Malaysia Cooking Recipes

Think Malaysia and think the heady eternal green of the jungle, the fragrance of wild flowers, the steamy warmth of the tropics punctuated by refreshing downpours of monsoon rain, the languid, meandering rivers teeming with fish, the leafy, tropical trees hanging heavy with exotic fruits ... a meeting of cultures, a mingling of races... And a wealth of culinary delights.

And so began the merging of lifestyles and culinary methods. The original settlers, the easy-going Malays with their staple diet of rice and fish, the ubiquitous Chinese and their imaginative blend of cuisine, the conservative Indians and their piquant traditional fare, the Peranakans and their exquisite Nyonya specialties, the exotic Portuguese Eurasians and their delightful m�lange of east-west cooking methods - all this individual culinary expertise has now been brought together in one volume, Traditional Malaysian Cuisine, the very best of authentic Malaysia recipes. A visit to Malaysia is incomplete without trying out some of these popular Malaysia dishes.

The township of Kajang on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur is "famous" for its beef and Kajang chicken satay - barbecued meat served on a bamboo skewer and accompanied by peanut sauce, rice, onion and cucumber. What makes the satay "famous" is supposedly the sauce. Don't be surprised if your Malaysian hosts suggest a special journey to either Ampang or Kajang to partake of these "famous" dishes.

If Malaysia had a national dish, nasi lemak would be it. While Malay in origin, it is a dish enjoyed by all Malaysians, at any time of the day (breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper) and is served in both fancy restaurants as well as at roadside stalls. Deriving its name (which means 'creamy rice') from the rice which is cooked in coconut milk, it is usually accompanied by fried peanuts, anchovies, hard-boiled or fried egg, cucumber and sambal, and can also be eaten with beef rendang, sambal sotong (squid) or any other curry that suits your fancy. You could almost say that nasi lemak is a lot like Malaysia itself - delicious, varied and potentially very spicy.

The teh tarik (pulled tea) is something of a national obsession. For the uninitiated, a quick definition: tea is repeatedly poured from a container held high to a container below in order to create a thick froth, and is served in stalls and shops all across Malaysia. Not only are millions of cups drunk each day, Malaysians also have numerous competitions to see who can 'pull' the 'highest' tea; foreigners are often given lessons on how to teh tarik.

Cucur Badak Recipe

December 22, 2006 · 16 comments

in Eating Light, Malaysian Recipes

Cucur BadakOne of my favorite Malay kuih-muih (local cakes and sweet treats) is Cucur Badak. Much like many other Malaysian creations, Cucur Badak calls for really basic ingredients–sweet potatoes, flour, and grated coconut–but it’s the preparation method of these everyday ingredients that makes the taste ingeniously flavorful.

Cucur BadakIf you’ve tried Pulut Udang before, you will get the idea of how Cucur Badak tastes like. Filled with grated coconut seasoned with turmeric, lemon grass, red chilies, and dried shrimps, the fillings are wrapped with sweet potatoes dough instead of glutinous rice. And instead of grilling them over fire, they are deep fried to golden brown…well, you get the idea.

Cucur BadakI am constantly amazed by the art of making kuih-muih: the techniques, the shapes, the ingredients, and the plain creativity behind each recipe. I am learning the how-to’s slowly but surely; hopefully I will be able to make more of these delights in the near future.

Ingredients :

For the dough

1 lb sweet potatoes (boiled and mashed)
10 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Small shrimps for garnishing (with shells and heads on)
1 tablespoon of sugar
A pinch of salt

For the filling

4 cups of grated coconut
1/2 cup of dried shrimps
1 garlic*
3 shallots *
6 fresh red chillies (or dried red chilies)*
1 lemon grass (use only the white part)*
1 1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder
5 slices of peeled fresh ginger*
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste (palm sugar preferred)
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method:

For the dough

1. Boil the sweet potatoes in hot boiling water for 15 minutes.
2. Peel the skin off the boiled sweet potatoes and mash them in a big bowl
3. Mix the mashed sweet potatoes with flour, sugar, and salt till a soft dough is formed. The dough shouldn’t be too sticky. If too sticky, add more flour to the mixture.

For the filling

1. Pound all the (*) ingredients.
2. Soak the dried shrimps in hot water for 15 minutes and then pound them. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and add in the pounded ingredients plus the pounded dried shrimps. Fry till fragrant.
4. Add in the grated coconut and mix well.
5. Add in salt and sugar to taste.
6. Set aside and let it cool.

For the wrapping

1. Dust your hands with some flour and take a bit of dough (about the size of a small ball), flatten it and put the filling in the middle.
2. Cover the filling and press one small shrimp on top of the dough.
3. Heat oil and fry till golden brown.

Malaysian Cooking Recipes

Think Malaysia and think the heady eternal green of the jungle, the fragrance of wild flowers, the steamy warmth of the tropics punctuated by refreshing downpours of monsoon rain, the languid, meandering rivers teeming with fish, the leafy, tropical trees hanging heavy with exotic fruits ... a meeting of cultures, a mingling of races... And a wealth of culinary delights.

