Malaysian Recipes

Assam Laksa

Ingredients

(A)

Ground spice ingredients

15 fresh red chillies

15 dried red chillies

150g shallots

10 cloves garlic

40g galangal (lengkuas)

2cm knob fresh turmeric root

1 tsp belacan stock granules

(B)

4 tbsp tamarind paste (asam jawa), mixed and strained to obtain tamarind juice

300ml water

10 sprigs polygonum leaves (daun kesom)

3 pieces dried tamarind skin (asam keping)

3 stalks lemon grass, lightly smashed

1.8 litres water

(C)

1 kg mackerel (ikan kembung) or horse mackerel (ikan selar kuning), cleaned

1 cup water

1 kg fresh laksa noodles

Seasoning

2 tbsp sugar or to taste

Salt to taste

Garnishing

1 wild ginger bud (bunga kantan), halved and finely shredded

1 cucumber shredded

1/2 pineapple, sliced and shredded

1 onion, finely sliced.

2 red chillies, seeded and sliced

A few sprigs mint leaves (daun pudina)

Prawn paste (har koe), diluted with water to a drizzle consistency

Method

Boil fish in just enough water. When cooked, remove the fish and strain the stock. Then flake the fish and set the fish aside.

Put tamarind juice, ground ingredients (A), water and fish stock in a pot. Add polygonum leaves, dried tamarind skin and lemon grass. Bring to a low simmering boil for 10 minutes. Add the flaked fish and seasoning to taste. Continue to simmer for an extra 1–2 minutes.

To serve, put a handful of laksa noodles in a metal strainer and immerse in a pot of boiling water to scald the noodles for half a minute. Drain and put into a bowl. Pour a ladleful of laksa soup or gravy over the noodles and garnish with a little of each garnish. Drizzle a little prawn paste over and serve immediately. You can also serve the prawn paste separately.

Ikan Assam Pedas

Ingredients

Mix and strain to obtain tamarind juice

•80g tamarind paste

•700ml water

•500g mackerel (ikan kembung), cleaned and steamed for 6–8 minutes

•4 ladies fingers

•1 tomato, cut into wedges

•2 stalks lemongrass, smashed

•2 sprigs polygonum leaves

•1 piece dried tamarind skin

•1 tbsp oil

Spices (ground and combined)

•8 shallots

•3 cloves garlic

•6 chillies, seeds removed

•8 dried red chillies, soaked, halved and seeds removed

•2 thick slices galangal

•10g belacan

•3/4 tsp turmeric powder

Seasoning

•1 tbsp sugar or to taste

•Salt to taste

•1 tsp chicken stock granules

Garnishing

•1 tbsp finely sliced wild ginger flower buds (bunga kantan)

Method

Put tamarind juice and lemongrass in a pot and bring to a boil.

Add polygonum leaves, tamarind skin and ground spices. Simmer over a low heat for

10–15 minutes.

Add ladies fingers and tomato. Continue to simmer for 5–6 minutes.

Remove the polygonum leaves and tamarind skin. Put in the fish and oil.

Cook for 1–2 minutes until the fish is soaked in the gravy. Stir in seasoning, then dish out to serve with a sprinkling of wild ginger buds as garnishing.

Ayam Cincaluk

Stir-fried dish, 50 minutes to prepare, 40 minutes to cook, serves six.

Ingredients

•180ml cooking oil

•15 shallots, peeled and sliced

•7 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

•1kg chicken breast, cut into pieces

•140g preserved shrimps (cincaluk), juice drained

•3 kaffir lime leaves

•400ml tamarind juice, extracted from 100g tamarind pulp and 400ml water

•3 3/4 tbsp sugar

•3 red chillies, halved lengthways, seeded and cut into three pieces

•3 green chillies, halved lengthways, seeded and cut into three pieces

Finely ground paste:

•17 shallots, peeled

•5cm fresh turmeric, peeled

•5 stalks lemon grass, sliced

Method

Heat the cooking oil and sauté shallots and garlic until crisp. Drain and set aside.

In the same oil, fry the finely ground paste until aromatic. Add the chicken, preserved shrimps and lime leaves.

