Malaysian Cuisine - The Low Down. It is hard to get down into the subtleties of all the cuisines in Malaysia on one article, especially if you are a guest in our country for the first time. But we can certainly try and we can give you a showcase of the wide spectrum of tastes and flavours you can have by just walking down the streets in Malaysia. In this article, you will discover why we think Malaysia is simply delicious!.

In a nutshell, Malaysia is truly a gastronomic paradise with many influences, namely from the country’s 3 largest ethnic groups – Malay, Chinese and Indian. However, Malaysian cuisine can be described as a bubbling melting pot of diverse flavours and textures, which evolved through the generations into what it has become now. The many ethnic groups are well represented with their unique dishes but most of these dishes also possess cross cultural influences. With its British colonial past, Western influences also exist in certain dishes, a unique culinary fusion of East meets West. With Malaysian cuisine stamping its unique identity as one of Asia’s ultimate food destinations, people from all over the world are flocking to this nation of 27 million to sample its wondrous delicacies.

"A bubbling melting pot of diverse flavours and textures"

Malay
Malay cuisine is generally rich and spicy due to the liberal use of coconut milk and fresh and dry spices. Dishes and style of cooking vary from state to state. For example, Kelantanese from the North is generally rich and sweetish due to coconut milk. On the other hand, Kedahan food is generally spicier due to Indian and Thai influences. Many Malay signature dishes require belacan, which adds flavour and aroma to any dish. Belacan is made from fermented baby shrimps and formed into small cakes. It imparts a powerful scent that may be too strong for some! However once cooked with other ingredients, the taste is heavenly!

Malay cooking can be classified into the following categories: Masak lemak (coconut milk), masak pedas (hot chillies), masak assam (tamarind), masak merah (tomoto sauce), masak hitam (dark-sweet soya sauce) and masak assam pedas (tamarind, hot chillies). One of the most notable Malay dishes known worldwide is ‘beef rendang’ (or spiced coconut beef dry curry) and ‘satay’ (barbequed meat skewers served with a spicy peanut sauce). Rendang is especially enjoyed during festive occasions.

As in most Asian cuisines, rice is a staple that is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A notable Malaysian favourite is nasi lemak, which is rice cooked in coconut milk and served with anchovies, squid, eggs, cucumber and a spicy chili paste called sambal.

Chinese
Chinese cuisine started from the immigrants who flocked to the Peninsula for employment during the Colonial era, especially during the booming period of tin mining. The Chinese brought not only their skills, culture, language and customs but also their provincial cuisines. Cuisines can be divided mainly into Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese and Hakka styles. Examples include chicken rice, yong tao foo, bak kut teh, wantan mee, claypot rice, soups, dimsum and stirfries. Another subset of Chinese cuisine is Peranakan, which is a beautiful fusion of Malay and Chinese influences. Historically, Peranakans originated from Chinese traders who married and integrated with the locals, giving rise to mixed Chinese-Malays, otherwise known as the Peranakans. The men are called ‘Baba’ while the womenfolk are known as ‘Nyonya’. This Malay-Chinese fusion culture is evident in its delicious cuisine and the Peranakan community thrives in Penang, Melaka and Singapore. Peranakan cooking involves the blending of intense sweet, sour, spicy and pungent flavours and includes long marinating of meats and seafood. Chillies, candlenuts, shallots and belacan are essential ingredients. Favourites include otak-otak (mince marinated fish wrapped in banana leaf), jiu hu char (shredded turnip with carrot, mushrooms, prawns) and ‘itik tim’ (duck with salted vegetables).

Indian
The mass influx of Indian immigrants due to the country’s burgeoning rubber industry created a whole new cuisine that is uniquely Malaysian Indian. Spices are the heart and soul of Indian cuisine. Generally divided into North and South Indian cooking, the difference lies in the staple. North Indian incorporates wheat flour-based products like naan, chapatti and paratha with a diet rich in meats. Curries are not too hot but richer in flavour due to the use of yogurt and ghee (clarified butter). South Indian incorporates rice with more rice flour-based products – thosai (thin rice pancakes), vada, appam (rice pancake) and idli (steamed rice cake). South Indian meals also boast the best vegetarian and fish dishes! Another popular vegetarian option is banana leaf where fluffy white rice is placed on a banana leaf and served with vegetable and topped with dhall (vegetables and lentil curry). Meat and fish dishes are also available for those who prefer a more hearty option.

Another popular favourite is Indian-Muslim food, affectionately known as Mamak, which marries Indian and Malay cooking styles. Offering an extraordinary array of options from roti canai (flat bread served with curry), teh tarik (frothy milk tea) and nasi kandar (rice topped with vegetable and meat dishes of your choosing), the ubiquitous Mamak stall is a quintessential part of Malaysian life.

The FriedChillies Top 10 Must Haves!

And now, the FC TOP 10 Must Haves : Malaysia!. We argued long and hard on what should be in the Friedchillies Top 10 must haves. There are a number of things we had to consider; it’s not just a matter of picking our favourite dishes (though there is an element of that) or randomly selecting things based on popularity alone. The Top 10 must haves would have to encompass the dishes of all the three major races but not only that, they are dishes that have been accepted by everyone as everyday food. They have to be easy to find for someone who is a Malaysia novice and most of them have evolved with the country. All of them are uniquely our dishes, our creations and innovations. And finally if you are a foodie, not trying any of them means you HAVE NOT BEEN to Malaysia. Because lets face it, food is part of our culture. It’s our passion and it’s how we transcend differences and show our love. Now, The list below is not an any particular order, allright? You got that? OK... let's go....

1 - Nasi Lemak
Arguably this is the country’s national dish that transcends cultures and boundaries as Malaysians embrace it as the perfect sustenance for breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper! Ask anyone on the street and they will have their favourite nasi lemak stall. In general, nasi lemak consists of rice steamed with pandan leaves and coconut milk, garnished with anchovies, peanuts, a hard-boiled egg, cucumber and spiced chilli gravy (sambal). Wrapping it in fresh banana leaves add extra fragrance to this dish. For convenience, nasi lemak is sold in affordable packets - as low as RM1 each. However, sellers also provide extra dishes to spice up your humble meal, like beef rendang, fried chicken, sambal sotong (chilli squid) or stir-fried vegetables. Chinese versions also provide pork curry and tamarind prawns. There is also Mamak nasi lemak sold at the Mamak stalls. Still if you pass by a small eaterie and see green pyramids on the table, grab one because eating nasi lemak old school is still the best way. Nasi lemak can be found at Malay restaurants and moble stalls around town or at Nasi Lemak Tanglin, Tanglin Food Courts, Jalan Cenderasari (Near the Butterfly Park), Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur.

2 - Satay
This is a popular local delight that has also gained a following overseas! Satay translates to pieces of meat skewered on small sticks and grilled over hot coals. What makes our satay so good is the marinade usually consisting of turmeric, lemongrass and sugar. Done the Malaysian way, satays have a gorgeous caramelised, burnt taste. Common meats used are chicken and beef, though more exotic versions include venison, fish, ostrich and rabbit. Accompaniments include fresh onions and cucumber, cubes of compressed rice called ketupat and homemade spicy peanut sauce for dipping. Chinese versions include pork and intestinal parts.Try satay at Samuri Satay at the Kajang Satay Food Court or at O’Mulia Semarak Satay.

3 - A kopitiam breakfast
This type of breakfast is usually found in an old Hainanese coffeeshop. Although there are more commercialised ones in shopping malls and office buildings, to truly experience this you have to find yourself a true blue kopitam. These places usually look like they have seen better days, furnished by marble-top tables and wooden chairs and staffed by very grumpy looking middle-aged Chinese men. A typical kopitiam breakfast usually consists of a strong cup of local milky coffee/ tea, fat charcoal grilled bread slathered with coconut jam and a half boil egg eaten with pepper and soya sauce. Try them at Yut Kee’s or Old China Café.

4 - A good, crispy, hot roti canai with teh tarik
The roti canai is purely a Malaysian creation i.e. you can’t get this anywhere else in the world unless you are in a Malaysian restaurant. Part crepe, part flat bread, it is dough that is repeatedly kneaded, flattened, oiled and folded. The making of the roti canai is a show in itself with the cook tossing it with skills that can make the greatest pizza chef green with envy. This method makes it fluffy on the inside yet crisp and flaky on the outside. Served with fish/meat curry or dhal (lentil-based vegetarian curry), it also comes cheap at just over RM1. More expensive variations may include egg, onions, margarine, potatoes, minced meat (otherwise called ‘Murtabak’) and others.

Roti canai’s perfect mate is a cup of teh tarik. It is described as tea mixed with condensed milk and poured from a hand held high into another container held below by the other hand. The sweet tea is poured back and forth until it forms a thick froth. This method mixes the tea and milk thoroughly to create a hot drink with a frothy top. These are available at Raju’s and Nirwana’s.