And so began the merging of lifestyles and culinary methods. The original settlers, the easy-going Malays with their staple diet of rice and fish, the ubiquitous Chinese and their imaginative blend of cuisine, the conservative Indians and their piquant traditional fare, the Peranakans and their exquisite Nyonya specialties, the exotic Portuguese Eurasians and their delightful m�lange of east-west cooking methods - all this individual culinary expertise has now been brought together in one volume, Traditional Malaysian Cuisine, the very best of authentic Malaysia recipes. A visit to Malaysia is incomplete without trying out some of these popular Malaysia dishes.

The township of Kajang on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur is "famous" for its beef and Kajang chicken satay - barbecued meat served on a bamboo skewer and accompanied by peanut sauce, rice, onion and cucumber. What makes the satay "famous" is supposedly the sauce. Don't be surprised if your Malaysian hosts suggest a special journey to either Ampang or Kajang to partake of these "famous" dishes.

If Malaysia had a national dish, nasi lemak would be it. While Malay in origin, it is a dish enjoyed by all Malaysians, at any time of the day (breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper) and is served in both fancy restaurants as well as at roadside stalls. Deriving its name (which means 'creamy rice') from the rice which is cooked in coconut milk, it is usually accompanied by fried peanuts, anchovies, hard-boiled or fried egg, cucumber and sambal, and can also be eaten with beef rendang, sambal sotong (squid) or any other curry that suits your fancy. You could almost say that nasi lemak is a lot like Malaysia itself - delicious, varied and potentially very spicy.

The teh tarik (pulled tea) is something of a national obsession. For the uninitiated, a quick definition: tea is repeatedly poured from a container held high to a container below in order to create a thick froth, and is served in stalls and shops all across Malaysia. Not only are millions of cups drunk each day, Malaysians also have numerous competitions to see who can 'pull' the 'highest' tea; foreigners are often given lessons on how to teh tarik.

SAMBAL ASSAM (Sour Chilli Sauce)

SAMBAL ASSAM
(Sour Chilli Sauce)
This is a hot and sour sauce for those of you who enjoy these flavours. The sauce goes well with Ikan Panggang (Barbequed Fish). These sauces can easily be modified to your own taste by adding such other ingredients as sauteed shallots, garlic, more sugar, or less tamarind.

Ingredients:

1 piece ( 3/4 inch square x 1/2 inch) dried shrimp paste (belacan)
9 dried chillies soaked in warm water for several hours.
1/2 Tbsp tamarind paste with 1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

Method:

1. Pound chillies and belacan to a fine paste. If you do not want it too hot, you can remove the chilli seeds.
2. Add tamarind juice. (Strain out the lumps)
3. Add salt and sugar.
4. Stir well.
5. Serve as sauce condiment.

Malay Fried Chicken

ngredients

* 10 chicken wings or chicken drumsticks
* 5 small onions, pounded
* 3 garlic cloves, pounded
* 3 cm fresh ginger, pounded
* 1 tablespoon chicken curry powder
* 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
* 1 tablespoon chili paste
* 2 tablespoons lime juice
* 2 tablespoons flour
* salt
* sugar
* oil (for frying)

Directions

1.
1
Mix all the ingredients and marinade for two hours.
2.
2
Deep fry until cook through.
3.
3
Serve hot with white rice.

Mee Goreng Recipe (Spicy Fried Noodles)

Lydia of The Perfect Pantry needs no introduction. A professional food writer, author, cooking instructor, and food blogger extraordinaire, Lydia’s “The Perfect Pantry” is packed with very useful food-related articles, resources, and drool-worthy recipes. Lydia has been a supporter of Rasa Malaysia since the very early days. Her comments are always warm, insightful, but most of all, she has a genuine appreciation for Malaysian cuisine. So, you could imagine how delightful and excited I was when Lydia agreed to pen a guest post for this humble blog, and that she would share her story about mee goreng. Please welcome The Perfect Pantry to Rasa Malaysia as Lydia takes us on her travel in Malaysia many years ago, and narrated how she fell in love with mee goreng or spicy fried noodles. Enjoy!

Mee Goreng (Spicy Fried Noodles)
Guest Writer: Lydia Walshin of The Perfect Pantry

By the time we reached the tiny night market, a row of stalls under a tent on the road between Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu, I’d already tasted at least a dozen different versions of mee goreng, the Indian-inspired stir-fried noodle dish of my dreams.

We had arrived in Kuala Lumpur a week or so earlier, by train from Singapore. A city of nearly seven million people, KL embodied the juxtapositions that are Malaysia: old and new, Chinese and Indian, traditional and modern, in everything from architecture to industry to fashion and, yes, to food.

Our hotel in KL, chosen for its proximity to mass transit, sat atop the central bus station. Despite the chaos below, the hotel was clean and basic, and the budget-friendly room rate included a buffet breakfast. I’m sure there was lots of fruit and cereal, but mostly what I remember was the huge bowl of mee goreng…(learn how Lydia made her very first mee goreng after the jump)

Noodles for breakfast; from the first bite, I was in heaven. The noodles were a perfect balance of salty, spicy and dry (not in a sauce), tossed with cabbage and potatoes and egg and other things I can’t quite recall.

I began to see mee goreng everywhere–not in an hallucinogenic way, but for real, stir-fried to order at pushcarts all over the city. I watched, tasted, and tried to figure out how to make it, but each bowl was different, some more spicy, some without potatoes, some topped with chunks of tomato or shrimp or fried scallions, or not.

After a side trip to Melaka, we left KL and crossed to the east coast, where we began our trip north from Kuantan to Kota Bharu, meandering along the shore roads, stopping in small fishing villages, visiting markets and batik factories, taking a boat ride here, buying a sarong there, eating mee goreng at least once a day, and sometimes twice, never exactly the same.

And so we came upon the night market, on the beach on a tiny road just south of Kuala Terengganu. From the five or six stalls, we selected the one that made mee goreng. Ted and Cousin Martin sat at a small table, relaxing and watching television, but I’d had enough. I had to learn how to make the noodles that had become my obsession.

At the rear of the stall, a small counter separated the sitting area from the “kitchen,” which was a single-burner propane stove and a tiny fridge. I walked to the back, and asked the stall owner if she spoke English. She did not, nor did I speak Bahasa Malaysia. So, smiling and gesturing, I tried to say, “May I please watch you cook the noodles?”

Next thing I knew, she grabbed my arm, and pulled me to the rear of the counter. She stuck a spatula into my hand, and with a smile on her face, began to point to ingredients. I realized that she wanted me to cook! Okay, I thought, I can do this. And so we began, teacher and student. She would point to an ingredient, and then to the wok. Put this here, now stir, now add this, yes, add more and so on, until, in what seemed like a nanosecond, I had created my very first mee goreng.

I walked out from behind the counter, carrying dishes of fried noodles, to the total amazement of my husband and cousin. It was the best mee goreng anywhere in Malaysia. I’m absolutely sure of it.

Later that evening, I tried to write down what I’d learned in the night market kitchen, but I couldn’t quite remember all of the ingredients. And when I got home and began to recreate the dish, I never could get it quite right.

Years later, I interviewed chef Alfred Chua, who had opened a small storefront restaurant in Boston’s South End. When I learned he was from Malaysia, I asked him why my mee goreng never tasted the same as the noodles I’d had on my travels. He explained that a lot has to do with heat; our home stove burners simply do not get hot enough to dry out the noodles.

Undeterred, I asked him to teach me how to make his family’s version of mee goreng. I’ve played with his basic recipe a bit, and this is as close as I’ve come to the noodles I made in the night market kitchen.
Recipe: Mee Goreng (Spicy Fried Noodles)
Fresh Chinese egg noodles, chili sauce, dark soy, oyster sauce, shao hsing wine and fried shallots are available at Asian markets. Serves 5-6 as part of a family-style meal, 3-4 as a main dish.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh Chinese egg noodles
2 Tbsp chili sauce (Sriracha), or more to taste
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp oyster sauce
3 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup mung bean sprouts, rinsed
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (or leftover shredded cooked chicken)
2 Tbsp shao hsing wine
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp scallions, sliced
2 Tbsp fried shallots (available packaged at Asian markets)

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles for 30 seconds, drain, and rinse with cold
water. Set aside.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine chili sauce, dark soy, sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, oyster sauce and ketchup. Stir to combine, and set aside.

In a large wok (at least 12 inches in diameter) preheated over high heat, add the oil. Crack the eggs into the wok, stir vigorously until the eggs are lightly scrambled and just set, then add the garlic, noodles, bean sprouts, cabbage, shrimp, chicken, and 3/4 cup water. Stir-fry continuously until noodles are cooked, 3-5 minutes (depending on the heat of your wok), making sure to also cook the chicken and shrimp. Add chili sauce mixture, and keep stirring until well combined. The noodles should begin to get a bit drier (no liquid left in the bottom of the wok). Add shao hsing wine and white pepper, stir to combine, and remove from heat. Garnish with scallions and fried shallots.

kaya

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

* 4 eggs, lightly beaten
* 250 g granulated sugar
* 125 ml thick coconut milk, from 1 coconut (without adding water)
* 2 pcs pandan leaves

Directions:

1. Using a wok, caramelized the sugar over a slow fire. When it is a nice golden brown turn off the heat.
2. Combine the eggs, sugar and coconut milk. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Sieve mixture through a sieve.
3. Pour the mixture into the caramelized sugar. Add in the pandan leaves. On a low heat, keep stirring the mixture until it thickens and sugar melts.
4. Allow to cool before storing in jars.

tahu goreng

Ingredients
4 tofu cakes bean curd
1 cup bean sprouts scalded
3 cucumber shredded
salt
vegetable oil
For the sauce
2 each green chili peppers
2 each red chili peppers
2 each garlic cloves crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups peanuts pounded and blended*
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves chopped
salt
Directions

* Or substitute 1/2 cup peanut butter for pounded/blended peanuts.

Heat enough oil (about 2 inches/5 cms deep) in a wok or pan to deep-fry the bean-curd/tofu cakes until they are slightly brown.

Lift them out and let them cool.

Then cut each cake into 2 pieces and make a deep slit across the center to form a pocket.

After that, mix the bean sprouts and cucumber in a bowl and season well before filling the bean-curd/tofu pouches.

For the sauce, pound or blend the chilis and garlic together.

Then add the soy sauce, vinegar and salt.

Next put in the ground peanuts and add the water a little at a time.

Stir to make a smooth coating sauce.

Arrange the stuffed bean-curd/tofu cakes on a dish garnished with slices of cucumber and fresh cilantro leaves and pass the peanut sauce separately.

chilli crab

Mum's Chilli Crab
Recipe by: zainiamin | Photo by: zainiamin
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*
* Easy

* Serves: 4
* Yield: 4 servings
* Ready in: 30 mins (15 mins Prep - 15 mins Cook)

A long time family favourite. This recipe was handed down to me by my mother in law. There are several versions of Chilli crab recipes in Asia. This Malaysian version is sweet and savoury and the egg adds a beautiful texture. I have this for lunch or dinner and served with steamed rice and friends have been requesting for this recipe ever since.

Ingredients

* 1kg fresh crab (cleaned) and halved, separate claws
* 5 cm fresh ginger (cleaned and sliced)
* 3 tbsp vegetable oil
* 250ml water
* 1 egg
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tbsp sugar

* 6 fresh red chillies (deseeded)
* 1 medium onion
* 2 cloves garlic

Preparation method

1. Puree the chillies, onion and garlic in a food processor - you may want to use gloves when de-seeding the chillies to avoid burning your hand - then put aside.
2. Heat oil on high in a wok. Add ginger slices and stir for 10 secs. Add pureed mix and stir for 30 seconds or until oil rises above mixture. Next, add water and lower heat to medium. Add salt, sugar and mix well.
3. Add crab pieces, stir to coat well and cover wok. Simmer for 10 mins. Switch off heat. Break egg into wok and stir around quickly to coat crab pieces.
4. Serve with steamed rice.

Ayam Percik Recipe (Spicy Chicken)

Ingredients :

1.5 kg

50g

100 ml

300 ml



Spices

6

3 cloves

2cm

1 stalk

3 teaspoons

1 teaspoon



Seasoning

2 teaspoons

1/2 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon


Chicken, cut into 6 pieces

Tamarind paste

Water

Thick coconut milk





Shallots

Garlic

Ginger piece

Lemon grass

Chili paste

Cinnamon powder





Salt or to taste

Pepper

Ground black pepper
Method :

*

Mix the tamarind paste with the 100ml water and squeeze to obtain tamarind juice. Set aside.
*

Ground and combine the spice ingredients. Then add the tamarind juice and thick coconut milk.
*

Put the chicken pieces in a large mixing bowl.
*

Pour in the combined spices with coconut milk and tamarind juice before adding in the seasoning.
*

Mix well until the chicken is coated with the marinade.
*

Keep in the refrigerator for several hours or preferable overnight.
*

Remove and grill the marinated chicken pieces over a charcoal pit or bake in the oven until meat is cooked and slightly charred.

food

One of the easier to make Malaysian recipes is Nasi Lemak, together with Roti Canai, the National dish of Malaysia.

Nasi Lemak

Ingredients:

* 300g long grain rice
* 2 shallots
* 2 slices ginger
* 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds (halba)
* 1 tsp salt
* 375-400ml coconut milk (from 1/2 a grated coconut)
* 2 pandan leaves, knotted

Method
Wash rice until clean then drain. Put rice, shallots, ginger, fenugreek and salt in a rice cooker. Pour coconut milk over the rice. (The level of the coconut milk should be 2cm above the level of the rice.) Cook rice until dry then use a wooden laddle to loosen the grains.

Sprinkle the rest of the coconut milk over the rice. Give it a stir with a pair of chopsticks to distribute the milk evenly. Stand for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the coconut milk. Keep rice warm before serving with other condiments.

Sambal Ikan Bilis: Malaysian Recipes - Nasi Lemak

* 1 bombay onion
* 1/2 cup dried ikan bilis (anchovies)
* 1 clove garlic
* 2 tbsps tamarind juice
* 4 shallots
* 8 dried chillies
* Prawn paste (belacan) (Optional)
* Salt and sugar to taste

Method

Fry the ikan bilis until crisp and put aside. Grind the prawn paste together with shallots, garlic, deseeded dried chilies. Slice the bombay onion into rings. Heat 2 table spoons oil in a pan and fry the ground ingredients until fragrant.

Add in the onion rings. Add tamarind juice, salt, sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally until the gravy thickens. Add in the ikan bilis and mix well. Serve with steaming hot Nasi Lemak.

Beef Rendang (Beef Chunks cooked in coconut milk)

Ingredients:

* 600g beef topside, cubed

Chinese Vegetarian Cooking

Chinese vegetarian cooking
Click here for more Chinese vegetarian cooking

Grind together:

* 4 tbsp chilli boh
* 7 shallots
* 5 cloves garlic
* 4cm piece ginger
* 2 onions
* 4 stalks lemon grass, finely sliced
* 3cm piece galangal
* 1 tbsp cumin powder
* 1 tbsp fennel powder
* 1 litre thick coconut milk (extract from four grated coconuts)
* 1 litre water
* 1/2 cup kerisik (pounded dry-fried grated coconut)
* 1 tbsp finely-shredded daun limau purut (lime leaves)

Seasoning:

* 1 tsp salt or to taste
* 1 tsp brown sugar or to taste

Method
Combine beef, coconut milk, water and ground ingredients in a deep saucepan. Simmer over low heat for one and a half to two hours until beef turns tender.

Add kerisik and continue to cook until the gravy turns thick and dry. Add seasoning and daun limau purut. Cook until beef is almost dry.