Add the tamarind juice. Season with sugar. Cook until the gravy thickens.

Stir in chillies and half of the crisp-fried shallots and garlic.

Garnish with the remaining crisp-fried shallots and garlic just before serving.

Note

Taste the gravy first before adding salt as some brands of preserved shrimps can be extremely salty.

Assam Fish curry

Ingredients

•1kg mackerel (ikan kembong)

•250g ladies fingers

•1 tomato, quartered

•3 sprigs polygonum leaves (daun kesum)

•4 tbsp tamarind paste (asam jawa) mixed with 500ml water

•1 wild ginger bud, halve and smash stem

•2 pieces dried tamarind skin

•5 tbsp oil

Ground ingredients

•12 shallots

•8 fresh red chillies

•4 slices galangal

•1cm piece fresh turmeric

•2cm square belacan, toasted

•2 stalks lemon grass

Seasoning

•¾-1 tsp salt or to taste

•½-1 tsp sugar or to taste

Method

Heat oil in a deep saucepan and sauté ground ingredients and wild ginger bud halves and polygonum leaves until aromatic and the oil rises.

Add asam jawa juice and bring to the boil. Add ladies fingers, dried tamarind skin and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Put in mackerel and cook for 10 minutes. Add tomato and adjust seasoning to taste. Dish out and serve with hot plain rice immediately.

Assam Fish Head Curry

Ingredients

•1 garoupa fish head, cut into 4 pieces

•5-6 ladies fingers

•1 tomato, quartered

•1 onion, cut into wedges

•Salt and sugar to taste

•1/2 tsp ikan bilis stock granules

Spice ingredients (A)

•8 shallots

•3 cloves garlic

•20g dried shrimp paste (belacan)

•100g dried chillies, soaked

•2 tbsp chilli powder

•2 tbsp fish curry powder

Ingredients (B)

•2 stalks lemon grass, smashed

•1 wild ginger flower bud (bunga kantan), halved and smash stem

•2 sprigs polygonum leaves (daun kesom)

Mix and strain

•4 tbsp tamarind paste

•250 ml water

Seasoning

•1 tbsp light soy sauce

•Salt and sugar to taste

Method

Arrange the fish pieces on a heatproof dish; steam for 10 minutes or until cooked. Pour out the excess liquid from the fish. Add seasoning and put aside.

Heat oil in a wok and sauté ground spice ingredients until fragrant. Add in lemon grass, wild ginger bud and polygonum leaves. Continue to sauté for a while, then pour in tamarind juice and bring to the boil.

Add ladies fingers, tomatoes, onion and adjust seasoning to taste.

Put cooked fish in a serving bowl and dish out cooked spice gravy over. Serve immediately.

Ayam Golek

Ingredients

•1.5kg chicken

•1 tsp salt

•200ml thick coconut milk

Ground spices

•200g shallots

•4 cloves garlic

•3 stalks lemon grass

•20g galangal

•15g ginger

•20g fresh turmeric

•120g fresh red chillies

•1 tsp white peppercorns

•1 tsp cumin

•2 tsp fennel

Seasoning

•1 tsp salt

•1 tsp sugar

•½ tsp monosodium glutamate

Method

Chop the chicken into 4 quarter pieces and score a few diagonal cuts on each piece. Rub with salt.

Combine coconut milk with the ground spice ingredients in a saucepan over a medium low heat. Bring to a low simmering boil. Add seasoning.

Dish out and combine with the chicken pieces. Leave aside to marinate for at least 1-2 hours.

Grill the chicken pieces (for an authentic taste, grill over burning embers) and brush with remaining marinade when grilling, until meat is cooked through and lightly browned.

Traditional Beef Rendang

Ingredients

•1.5kg topside beef, cubed

•500ml water

•700ml thick coconut milk

•3 stalks lemongrass, bruised

•1 turmeric leaf, shredded

•3 or 4 kaffir lime leaves

•8 shallots, sliced

•6 cloves garlic, sliced

•1 piece dried tamarind skin

Ground spice ingredients (A)

•2cm fresh turmeric

•30 dried chillies, soaked

•5 fresh red chillies

•10 bird’s eye chillies

•2-3 slices lengkuas

•2-3 slices ginger

Ingredients (B)

•2 tbsp meat curry powder

•1 tsp turmeric powder

•1 tsp pepper

Seasoning (C)

•Salt and sugar to taste

•A little thick soy sauce (for colouring)

Method

Season beef with (A) and (B) for 20-25 minutes. Combine marinated beef, lemongrass, turmeric leaf, shallots, garlic and water in a pot. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 40–45 minutes. Stir once in a while. Add coconut milk, tamarind skin, kaffir lime leaves and continue to simmer over very low heat for another 40-45 minutes until the gravy is thick and dry. Adjust seasoning (C) to taste.

Yogurt Chicken Curry

Ingredients

•1.2–1.5kg chicken, chopped

•Salt and sugar to taste

•100ml oil

•1 Bombay onion, halved and sliced thinly

•400–450ml plain yoghurt

(A)

•3 stalks curry leaves

•4cm cinnamon stick

•1 star anise

•5 cloves

•4 cardamoms, split and use seeds only

•2 stalks lemon grass, lightly smashed

Spices (ground and combined)

•20 dried chillies, seeds removed and soaked

•3–4 red chillies, seeds removed

•10 shallots

•4 cloves garlic

•1 tsp ground fennel

•2 tbsp ground coriander

•3/4 tsp ground turmeric

•4 thin slices ginger

Method

Heat oil and fry onions until soft. Drain the onions, leaving the oil in the pot. Add the spice ingredients and (A). Fry until fragrant and oil rises. Put in the chicken and stir to mix. Pour in half portion of yoghurt and stir thoroughly to mix. Simmer over moderate heat for 20–30 minutes, stirring now and then to prevent chicken from sticking to the base of the pot.

When chicken is tender and gravy is fairly thick, return the precooked onions to the gravy and add in remaining yoghurt. (If a drier curry is preferred, simmer longer, uncovered.) Add salt and sugar to taste.

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

•400g chicken whole leg

Spices

(A):

•1 1/2 tbsp chilli paste

•1 1/2 tbsp cumin (jintan putih)

•2 tbsp curry powder

(B) pounded:

•5 cloves garlic

•5 shallots

(C):

•5cm piece cinnamon stick (kayu manis)

•1 star anise (bunga lawang)

•1 stalk curry leaf (daun karupillay)

•1/2 cup santan

Seasoning:

•Salt to taste

•A dash of monosodium glutamate

Method

Heat oil and fry (B). Add in (C) and fry till fragrant. Mix in (A) and stir-fry well. Pour in santan and bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces and simmer till sauce is thick.

Remove chicken and place over a grill. Grill chicken till meat is cooked. Turn the chicken pieces over to grill evenly on both sides.

Chicken Curry Kapitan

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb boneless chicken thigh and/or breast (cut into small cubes/pieces)

2 lemon grass (cut into 4-inch lengths, use only the white part, pounded)

6-8 pieces kaffir lime leaves

1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon lime juice

Salt to taste

Spice Paste:

1 1/2 inch galangal

1/2 lb fresh red chili (seeded and sliced)

5 shallots (sliced)

1 inch ginger

6 candlenuts (soaked in warm water)

1/2 inch fresh turmeric

1/4 teaspoon belacan (fermented shrimp paste)

Method:

1.Blend all spice paste ingredients to a very fine paste.

2.Heat up some cooking oil in a work and stir-fry paste until aromatic or a thin layer of oil rises to the top.

3.Add chicken and continue stirring until it’s almost cooked.

4.Add the coconut milk and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, over low heat.

5.Add salt to taste and serve hot.

Cook’s Notes:

1.If you can’t find candle nuts, you can use macadamia nuts instead.

