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Malaysian Signature Dishes

Rice

Rice, or nasi in Malay, is a staple food in the Malaysian kitchen and is eaten at every meal, either among the Malays, Chinese or Indians. