Malaysian Food comprises of not one particular distinction of food but a melting pot of cultures and traditions originating from its multi-ethnic population of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Nyonya and the indigenous people of Borneo.
Teh Tarik Literally meaning 'pulled tea', this milky beverage is prepared by pouring (or pulling) a drink of black milk tea back and forth between two mugs until a thick frothy top appears.
Cendol There is nothing fancy about cendol; simply a bowl of shaved ice in santan with worm-like pandan-flavored rice flour jelly and drizzles of condensed milk. But with the best gula Melaka (coconut palm sugar), this icy treat goes from ordinary to outstanding.
Air Batu Campur (ABC) A heaving bowl of shaved ice topped with evaporated milk and gula Melaka hides a dizzying mix of goodies like red bean, cincau (grass jelly), cendol, sweet corn, kidney beans and attap chee (palm seed) beneath.
Air Selasih The mild, barely discernible flavor of basil seeds, or biji selasih, coupled with their lovely crunchy texture makes them an ideal addition to drinks and desserts. To make air selasih, the seeds are added to rose syrup.
Noodles are another popular food, particularly in Malaysian Chinese cuisine, but used by other groups as well. Noodles such as bi hoon (rice vermicelli), kuay teow or ho fun (flat rice noodles), mee (yellow noodles), mee suah (wheat vermicelli), yee meen (golden wheat noodles), langka (transparent noodles made from mung bean), and others provide a source of carbohydrates besides the ubiquitous serving of rice that accompanies every meal.
NOODLES
Mi Mamak
Egg noodles, cabbage, tomatoes, fresh chilli, chicken, prawns and chunks of tofu are fried in thick dark soy sauce, tomato and chilli sauces. A squeeze of lime completes the dish.
This is one way Mi Mamak has been improvised; by adding in grilled scallops to the recipe.
Laksa Assam
This is an addictive spicy and tangy fish broth cooked with generous amounts of tamarind. Rice noodles, slices of mackerel, bunga kantan, chillies, cucumber, onion, pineapple and daun kesom (Polygonum leaf) swim in a delicious soup spiced with heh koh ( a sweet, thick prawn paste).
Care to learn how to cook Laksa Assam in a few simple steps? This is the way to do it.
INGREDIENTS:
2 lb fresh or dried thick round rice noodle
3 oz tamarind paste
10 cups water
2-and-a-half lb fresh ikan parang (wolf herring) or Spanish mackerel - cleaned, kept whole
3 heaped tbsp sugar
salt and pepper
14 sprigs laksa leaves (Vietnamese mint or polygonum odoratum) (Substitute: fresh mint sprigs)
2 wild bunga kantan (ginger buds) (Substitute: 4 inch fresh ginger)
4 pieces asam gelugor (dried tamarind skins) (Substitute: half a cup key lime juice)
3 tbsp heh ko (prawn paste) (Optional: mixed with 1 cup warm water)
ITEMS TO BE GROUND OR BLENDED
6 to 8 garlic
5 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced
8 oz shallots
1 inch fresh lengkuas (turmeric root)
3 tbsp or to taste, chili paste
1-and-a-half tbsp belacan (dried shrimp paste)
TO PREPARE GRAVY:
Using a mortar and pestle or blender, grind garlic, lemongrass, fresh turmeric, shallots, chili paste and belacan into a paste
Soak tamarind in 8 oz of warm water, squeeze and sieve into a saucepan - repeat 3 times with the same water, pour into a stockpot
Bring tamarind water to a boil, add ground paste, sugar laksa leaves, wild ginger buds, asam gelugur (dried tamarind slices), season with salt and pepper, boil rapidly for 15 min
Add cleaned whole fish, immediately reduce heat to low, simmer gently until fish is cooked, about 15 min
Carefully remove fish from stock, let fish cool, remove and discard bones, flake the fish meat, set aside
Simmer stock uncovered for 20 to 30 mins to reduce and intensify flavor
Remove and discard the laksa leaves, wild ginger buds and asam gelugur (dried tamarind skins)
Add the cooked flaked fish meat to the stock (with the fish meat added, it should be a light gravy-like consistency)
Taste for salt and add accordingly
Keep gravy hot on low heat, for serving
TO SERVE:
If using dried noodles, bring a pot of water to a rapid boil, parboil noodles until al dente
Remove noodles from boiling water, immediately run under cold water to stop cooking, drain well
If using fresh rice noodles, use a sieve to blanch noodles in hot water briefly
Assemble individual serving bowls - put a handful of noodles in each bowl, ladle piping hot gravy over the noodles
Sprinkle a little of each garnishing on top - shredded cucumber, onion, mint leaves (Optional: torch ginger and Serrano chilies)
Add a dollop of heh ko (prawn paste) - and serve hot immediately
Recipe can be found on MalaysianFood.net.
Char Kuay Teow Pulau Pinang
Chinese sausages, eggs, bean sprouts, prawns, bloody cockles, chives and flat rice noodles are stir fried in lard and a mix of soy sauce to aromatic perfection.
A renowned author and food-seeker from Singapore, Seetoh, once featured Char Kuay Teow in his famous food show, Makansutra. Though this is the Singapore-fusion way of preparing the dish; by adding in yellow noodles to the recipe, other ingredients are fairly the same.
Laksa Johor
South Malaysia's version of laksa is a hearty mackerel broth rich in santan and laden with spices. Rice noodles is bathed in the spicy gravy, garnished with cucumbers, bean sprouts and ulam, and served with a side of sambal belacan (chilli prawn paste). Spaghetti is sometimes used in place of yellow noodles.
Since both of my parents came from the southern part of the country (Johor to be exact), Laksa Johor is a-must-delicacy on our first day of Raya, aside from the usual ketupat and rendang. Below is the simple recipe of preparing it.
INGREDIENTS:
125 ml or 4 fl oz vegetable oil
2 litres or 64 fl oz santan (coconut milk)
500 g or 1 pound 1 ½ oz fresh prawns
300 g or 10 oz ikan kembung (Indian mackerel), boiled and flaked
1 kg / 2 pounds, 3 oz Wolf Herring (Ikan Parang), grilled or boiled and flaked
100 g or 3 ½ oz ikan masin (salted fish)
2 small packets meat curry powder – mixed with water to a paste
1 cup roasted, pounded desiccated kerisik (coconut)
1 cup asam jawa (tamarind juice) - mix tamarind pulp with hot water, strain
15 daun kesum (laksa leaves or Vietnamese mint), finely chopped
5 daun pudina (mint leaves), finely chopped
Salt and sugar to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR LAKSA PASTE:
3 cm or 1 ½ inch lengkuas (galangal or blue ginger), peeled
2 cm or 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
8 serai (lemongrass), sliced
5 garlic cloves
½ cup or 4 fl oz udang kering (dried shrimps), soaked in cold water and drained
3 cm or 1 ½ fresh kunyit (turmeric),peeled
30 dried chilies, soaked in boiling water and well drained
125 ml / 4 fl oz roasted belacan (shrimp paste)
25 shallots (red onion), peeled
1 cup water
SERVING INGREDIENTS:
2 packets spaghetti, boiled until cooked
2 cucumbers, peeled, discard seeds and slice into thin narrow strips
250 g or 9 oz tauge (bean sprout)
200 g / 7 oz kacang panjang (long beans or snake beans), sliced thinly
15 basil leaves, finely chopped
10 limau kasturi (calamansi lime), halved
1 tbsp sambal belacan (pounded chili and roasted shrimp paste)
METHOD FOR SEAFOOD STOCK:
Prawn heads or fish bones (Optional: Onion, dried shrimps, lemongrass and fresh herbs) are fried till fragrant.
Add in water and bring to boil.
Blend all ingredients well and strain.
METHOD:
Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pot. Add in the laksa paste and render the paste slowly. Fry till fragrant.
Add in meat curry powder (mixed with water), and cook over moderate heat until fragrant and oil begins to appear on the surface.
Add in all the flaked fish, dried fish, prawns, coconut milk and seafood stock. Add in fresh herbs (chopped), tamarind juice and roasted, pounded desiccated coconut. Add in salt and sugar to taste.
Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes until gravy thicken, then serve the laksa gravy together with serving ingredients.
Malaysians grew up with rice since Parameswara founded Malacca or even before that. Rice is the staple food of Malaysians for either Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli (native Malaysians) and other minor natives. Rice comes from paddy which is mainly planted in northern Malaysia which is also know as the rice bowl of Malaysia. The natives in Borneo plant their Huma paddy on the hills which required less water to grow. This variety of rice is also known commercially as the Bario rice.
RICE
Nasi Lemak
This de facto national dish may be simple fare but done right, its medley of aroma, flavors and textures is ambrosia. Creamy, fragrant rice - cooked in santan and infused with pandan (screwpine) leaves - is served with spicy anchovy sambal (a spicy chutney-like paste), hard-boiled eggs, roasted peanuts, cucumber slices and fried anchovies.
Nasi Kunyit
Kunyit is Malay for turmeric, and that's where this dish gets its brazen yellow coloring and subtle flavor from. Glutinous rice is cooked with that essential ingredient as well as santan, peppercorns, tamarind skin and pandan leaves. It's a perfect match with chicken curry.
Nasi Tumpang This compressed rice dish hides within its conical shape three layers of lauk (accompanying dishes). Typically there is an omelette and a seafood or fish dish which sandwiches a layer of serunding (spicy beef floss).
Nasi Kerabu The East Coast's favorite rice dish is colored blue by steaming rice with a type of flower. Is is eaten with ulam (a salad of fresh herbs and leaves), fried grated coconut, salted egg, fish crackers, budu (fish sauce) and fried fish or chicken with a drizzle of curry sauce and sambal on the side.