Nasi Dagang

Ingredients:

* 1kg nasi dagang rice
* 750ml thin coconut milk
* 1 tablespoon fenugreek halba)
* 50g ginger, julienned
* 10 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
* 5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
* 250ml thick coconut milk
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Method
Wash the rice in several changes of water until water runs clear. Place rice in a large bowl and pour in enough water to reach 5cm above the rice. Allow to soak for 2-3 hours. Drain.

Prepare steamer and steam rice for 20-25 minutes, or until half-cooked.

Take rice off the steamer and stir in the thin coconut milk, followed by the halba, ginger, shallots and garlic. Set aside, covered, for 2-3 hours.

Reheat steamer. Mix thick coconut milk with the sugar and salt, and stir this through the rice. Steam until rice is well cooked. Serve warm with Gulai Ikan Tongkol, Fish Sambal and Spicy Eggs.

Tip
For perfectly cooked nasi dagang, use equal amounts of liquid (in this case, coconut milk) and rice.

Spicy Eggs

More like a sambal, the thick gravy is sweet, sourish and spicy. It is very appetizing and takes off the heavy edge from the nasi dagang.
Chinese Vegetarian Cooking

Vegetarian cooking
Vegetarian cook E-book

Ingredients

* 5 eggs, hard boiled

Ground ingredients:

* 5 cloves garlic
* 5 shallots
* 1 big onion
* 2cm knob ginger
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 2 tablespoons chilli boh
* 1 tablespoon vinegar
* 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
* 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
* 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Method
Shell the hard-boiled eggs and heat enough oil in a wok to deep fry the eggs until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Blend, or pound the ground ingredients to a paste.

Heat oil in a wok and sauté the ground ingredients until fragrant.

Add the chili boh. Fry until aromatic before adding the eggs, vinegar and tomato ketchup. Season to taste with sugar and salt.

Enjoy your Malaysian recipes cooking!

onde onde laaa bkn kuih malke tau,cube laa

Recently I received an email from Rasa Malaysia to be her guest writer. Well, my first thought was, what a timely invitation. I was thinking to post something special to celebrate my 7-month old blog. Hence, this is a special post for Sea Salt with Food and being a guest writer on Rasa Malaysia!

Onde-Onde is one of the traditional kuih in Malaysia (kuih is term for Malaysian cakes, pastries if you will). They are either made from sweet potato or glutinous rice flour…

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak

Nasi lemak is a must try! Nasi lemak, which means rice cooked in cream and in this case coconut cream, is traditionally a breakfast dish. However, today it has also been added to the lunch and dinner menu. You can find it at the road side stall in a cone shaped packet, or even at restaurants.

Nasi lemak is usually eaten with spicy sambal gravy, fried anchovies (ikan bilis), fried groundnuts, topped with fried or boiled egg and slices of cucumber. The fragrant aroma of Pandan (screw pine) leaves makes it even more tempting. Add more side dishes like fried chicken, squid or

Sambal Asparagus Recipe

Sambal is core to many signature Malaysian recipes. In its most basic composition, sambal is a condiment or chili paste made with chilies and belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste), although other ingredients such as garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, etc. might be added to suit each individual recipe. Traditionally pounded with a mortar and pestle, sambal is the magic ingredient for numerous scrumptious local fares: sambal udang (prawn), sambal sotong (squid), sambal telur (eggs), sambal okra, asparagus, and the list goes on.

Sambal asparagus can be made with either shrimps or scallops. (I have pictures of both versions in the gallery.) For the asparagus, I simply chop off 1 inch to 1.5 inches (depending on the toughness) of the bottom stem and slice all stems into half so the asparagus cooks evenly. You can also use a peeler to remove the skin of the stems. I usually skip this step merely because of convenience…(get sambal asparagus recipe after the jump)

Malaysian Grilled Fish with Banana Leaf

This is the grilled fish recipe that I am reluctant to share. Why? Because it’s so darn good and perfect.

I secretly wanted to stash my hand written Malaysian grilled fish recipe somewhere and hoping that one day, a mega chef like Jean-Georges Vongerichten would pay me $10,000 for this precious recipe. But I am a nice person; I love sharing all the good things in life with others. In fact, sharing is an infectious virtue of mine–it brings bright smiles to my face when others share my joy, and in this case, great taste…

I had a grilled fish recipe in my archive, but that one wasn’t as good. In early June, when I was home in Penang, I had a very good grilled fish (ikan bakar/ikan panggang) at this Malay warung (stall) by the sea. I had grilled stingray, as usual. (Stingray is edible and one of the best fish for grilling, especially when wrapped with banana leaves.) The sambal topping was exquisite –spicy, aromatic, pungent, salty, sweet, and well-balanced. I examined it closely with my eyes and taste buds and tried to deconstruct what went in there and I think I might have gotten it, or at least, very close to it.

I also figured out a way to grill fish using my all-American stove top with the smell, taste, and authenticity triumph the ones served by some of the best Malay ikan bakar stalls in Malaysia. I really urge you to try this grilled fish recipe and have put together a step-by-step picture guide in the gallery above for your easy reference. I think my late grandmother and parents would have been so proud of me had they tasted my grilled fish with banana leaf. Enjoy!