2.If you like curry, you might also like the following curry : Indian Squid Curry (Gulai Sotong), Roti Jala (Lacy Pancakes) with Curry Chicken, Malaysian Indian-style Seafood Curry

Malaysian Satay Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts (unsalted)

1 cup water

1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis)

1 1/2 tablespoon sugar (palm sugar preferred)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup oil

1 heaped tamarind pulp (soaked in 1/4 cup water for 15 minutes, squeeze the tamarind pulp for juice and discard the pulp)

Spice Paste:

6-8 dried red chilies (seeded and soaked in warm water)

3 cloves garlic

3 shallots

2 lemon grass (white parts only)

1 inch ginger (galangal preferred)

1 tablespoon coriander powder (optional)

Method:

Crush the peanuts coursely with mortar and pestle or mini food processor and set aside.

Chop the spice paste ingredients and blend until fine. Heat oil and fry the spice paste until aromatic and smell spicy. Add the peanuts, tamarind juice, water, sugar, sweet soy sauce and stir thoroughly. Simmer in low heat while continue stirring for about 3 minutes until the peanut sauce turns smooth. Serve at room temperature with the satay.

Chicken Satay

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs and thighs or 4 chicken breasts (deboned)

Spice Paste:

1 teaspoon of coriander powder

2 stalks lemon grass

6 shallots (peeled)

2 cloves garlic (peeled)

4 tablespoons of cooking oil

1 teaspoon of chili powder

2 teaspoons of turmeric powder (kunyit)

4 teaspoons of Kecap Manis (ABC brand from Indonesia recommended)

1 spoon of Oyster Sauce (Lee Kam Kee brand recommended)

Bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 2 hours to avoid burning)

1 cucumber (skin peeled and cut into small pieces)

Method:

Cut the chicken meat into small cubes. Grind the Spice Paste in a food processor. Add in a little water if needed. Marinate the chicken pieces with the spice paste for 10-12 hours. Thread the meat on to bamboo skewers and grill for 2-3 minutes each side. Serve hot with fresh cucumber pieces.

Honey Wings with Turmeric

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken wings (middle section)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

2 inches ginger (skin peeled)

Method:

Prepare the ginger by pounding with a mortar and pestle or grinding with small food processor. Extract the juice by squeezing with your hand and discard the ginger.

Marinate the chicken wings with the ginger juice and all the seasonings above for 1-2hours. Grill or bake them in oven (at 375 degree F) for 20-25 minutes until cooked or golden brown. Serve hot.

Nyonya Sweet and Sour Fish

Ingredients:

1 whole fish, about 400g

Gravy:

1/2 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon preserved soy bean paste (tau cheo)

100ml water

4 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 red chilli, finely pounded

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Sugar, to taste

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, mix with 2 tablespoons of water

Garnishing:

Coriander leaves

Method:

1) Clean the fish, wash and drain. Steam the fish until cooked, about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2) To prepare the gravy, heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Add onion and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until soft.

3) Add preserved soy bean paste and stir-fry until fragrant.

4) Add water, tomato sauce, pounded chilli, light soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a slow boil.

5) Add cornstarch solution and stir quickly for a few more minutes.

6) Pour the gravy over the steamed fish. Garnish with coriander leaves, serve.

Grilled Fish with Banana Leaf Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb. red snapper (cleaned and scales removed)

A few sheets banana leaf (rinsed with water thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels)

Grilled Fish Sambal:

6 oz. fresh red chilies (seeded and cut into small pieces)

1 tablespoon toasted belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste)

4 oz. shallots

1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

2 teaspoons fish sauce

2 1/2 teaspoons sugar (or to taste)

1/2 lime (extract juice)

2 lemongrass (cut into thin slices)

4 tablespoons oil

Sambal Belacan and Sliced Shallots Condiment:

3 red chilies (seeded)

2 bird’s eye chilies (seeded) – optional

1 teaspoon of toasted belacan

2 shallots (thinly sliced)

1/8 teaspoon of sugar

Salt to taste

8 tablespoons of water + tamarind pulp (size of a small ping pong ball)

Method:

Grilled Fish Sambal

Prepare the sambal by grinding chilies, shallots, belacan and lemongrass in a food processor. Make sure the sambal paste is well blended and smooth.

Heat up a wok and “tumis” (stir-fry) the sambal paste until aromatic or when the oil separates from the sambal paste. Add the seasonings: salt, sugar, and fish sauce and do a quick stir, dish out and set aside.