5 - Assam Laksa
Akin to nasi lemak, laksa also transcends cultures as the Malays and Chinese have their own distinct take on this popular dish. Essentially, it is noodles served with a spicy soup that is ‘lemak’ (coconut milk based) or ‘assam’ (tamarind based). Penang laksa includes a sour spicy fish-based ‘assam’ soup served with white vermicelli noodles. Accompaniments include cucumber, pineapple, lettuce, onions, ginger buds, mint leaves and topped with black prawn paste. Laksa lemak or Nyonya laksa uses rich, spicy coconut gravy and is served with yellow noodles, bean sprouts, fried tofu and cockles, topped with spicy sambal belacan for that extra kick! Different states have their own version which may vary thus making it unique yet universal! For example, Sarawak laksa is a blend of sweet, spicy and sour, Johor laksa uses spaghetti noodles while Kelantan laksam is served cold with thick fish-based coconut gravy. Although curry laksa translates well in other countries, it’s the assam laksa that makes our saliva drip with desire. Made with blended mackerel and tamarind juice, this savoury sauce will ‘haunt’ your tastebuds for weeks to come. Try this at Jalan Alor, at the mobile stall just as you enter Jalan Alor.

6 - Char Kuey Teow
This is a popular Chinese dish that is most famous in Penang. Frying flat noodles may sound simple but this task requires skill and finesse, as demonstrated by the deft hawker. Extreme heat of the wok must be maintained constantly as the hawker quickly fries the noodle with prawns, cockles, bean sprouts, garlic, chilli, lard and soy sauce. Egg may be added upon request. Note that prices may vary according to the size of the prawns. It’s best to eat it hot off the wok! If you only have one dish… it might have to be this one. You can try this at a mobile hawker stall at Tengkat Tong Shin or if you prefer a more upmarket one, at Madam Kwan’s.

7 - Ikan Bakar (BBQ fish- Malay style)
Before you even get anywhere near the stalls, there will be the fragrant scent of barbequing heralding your entrance to the shop/ stall. Malay stalls baste their seafood with loads of spices before grilling. Basting sauce is usually a closely guarded secret passed down from parent to child and can consist everything from chilli paste to pounded cumins and coriander seeds. The marinade is massaged deep into the fish after scoring it, and even as it cooks, more marinade is brushed on usually with a lemongrass stalk. This makes the spices seep deep into the seafood and to add fire it’s eaten with two or more chilli dips. Must tries are the BBQ stingray, mackerel and catfish. Try this at Seri Melaka, Behind the National Palace, Jalan Bellamy, Kuala Lumpur.

8 - Seafood (Chinese style)
There are loads of great Chinese seafood restaurants were you can choose your seafood straight from tanks. Coming to a tanked Chinese seafood restaurant is a many sensory experience. Even when you are enjoying the seafood on your plate we’ll guarantee that you’ll still be staring at the row of lobsters waving their delicious claws at you. Need we mention that if you are squeamish, just sit at the far end and wait for the food to come. Seriously food does not get fresher than this. Among the weird and wonderful things you can enjoy here are such as the lewd-looking geoduck (best as sashimi) and giant king crabs. Live tanks of seafood for you to stare and choose from… try Jin Chwan in Taman Bidara, Selayang or Fresh Unique Seafood in Petaling Jaya.

9 - Indian Banana Leaf Rice
This literally means white rice served on fresh banana leaf and it is topped with an assortment of vegetables, curried meat or fish, papadum (Indian cracker) and a selection of curries. This meal is perfect for vegetarians and non vegetarians alike. Rice and vegetables are replenished on the house. You also get to choose either fried chicken or fish and it comes to your table piping hot from the wok. End your meal with a cup of rasam, a thin soup made out of tomatoes, tamarind and spices which is believed to aid digestion. It tastes quite good - slightly spicy with a sourish tang and herbal aftertaste. Get stuck in with your fingers- it’s the only way to eat it. Try them at Nirwana’s, Raju’s or Kanna Curry House.

10 - Local Snacks and Shaved Ice Drinks
At tea time there is nothing better than sweet, ripe bananas dipped in batter and fried. Banana fritters here are crisp and sweet and perfect with a cup of afternoon tea. On a hot day too, try one of our shaved ice drinks. There are so many kinds because we live in a hot country. A nice bowl of mango loh will not fail to cool you down and bring you back instantly to childhood days where food is an uncomplicated pleasure. Available for dinner as well. Try the KTZ Fruitti Stall (Restaurant) at 145, Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur for mango loh or any mobile banana fritter stall around town. They start selling from around 3pm to 7pm everyday.

So... Happy Makan’ing*
This list is by no means a comprehensive collection or the list to end all lists but it’s a good start to introduce those who don’t know our food to a wide range of memorable and delicious local dishes. And we have recommended some places we go for them, just as a guideline. Instead of just reading about the Foodsters Top 10 Malaysia, let us show you how they are prepared and how they look like. Yup! In our Food Channel at FriedChillies.tv , we have an episode with FVJ Riz Ainuddin and FVJ Li Ann showing you the Top 10's. How cool is that? Sweeeett!..... So, Happy Makan’ing! And good luck hunting for them… It’s a trip down your sensory lane...

[Makan’ing = a FriedChillies Chilism (Term) from the word makan, which means eat in Malay.]