SATAY PEANUT SAUCE

A good satay should have an accompanying peanut sauce and there are many different versions. This satay sauce is Kajang style and comes from just outside the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. It is on the slightly sweeter side, although you can make it hotter or tarter by adding extra chilli or tamarind juice. Personally, I add extra sugar as I love a sweeter sauce.

Ingredients:
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1/3 cup canola or peanut oil
2-3 cups water
2 Tbsp sugar
salt to taste
4 Tbsp tamarind paste juice

Spice Paste:
6 - 8 dried chillies, soaked in hot water
6 cloves garlic
6 shallots
3 candlenuts(kemiri nuts) or macadamia nuts
3 lemon grass stalks
1 inch piece of galangal
2 Tbsp coriander
1 tsp cumin

Method:
1. Crush peanuts coarsely.
2. Chop spice paste ingredients and blend until fine.
3. Heat oil and fry paste with tamarind juice until fragrant on medium high heat.
4. Add water slowly to thin mixture.
5. Add sugar, salt and peanuts and stir frequently for 3-5 minutes.
6. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or longer, stirring every few minutes until oil begins to separate. Taste and don't afraid to add any extra ingredients to achieve the level of sweetness, tartness or heat you prefer.
7. Serve sauce with sticks of satay, ketupat (pressed rice) and sliced cubes of fresh cucumber and red onions.

Roti Canai & A Hot Cup of Teh Tarik

The Roti Canai and Teh Tarik combo is a meal for any hour of the day, and it's usually available at Mamak stalls and restaurants, which can be found almost everywhere in the city. Roti canai is the local Indian bread. Watch the skilled roti canai expert stretch and toss the dough into the desired shape and thickness and then cook it on a flat iron skillet with a generous amount of oil. Good roti canai is best eaten right off the skillet (when cold it can be chewy and tough). It is crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside and normally served with dhal curry (chickpea gravy). There are various versions today, among which the roti canai bawang (onion) and roti canai sardine (sardine) being the most popular ones.

When at a Mamak stall, you are bound to hear, "Teh tarik satu" (One teh tarik) most of the times. It's that popular among the locals. Teh tarik literally means 'pulled tea'. This is a frothy milk tea which has been skilfully pulled from one mug to another to increase the aroma and hasten the cooling process. Malaysians tend to have sweet tooth and our 'teh tarik' can be very sweet. So do ask for the 'kurang manis' (less sugar) version.

Shrimp and Chive Dumplings

Ingredients:

12 oz. peeled and deveined shrimps (medium to big size)
1 oz. chives (cut into very short pieces)
1 teaspoon egg white
1/2 teaspoon tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oil
Wonton skin
Some cooking oil for pan-frying

Soy-Vinegar Dipping Sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar

Method:

Clean and rinse the shrimps with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Mix the soy-vinegar dipping sauce and set aside.

Cut the shrimps into small pieces (about 3-4 pieces per shrimp), add chives and mix well. Marinate the filling with the rest of the ingredients for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Lay a wonton skin on a flat surface. Dab your index finger with some water and trace it along the four outer edges of the wonton skin. Add a teaspoon of the filling and fold the wonton skin towards the middle. Dab some water to the wonton skin to seal tight. The dumplings should look somewhat round. Repeat the same until the filling is used up.

Heat up a pan on medium to low heat and add some oil. Transfer all dumplings into the pan and cover it with its lid. Pan-fry the dumplings on one site until golden brown and then turn over to pan-fry the other site. (Add more oil to the pan if required.) Repeat to make sure that both sites are equally done. Dish out and serve immediately with soy-vinegar dipping sauce.

Cook’s Note:

You can use regular potsticker/dumpling wrappers but they are round in shape (hence smaller and harder to fold). If you use wonton skin like I did, buy those wonton skins which are not yellowish, but pale white or grayish white in color.

Cucur Udang

NGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 1/2 cup fresh shrimp; shelled, deveined and halved
* 1/2 cup kucai (Chinese chives), cut into 1 inch pieces
* 1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 4 cups all-purpose flour
* salt to taste
* 1/8 drop yellow food coloring
* 5 tablespoons water
* 1 cup vegetable oil

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What to Drink?
Wine Chardonnay
Cocktail Shaggy's Perfect Martini
Chilled Non-Alcoholic Best Lemonade Ever
DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine shrimp, kucai, sprouts, onion, flour, salt to taste and food coloring; mix well. Add enough water to make mixture resemble muffin batter; stir together.
2. In a large saucepan or oil fryer, heat oil and drop batter by tablespoons into hot oil; fry until golden brown and serve.

Sambal Belacan

Following my recent post on sambal asparagus, I thought I would show you how to make sambal belacan from scratch–a must-have Malaysian condiment and the basic building block for many delicious Malaysian recipes.

Sambal belacan consists of chilies, belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste), kalamansi lime (limau kasturi), and salt and sugar (to taste or optional). In the US, kalamansi lime is scarce so lime can be used as a substitute. However, in reality, kalamansi lime is made for sambal and lime is inferior when it comes to sambal belacan. So, if you have access to kalamansi lime, please use it, or if you have some, please give them to me…

Sambal belacan as a condiment is something that I can’t do without. I eat my rice and noodles with it, and some Malaysian dishes such as my favorite sweet and sour eggs (masak belanda), Penang char hor fun, grilled fish with banana leaves are total awesomeness with sambal belacan.