Sambal Belacan and Sliced Shallots Condiment

Soak the tamarind pulp with water for 15 minutes and extract the juice. In a mortar and pestle or food processor, pound/blend the red chilies, bird’s eye chilies, and toasted belacan. Add tamarind juice, sugar, salt, and sliced shallots to the sambal. Stir well and set aside.

Grilled Fish with Banana Leaf

Grease a flat pan (I used a Japanese tamagoyaki pan) and then lay a few sheets of banana leaves in the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil on top of the banana leaves and spread the oil evenly. Lay the fish on top of the banana leaves and add 3 tablespoons of sambal on top of the fish. Heat up the pan on your stove top over medium heat and cover it with a lid. (Use a towel to cover the corners of the pan in case the lid is too small to completely cover the pan. This will ensure the heat traps inside the pan during the grilling process.) Wait for 8 minutes or so and flip the fish over to the other side. Add 3 more tablespoons of sambal on the other side. Cook for another 8 minutes or so. By then, you can smell the sweet aroma of burnt banana leaves and grilled fish. Dish out and serve immediately with sambal belacan and sliced shallots condiment.

Ikan Panggang/Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves)

Ingredients:

1/2 – 1 lb of fish fillet

Spice Paste

1 clove garlic

3 shallots

6 dried chillies

1 tablespoon of turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon of toasted belacan

2 inches of lemon grass (white part only)

1 inch of galangal

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon of oil

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Tamarind Juice

8 tablespoons of water

Tamarind pulp (size of a small ping pong ball)

Sambal Belacan and Sliced Shallots Condiment

3 red chilies (deseeded)

2 bird’s eye chilies (deseeded)

1 teaspoon of toasted belacan

2 shallots (thinly sliced)

1/8 teaspoon of sugar

Method:

1.Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, blend the spice paste.

2.Clean the fish and pat dry. Coat the fish with the spice paste evenly and wrap it with banana leaves. Use toothpicks to hold the banana leaves so the fish is wrapped tightly. Leave the parcel in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.

3.For the tamarind juice, soak the tamarind with water for 15 minutes and extract the juice.

4.In a mortar and pestle or food processor, pound/blend the red chilies, bird’s eye chilies, and toasted belacan.

5.Add tamarind juice and sliced shallots to the sambal. Stir well.

6.Heat up your grill and grill the fish parcel for 5 minutes on each site (or until the banana leaves are burnt).

7.Serve hot with the sambal condiment.

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.

Tamarind Prawn/Assam Prawn

Ingredients:

8 oz shell-on prawns

1 1/2 tablespoons tamarind pulp

4 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cooking oil

Method:

Mix the tamarind pulp with 4 tablespoons water. Extract the juice from the tamarind by pressing the pulp.

Remove the heads of the prawns. Devein the prawns by slitting the back. Rinse prawns with water and pat dry with paper towers. Add the tamarind juice and pulp, salt, and sugar into the prawns and mix well with your hand. Marinate for 15 minutes. Remove the tamarind pulp before cooking.

Heat up a wok and add cooking oil. As soon as it’s heated, drop the prawns into the wok and pan fry until cooked and slightly burnt. Dish out and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:

Some recipes call for dark soy sauce but I always do without the dark soy sauce as it will make the prawns too dark in color, and hence less appealing in presentation. You can also leave the heads on, for photography purposes, I had them heads off. You can also pan-fried the prawns with the tamarind pulp if you wish.

Otak Otak

1 can (4 oz) of Maesri Thai red curry paste

1/2 lb. of shrimp /12 – 15 medium shrimp

1 small cabbage (cut into julienne strips)

2 Eggs

2 Kaffir Lime Leaves (cut into matchstick-sized strips)

2 teaspoons of lime juice

2 bird’s eye chilies (cut into tiny pieces)

1 small can of coconut milk

1 teaspoon of fish sauce

Method:

Peel and devein shrimp and mix the above ingredients (except cabbage) into a bowl. Mix well. Place the cabbage into a baking pan and pour the mixture on top of it and spread them over the cabbage evenly. Cover it with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.