Variety of Malay Food...

Malaysian food (Malay food) derives its flavor from the use of spices and local ingredients. Some of those ingredients used by the Malays in the Malay cuisine are:

* Serai (lemon grass)
* Bawang merah (shallots
* Halia (ginger
* Lengkuas (galangal)
* Ketumbar (coriander
* Asam jawa (tamarind)
* Kunyit (turmeric)
* Saffron
* Jintan putih (cumin)

Another ingredient commonly found in Malaysian food is santan which is coconut milk. The milk is squeezed from the flesh of the grated coconut. As a sign of modern times, santan can be found in powder form, sold in supermarkets. It's much used by actually in the Malay cuisine.

The traditional Malay way of eating is by using the right hand. The use of the left hand is considered bad manners. The same goes with receiving or giving things, always use the right hand.

In eating stalls or at homes where hands are used to eat, guests will provided with a pot of water to wash their hands before and after the meal. Remember, this water is not for drinking. Or you simply use the always available tap to wash your hands.

As with other cuisines, Malay food is prepared and enjoyed by all races. A staple breakfast favorite is nasi lemak. It is a simple but very satisfying meal. The rice is cooked in coconut milk with fragrant pandan leaves. Side dishes can be sambal ikan bilis (anchovies with chili), omelets or hard boiled eggs, peanuts, sliced cucumber, prawns and fried fish. If one Malaysia food can be named as the countries national dish, it's probably nasi lemak.

Another classic example of ever popular Malay food is satay. There's no pasar malam (night market) without satay. It usually consists of chunks of chicken marinated with a variety of spices.

Ikan bakar is grilled or barbecue fish which you will be able to find almost everywhere. A popular local fish is the Ikan Kembong, Chubb Mackerel, also called Indian Mackerel. This fish is usually marinated in various spices and coconut milk. Apart of mackerel other fish is grilled too. You can eat Spanish Mackerel (ikan tenggiri), Wolf Herring (ikan parang), stingray or Skate Wings (ikan Pari). It's great with some chillies and lime.

Rendang Tok is a meat dish (chicken or beef) prepared with coconut milk, chilies, onion, and other ingredients. Around Pangkor and Lumut the most famous kind of rendang is rendang tok. It contains beef, coconut milk, onion, garlic, chilies, coriander powder, cumin, black pepper, fennel, turmeric root, lemon grass and other ingredients.

Recipe of Nasi Kerabu Goreng

Ingredients

• 1kg cooked white rice (or Basmati rice)

Ingredients that been sliced finely:

• 10g kaffir lime leaves (daun limau purut)
• 2 onions
• 5 shallots
• 3 stalks lemon grass
• 2 stalks wild ginger flower (bunga kantan)
• 10g bird's eye chilli (cili padi)
• 20g long beans
• 5g daun selom
• 5g four-angle bean (kacang botol)
• 3 eggs — beaten
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to cook?

HEAT oil in a pan and fry the eggs to make an omelette.

When the eggs set, scramble it in the pan and dish up.

With remaining oil in the pan, fry the sliced ingredients.

Add white rice and fry evenly for about 15 minutes.

Toss in the cooked eggs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe of Fried Beef with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 lb Flank steak
• 2 ts Cornstarch
• 1 t Brown sugar
• 5 tb Soy sauce
• 1/4 c Peanut oil
• 1 c Cauliflower, small florets
• 1/2 c Green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 c Carrots, matchstick size
• 1 c Mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1 c Bean sprouts, fresh
• 2 ts Ginger, fresh grated
• 2 ts Garlic, minced

How to cook?

Place the steak on a flat surface and, using a sharp knife, cut against the grain into slices about 2-in. wide. Slice each piece of steak horizontally into 2 or 3 pieces. Stack the slices and cut into 1/4-in. strips.

Add the cornstrach to the steak and toss to coat. Place the steak in a bowl and sprinkle over the sugar and soy sauce. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or large skillet and add the cauliflower, green pepper and carrot. Cook, stirring, until crisp-tender.

Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, about 30 sec. longer. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for a few sec. longer.

Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the wok or skillet. When it is very hot, add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, for a few sec. Add the steak and cook, shaking the wok and stirring the strips of steak to separate them and cook evenly, about 1-2 min.

Return the vegetables to the wok and toss quickly over high heat, then serve.

Recipe of Chicken Steamed with Mushroom

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken or 2 lbs (900g) chicken pieces, fat discarded, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 8 dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water, discard stems
• 2 tbsp finely diced ginger
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 scallion, finely chopped

How to cook?

• Put chicken and mushrooms in a heat-proof bowl with lid
• Process ginger and water in a processor
• Put ginger and any liquid into a sieve and press down with back of spoon to extract ginger juice
• Sprinkle ginger juice, rice wine, soy and oyster sauces over chicken and mushrooms
• Massage chicken, mixing well
• Cover bowl, refrigerate and marinate for 1 hour
• When ready to cook, cover steamer or pan and steam over medium heat until chicken is cooked
• For the next 30 to 40 mins, add more boiling water to steamer every 10 mins
• Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with scallions and serve hot with rice

Recipe of Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• whole chicken - cut into pieces, skin removed
• 2 large potatoes - peeled, cut into sixths
• 1/2 tin coconut milk
• 20 slice shallots
• 2 garlic cloves - crushed
• 2 cm piece ginger - crushed
• 1 lime
• 3 tsp curry powder (add a little water to form paste)
• 2 cloves and 1 *star anise
• 1 pot water

How to cook?

Blend 10 shallots with ginger and garlic

Rub chicken with ginger-shallot paste and set aside for 15-20 minutes

Fry remaining onions, cinnamon, cloves and star anise until fragrant

Add curry paste and fry until oil split from paste

Add chicken and fry until flesh turns white

Add 1/2 tin coconut milk and enough water to cover chicken

Bring to boil and simmer until chicken is cook and curry thickens

Add potatoes and allow to cook

Squeeze 1 lime over curry and cover pot

Recipe of Tandori Chicken

Ingredients

• 600g chicken, cut into chunky pieces

(A) (Marinade)

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp tapioca flour

(B)

• 1 tbsp shredded ginger
• 1 onion, slice thinly
• 1 tbsp thinly sliced garlic

(C)

• 2 tbsp chilli paste
• 1 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp preserved bean paste (tau cheong)

(D)

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp sugar Chinese parsley
  

How to cook?

Marinate chicken with ingredients (A) for several hours. Coat with tapioca flour then deep fry till crispy and golden. Drain and set aside.

Saute ingredients (B) until fragrant. Add ingredients (C) and (D) and continue to stir-fry well till aromatic.

Stir in chicken and mix well to combine. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes till chicken is well coated with sauce ingredients and is cooked. Dish up and garnish with yin sai.

Recipe of Curry Kapitan

Ingredients:-

1.3 kg Chicken 455g grated coconut ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper 340 ml water ½ tsp salt 1 lemon 3 tbsp coconut oil Curry Paste:- 10 fresh red chillies 10 dried chillies 2 stalks lemon grass 115 g shallots 3 cloves garlic Garnish:- 10 shallots 2 tbsp cooking oil Method:- For convenience, first prepare curry paste:- Prepare fresh and dried chillies. Slice lemon grass. Grind or pound all ingredients together into a smooth paste. Cut chicken into pieces. Prepare grated coconut to obtain thick coconut milk. Add sakt and pepper. Marinade chicken in thick coconut milk. Re-use residue of grated coconut and prepare 340 ml thin coconut milk. Add salt. Squeeze juice from lemon. Heat oil and stir-fry curry paste for 5 mins until soft and fragrant. Add chicken and stir-fry for another 5 mins until all piece are covered with curry paste. Add thin coconut milk. Lower fire and allow to simmer. Stir now and then to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pot. When the gravy is thick and a layer of oil is seen on the surface, the curry is ready. Stir in lemon juice and remove. Sprinkle the fried shallots on top and serve.