Anyway, learn how to make sambal belacan with my recipe below and click on the gallery above to learn the step-by-step guide.

Sambal Belacan

4 oz seeded chilies (sliced thinly)
1 tablespoon belacan (shrimp paste)
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons kalamansi lime juice/lime juice
Salt (optional or to taste)

Method:

Clean chilies with running water, seeded and sliced. Transfer the chilies to a mortar.

Heat up a wok or pan on low heat and “toast” the belacan until aromatic. The texture of the belacan would turn dry and powdery after toasting. Transfer out and add to the chilies and start pounding with the pestle until fine. (Some people like their sambal belacan somewhat coarse so it’s personal preference.)

Transfer out to a bowl, add salt and sugar to taste and add lime juice (or kalamansi lime juice). Blend well. You can keep the sambal in the refrigerator for up to a few days.

Cook’s Notes:

1. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use a mini food processor to grind everything.
2. If you like extra fiery kick in your sambal, you can add a few bird’s eye chilies.

Ingredients :
1.5 kg 50g 100 ml 300 ml Spices 6 3 cloves 2cm 1 stalk 3 teaspoons 1 teaspoon Seasoning 2 teaspoons 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon	Chicken, cut into 6 pieces Tamarind paste Water Thick coconut milk Shallots Garlic Ginger piece Lemon grass Chili paste Cinnamon powder Salt or to taste Pepper Ground black pepper

Sambal Udang (Prawn Sambal) with Roti Jala Recipe

Recipe: Sambal Udang/Prawn Sambal

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons sambal tumis (click here for Salt and Turmeric’s easy sambal recipe)
1 quarter of a medium-sized onion
10 shrimps (peeled and deveined)
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
1 teaspoon tamarind pulp (soaked with 1/4 cup of warm water and extract the juice)
1 teaspoon cooking oil

Method:

Heat up a wok with cooking oil and add the onions. Saute the onions until aromatic, then add in sambal and prawns. Add tamarind juice and bring the sambal udang to boil. Add salt and sugar to taste. Serve hot with roti jala/lacy pancakes.

Cook’s Notes:

For the roti jala recipe, please click here. To purchase the roti jala mold (available in stainless steel), please send me an email.

Recipe: Roti Jala “Net Bread” or Malaysian Lacy Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour (1/2 lb)
1 1/2 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 tablespoon oil Ghee or butter (to grease the pan)

Method:

1. Sieve the flour and set aside.
2. In a big bowl, mix all the ingredients well together (except the oil) and strain the batter.
3. Add in 1/2 tablespoon of oil and set aside.
4. Heat up a pan with medium heat and grease it with some butter or ghee.
5. Pour some batter into the mold and transfer the mold to the pan.
6. As the batter flows through the holes of the mold, make circular rounds around the pan to form the netty patterns. (Refer to the video above.)
7. After the top is set and done or when the bottom turns light brown, transfer the Roti Jala out and fold it into triangle shape.
8. Arrange a few Roti Jala on a serving plate and add some curry chicken on the side and serve immediately.

Recipe: Malaysian Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

1 boneless/skinless chicken breast meat (cut into small cubes)
3 tablespoons Instant Meat Curry Paste
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon coconut milk
1 shallot (diced) 1 tablespoon oil

Method:

1. Heat up a small pot and add in the oil.
2. Saute the diced shallots until light brown.
3. Add in the curry paste.
4. When it smells aromatic, add in the chicken meat and do a few quick stirs.
5. Add in the water and let it boil.
6. Lower the heat and simmer the curry for about 10-15 minutes.
7. Add in the coconut milk and serve hot.

Mango Lassi Recipe

Ingredients:

2 ripe mangoes
2-3 tablespoons honey or to taste
1/2 cup milk
1 cup yogurt

Method:

Peel the mango skin, discard seed and cut the mangoes into small pieces. Combine all the ingredients in an electronic mixer or blender and blend well. Make sure the mangoes are completely blended into juice.

Adjust the ingredients as per your taste, pour into glasses, freeze in the fridge for 30 minutes or serve immediately.

Malaysian fish curry

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 4 small eschalots, halved
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3cm piece galangal or ginger, peeled, finely grated
• 2 tsp shrimp paste or 4-5 large anchovy fillets
• 1/4 cup (60ml) canola or sunflower oil
• 4 small red chillies, seeds removed, roughly chopped
• 20 fresh curry leaves, plus extra to serve
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 270ml can coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tbs tamarind concentrate
• 2 lemongrass stems, outer leaves discarded, bruised with back of a knife, cut into 4cm lengths
• 800g skinless and boneless bream, flathead, ling or snapper fillets, cut into 4cm pieces
• 1 tsp raw sugar, or to taste
• Roti canai (see related recipe), to serve

Method

1. Process eschalots, garlic, galangal, shrimp paste and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor, or pound in a mortar using a pestle, to form a paste.
2. Heat oil in a wok or large, deep frypan. Add paste, chilli, curry leaves, paprika and turmeric and stir over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until moisture evaporates. Add 1/2 cup (125ml) water, coconut milk, tamarind and lemongrass and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until mixture reduces slightly. Add fish and sugar and simmer for 5 minutes or until the fish is just cooked. Adjust seasoning with salt and sugar to taste.
3. Serve scattered with extra curry leaves, with roti canai to dip in sauce.