Nasi Dagang A speciality of Terengganu, nasi dagang is a combination of glutinous and white rice cooked in santan that is served with side dishes of tuna curry, pickled cucumber and carrots, hard-boiled egg and sambal.
Nasi Himpit Piping hot rice - cooked with pandan leaves for fragrance and flavor - is mashed then pressed down with a heavy weight to compress it, after which it is cut into cubes and served with rendang (dry curry) or curry.
Ketupat This Malay version of the rice dumpling is made by cooking white rice inside a square, woven coconut palm leave pouch. Ketupat is usually served with rendang, satay (grilled meat on sticks) or gado-gado (mixed vegetables with peanut sauce).
Lemang This traditional Malay dish, is made by smoking glutinous rice in a hallowed bamboo log lined with banana leaves, sealing the flavors of the santan and infusing it with a hint of bamboo and banana. Together with rendang, it is a must during Eid ul-Fitr.
Pulut Kukus Dalam Periuk Kera Glutinous rice, flavored with santan, is placed into the tropical pitcher plant and steamed. The plant pouch compresses the rice so it has a flavor and appearance that's similar to lemang or ketupat.
Malaysia's culinary repertoire is so wide and varied that it's hard to narrow down our best offerings, but the National Heritage Department has identified 100 dishes as the ones we should be most proud of. Here's a selection of some of them.
MAIN DISHES
Manok Pansoh
This Iban (a native tribe from Sarawak) speciality is prepared by stuffing chicken pieces in a hallowed bamboo log together with ginger, chillies, lemongrass and daun bungkang (Eugenia spp).
Gulai Lemak Umbut
This decadent, creamy curry-like gravy is made by stewing slices of umbut - taken from the stem of the coconut palm - in santan (coconut milk) and chilli paste.
Kurma Daging
Kurma is a thick and spicy curry made with yoghurt, santan or evaporated milk as a base and a rich blend of spices and chilli. Chunks of lamb are seared on high heat then slow cooked, releasing a beautiful, aromatic broth. With the addition of potatoes, tomatoes and green chillies, it is almost like a stew.
The video below shows the recipe of how chicken meat is used as a substitute to beef. Simple and easy steps to prepare such an exciting dish.
Masak Ikan Tanah Liat
Literally translated as fish cooked in clay, this is jungle food which makes full use of all available resources. The whole fish is seasoned with salt then wrapped in banana leaves. Wet clay is packed around this parcel and put into the fire to cook.
Pajeri
Sweet slices of pineapple accentuated by a spicy curry paste, fresh chillies and the sharp tartness of tamarind juice give this dish a full repertoire of contrasting and full-bodies flavors. It is often served during wedding feasts and celebrations, especially in Malay villages.
And here's a simple way to prepare the dish. Enjoy the video and try it yourself.
Gulai Tempoyak Ikan Patin
Gulai refers to a dish with a rich, spicy gravy sauce that is often less heavy than a curry. This particular gulai is made with silver catfish (although other types of fish can be used too).
Care to try this at home? Here's the way to do it.
Gulai Asam Rom
Asam rom is a gulai flavoring made from the crushed seeds of the perah tree (elasteriospermum tapos). It can be used to make any type of meat or fish gulai without santan.
Gulai Lemak Lada Padi
This takes fiery to the next level with its blend of kunyit (turmeric), santan, chilli, tamarind slices and abundance of lada padi (bird's eye chilli). The milky, spicy and sour gravy is usually cooked with various meats.
Botok-Botok Ikan
A banana leaf is lined with selected leaves and shoots (papaya tree, Indian mulberry and sweet potato plant) then topped with a dollop of paste made from blended spices, chillies and onions, among others. Slices of fish are then wrapped in this and steamed.
Masak Ikan Dalam Buluh
Fairly similar to the manok pansoh, this dish is prepared by marinating fish in pounded chilli, herbs and turmeric then wrapping it in banana leaves and stuffing it into a hallowed bamboo that is smoked over open fire.
Masak Ikan Dan Pisang Dalam Buluh
Literally fish and banana cooked in bamboo, this Orang Asli (natives) fare is as its name suggests. Slices of fish and bananas (skin removed) are placed inside a hallowed bamboo that has been lined with banana leaves and then smoked over the fire until cooked.
La-Tiang
Northern Malaysia's large Thai population has influenced culinary landscape in many ways. La-tiang is one such contribution. Minced meat, shrimp or crab meat that has been cooked with peanuts, fish sauce, sugar and coriander is beautifully wrapped in an omelette, made to look like a netting.
Daging Dendeng
Thin slices of marinated sirloin are fried until crispy then coated in a stir-fried chilli and onion paste. Adapted from Minangkabau cuisine, the Malaysian version sometimes also includes kicap manis (sweet sauce) and tomatoes in its ingredient list.
