Malaysian FoodRice is an integral element in most Malay meals. Other than rice, noodles are also accompaniments to most spicy gravies. Be it the Yee Meen (pre-fried noodles) or Tang Hoon (transparent noodles made from green beans), Malaysian food offers a few noodle and vermicelli varieties that make for the carbohydrate source. Seafood is popular as also beef and mutton. Pork never finds its way to most traditional Malay dishes due to religious reasons. Roti Jala is a malay pancake made of flour, coconut milk, eggs and butter. This lacy crepe goes well with rich curries and gravies. Prawns, shrimp, squid and fish are popular in Malay cuisine. Seafood is either grilled after seasoning and wrapping in banana leaves or stuffed with belachan.Traditional Malay food makes use of tantalizing herbs such as lemon grass, daun kemangi (a type of basil), nutmeg, bunga kantan(wild ginger buds) and pandan (screwpine) leaves. Dried spices such as star anise, fenugreek, coriander, cumin and fennel are frequently used to flavor Malayan dishes. Some of the unique spices used in Malaysian food lend different colors to rice. Fresh chili paste, onions and garlic find themselves in most Malaysian dishes. Fresh coconut milk is also an integral part. Typical Malayan gravy has fresh and dried ingredients ground into a paste called rempah. This is sautéed in oil to bring out the aroma. Coconut milk is used to add a creamy richness. Though soups are not usually a must-have in a Malay meal, the Sup Kambing (mutton soup) is a regional delicacy.
A key ingredient in Malay cuisine is belachan. It is pronounced as blah-chan. It makes for an interesting twist in any Malay meal. Belachan is used to make sauces and gravies and can lend richness to a dish. Made from baby shrimps, belachan is available as bricks or cakes. Roast a small lump and pound with fresh chilies and add limejuice... and you have belachan ready to be used. In fact it is used in Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian cuisine. There are subtle differences in the cooking styles in different regions of Malaysia. The Kelantanese cuisine is more like Thai food whereas cuisine from Kedah state tends to be influenced by Indian spices. Coconut milk, palm sugar and freshly grated coconut are essential ingredients in most Malaysian desserts. Pulut Hitam is a black sticky rice porridge made with coconut milk and sago. The Cendol is made with chilled coconut milk and coconut palm sugar and smooth rice. ABC or Air Batu Campur is a Malaysian dessert prepared with sweet corn, red beans, jelly grass and topped with colorful syrups and condensed milk and slathered with shaved ice. Enjoy an astonishing variety of exotic fruits in Malaysia - starfruit, lychees, mangosteens, pineapples, bananas, melons and durian. The durian is a Malaysian fruit that is encased in a heavy green shell that has spiky thorns. Its characteristic pungent smell doesn't appeal to many though.
A key ingredient in Malay cuisine is belachan. It is pronounced as blah-chan. It makes for an interesting twist in any Malay meal. Belachan is used to make sauces and gravies and can lend richness to a dish. Made from baby shrimps, belachan is available as bricks or cakes. Roast a small lump and pound with fresh chilies and add limejuice... and you have belachan ready to be used. In fact it is used in Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian cuisine. There are subtle differences in the cooking styles in different regions of Malaysia. The Kelantanese cuisine is more like Thai food whereas cuisine from Kedah state tends to be influenced by Indian spices. Coconut milk, palm sugar and freshly grated coconut are essential ingredients in most Malaysian desserts. Pulut Hitam is a black sticky rice porridge made with coconut milk and sago. The Cendol is made with chilled coconut milk and coconut palm sugar and smooth rice. ABC or Air Batu Campur is a Malaysian dessert prepared with sweet corn, red beans, jelly grass and topped with colorful syrups and condensed milk and slathered with shaved ice. Enjoy an astonishing variety of exotic fruits in Malaysia - starfruit, lychees, mangosteens, pineapples, bananas, melons and durian. The durian is a Malaysian fruit that is encased in a heavy green shell that has spiky thorns. Its characteristic pungent smell doesn't appeal to many though.
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