Notes & tips

• Galangal and fresh curry leaves are from selected greengrocers and Asian food shops. Shrimp paste and tamarind concentrate are from Asian food shops, where roti canai are also available frozen.

Malaysian Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace)
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 (12-inch) Basic Pizza Crust
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preparation

Preheat oven to 500°.

Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add chicken, and sauté 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.

Pour rice vinegar mixture into pan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook mixture 6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. (Mixture will be consistency of thick syrup.)

Sprinkle cheeses over prepared crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and top with chicken mixture. Bake at 500° for 12 minutes on bottom rack in oven. Sprinkle with green onions. Place pizza on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes.

COLD SHRIMP AND MANGO SAUCE

Ingredients:
162 g mango (black gold)
2 portions of sambal belacan (see recipe for Cold Shrimp
paste Sauce

Method: Peel mangoes and cut flesh off. Place mango meat in a mortar and pound coarsely, add sambal belacan mix and season to taste. Season to taste.

Onde-onde (Ondeh-ondeh)

Onde-onde Recipe

Ingredients:

250 g Glutinous Rice Flour
200 ml Pandan Juice
150 g Palm Sugar (finely chopped)
100 g Grated Coconut
A Pinch Of Sea Salt

Method:

In a large bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour with Pandan juice and knead lightly. Pinch a small piece of the dough (about 40 g) and drop it into boiling water. When the dough rises up the surface, remove it with a slotted spoon and shake off the excess water. Mix it back into the main dough and knead well to form smooth dough. Cover the dough and set aside for about 15 minutes.

Mix the grated coconut with a pinch of salt and steam for about 2 - 3 minutes and let it cool completely.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Pinch a small piece of dough (about 15 g each) and flatten lightly. Fill the center of the dough with palm sugar. Roll them in your palm to form a smooth ball and cook the glutinous rice balls in the boiling water. When the rice balls float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and shake off the excess water.

Coat the rice balls with grated coconut and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:

To make the Pandan Juice. Blend 10 Pandan leaves with 220 ml water.

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Sweet Potato Balls Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb of sweet potatoes
12 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of sesame seeds
Water
Oil for deep frying

Boil the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes. Peel the skin of the sweet potatoes and discard. Smash the sweet potatoes and combine them with flour, sugar, and just enough water to form a smooth dough that is soft in texture but not sticky.

Divide dough into small, equal portions and roll them into balls. Coat the balls with some sesame seeds. Deep fry the sweet potato balls till golden brown. Dish out and drain well before serving.

CHILI CRAB RECIPI

Ingredients:

1 Dungeness Crab (about 2 lb size)
1 sprig of coriander (chopped for garnishing only)
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 tablespoons of tamarind juice
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1/4 cup of water

Spice Paste:

8 dried red chilies (soaked in hot water and deseeded)
1 tablespoon of taucheo (fermented yellow bean sauce)
3 cloves of garlic
1 inch of fresh ginger
2 inches of lemon grass (the white part only)

Tamarind Juice:

5 seeds of tamarind
Water

Method:

1. Clean the crab and chop it into pieces. Save the green and juicy stuff inside the shell and set aside.
2. Pound the spice paste with a mortar and pestle or grind them using a food processor. Make sure that the spice paste is finely blended or pounded.
3. Soak the tamarind seeds in some warm water for 15 minutes. Extract the juice and discard the seeds.
4. Heat up your wok and add cooking oil.
5. Stir fry the spice paste until fragant and spicy.
6. Add the crab and 1/4 cup of water and do a quick stir. Cover the wok with its cover for 3 minutes.
7. Add the green and juicy stuff from the shell and stir well.
8. Add in sugar, tamarind juice, a little salt to taste and continue stirring for about 2 minutes or until all crab pieces turned red.
9. Dish up, garnish with chopped scallions and serve hot.

Cook’s Notes:

1. If you are not sure how to clean the crab, you should get the Dungeness crab in Asian stores. They usually provide the cleaning and chopping services.
2. Use a mortar (or other similar kitchen tools) to crack the shells of the crab before cooking.
3. You can also use this recipe for cooking crab claws. If you do, make sure you crack the claws before cooking so the spices infuse the meat.

Recipe: Beef Rendang (Rendang Daging) or Spicy Beef Stew with Coconut

BEEF RENDANG

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound boneless beef short ribs (cut into cubes)
5 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cinnamon stick (about 2-inch long)
3 cloves
3 star anise
3 cardamom pods
1 lemongrass (cut into 4-inch length and pounded)
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons tamarind pulp (soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds )
6 kaffir lime leaves (very finely sliced)
6 tablespoons kerisik (toasted coconut)
1 tablespoon sugar/palm sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Spice Paste:

5 shallots
1 inch galangal
3 lemongrass (white part only)
5 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
10-12 dried chilies (soaked in warm water and seeded)

Method:

1. Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
2. Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry them until aromatic.
3. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar/palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
6. Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up.
7. Add salt to taste. If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste.
8. Serve immediately with steamed rice and save some for overnight.