygonum leaves / daun kesum, finely sliced (I used this)
3 kaffir lime leaves / daun limau purut, finely sliced
2 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced (I used this)
1 torch ginger buds / bunga kantan, finely sliced (I used this -frozen)
1 onion, finely sliced
a handful of daun penna
10 young Cashew nuts leaves / pucuk gajus, finely sliced

To serve:

Put some rice onto individual serving plates, then pile on desired amounts of Coconut Flaked Fish, Coconut sauce and garnishing ingredients. Mix well with rice. Serve with side dishes / accompaniment.

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak, a traditional Malay dish that serves as the much-loved national dish of Malaysia basically consists of coconut milk infused rice served with an assortment of crunchy, fried dried anchovies, slices of cool cucumber, a handful of roasted peanuts, a half-boiled egg and a generous serving of hot, spicy chilli paste, otherwise known as ‘sambal’.

Back in the olden days, this dish was a familiar breakfast fixture, but its increasing popularity has made it a versatile meal, enjoyed by food lovers round the clock. They are usually served steaming hot in a protective wrapping of banana leaves that lend a traditional feel to the presentation of this dish besides serving to impart their aromatic fragrance to the rice.

The rice is normally cooked with a combination of coconut milk and knotted screwpine leaves, also known as ‘pandan’ leaves to us Malaysians. But these days, many have found that adding shavings of ginger and lemon grass helps improve the flavour and fragrance of the rice further, giving a more aromatic eating experience.

Like most Malaysian dishes, this dish has been tweaked to suit the myriad of cultures present in this country as well as the varying preferences of the people who enjoy them. As a result of this, the original ‘sambal’ is now being substituted by other spicy gravies, such as chicken sambal and cuttlefish sambal among others, and the hard-boiled egg now comes with a fried egg option too.

Usually something that tastes good comes with hours of slaving in the kitchen, right? Wrong! Nasi lemak is a quick and easy dish to prepare, albeit a hearty one.

So if you’re on a strict diet, you would probably prefer to go light on your other meals after devouring this.

But then again, it’s not really every day that you get to tuck into some delicious Malaysian comfort food such as this, so my advice would be to shut off that ‘calorie calculator’ in your brain, just till you finish every last grain of your ‘nasi lemak’.

Preparation time: 30 - 45 mins

Cooking time: approximately 1 hour (excluding time to make beef rendang-so make this in advance!)

Serves: 8 people

Rice:

4 rice cups long grain rice, washed with clean water until water runs clear

3 shallots, skin removed and finely sliced

2 lemongrass, ends of lemongrass smashed lightly

4 slices of galangal

1 teaspoon salt

2 rice cups fresh coconut milk

1 cup boiled water

4 pandan leaves, washed then knotted

For the Sambal:

100g fresh red chillies, stems removed

20g birds eye chillies, stems removed

10 shallots, skin removed

50ml tamarind juice

100g small Malaysian anchovies (ikan billis), fried until crispy

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt and sugar to taste

For the beef rendang:

Check out recipe here.

Other ingredients to accompany nasi lemak:

1 cucumber, finely sliced

5 hardboiled eggs, sliced into halves

Banana leaf

1. To cook the rice, add uncooked rice, coconut milk, water, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, salt and pandan leaves into the rice cooker pot. Cook rice in rice cooker for about 30 minutes and use a ladle to gently loosen the grains of cooked rice

2. For the sambal, blend together red chillies, bird’s eye chillies, shallots and 2 tablespoons of water in a blender until you achieve a fine paste. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan and add blended paste to the pan. Saute over low heat for 5 minutes. Pour in tamarind juice, salt and sugar and continue sauteing ingredients together until liquid is reduced by half. Turn off heat

3. for the beef rendang, check out recipe here.

4. To assemble nasal lemak, cut a piece of banana leaf and place it in top of your plate. Scoop a bowl of rice onto the banana leaf. Serve with beef rendang, sambal, half boiled egg and cucumbers around the rice. Top the rice with a large spoonful of fried ikan billis.

MALAYSIAN FOOD HISTORY

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 11:26:00 +0000

Here’s my taught about the variety of food from different ethnic

Malaysia is the home of several ethnic groups found its roots in the colonial period in which hundreds and thousands of immigrants who come here to find an honest living in the country prosperous. The majority of Chinese immigrants who worked in tin mines and the Indians placed along the rubber plantations brought with them their culture do not forget the rich culinary heritage. Culture to go along well with their cooking where unusual traditional gathering usual accompanied with a different mouth-watering cuisine, which become Malaysian food recipes.

Over time that cooking somehow assimilated with the local customs Malaysia as delivery of the more diverse and distinct from the cooking is not found anywhere else in the world, such as the infamous ‘Roti Canai’, a type of bread is like no other bread made from yeast and has a distinct oily texture, thanks to the way the dough-throwing acrobatics around during the process of doing so. Other types of foods Malaysia which has its origins in India is fine ‘mee Mamak’ and ‘Rojak Mamak’. Word mamak means uncle in Tamil, so that the Muslim community of India known as the local mamak.

“Mee Mamak”‘ is different from other noodles have a thick spicy flavor that will make you feel warm with a slurp, while the “Rojak Mamak” form of salad with a sauce made from finely ground must be satisfied most vegetarian chili. The curry is served in restaurants ‘mamak’ India definitely different but it has not been found in India. Above all a fun dish to eat with tea ‘field’ with milk that is difficult to make, literally, we need to pour the tea between two big glasses or mugs and height increase with attractive glass pour or mug higher and higher to achieve a distinctive foamy rich flavour and also to relax. All Malaysian Indian dishes not found in India alone just because the original recipe is Malaysianize, while using locally available materials are much cheaper and tastier.

The same can be said in the Malaysian Chinese food such as ‘Yong taufu’ and ‘Su’un, Chinese immigrants could not find the ingredients for the recipe originally from China, so they decided to replace it with a cheaper alternative source is found in Malaysia such as’ keluak the fruit ‘and’ wood sugar. Other local culinary pride of Malaysia who come from other countries such as the popular “laksa” located almost anywhere in Malaysia and even has a “laksa Johor” own version of sub, “laksa Kedah” and “laksa Penang”. “Laksa” are thick noodles. The”laksa” served with fish soup and sauce made from mackerel and sardines and lots of spices and the fish are not at all because the herbal aroma. This is a favourite among tourists for not too hot and spicy flavour.

Other Malaysian gourmets particularly the rice is the staple food on which Malaysia can be traced to neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Thailand as ‘Soto’ and ‘nasi kerabu” Johor and Kelantan respectively. They cook with the influence of border communities centuries ago as the machete when people start to interact and exchange goods together, especially in the border market town.

The arrival of Chinese and Indian migrants certainly increase the culinary scenes without them Malaysian cooking and recipes food would not be so colourful and beautiful as it is now. Today, Malaysia foods is a major attractio for tourists just as KLCC and KL Tower. When they said that Malaysia offers a rich cultural melting pot, the tourists have to mean a lot of Malaysia foods boiler for selection.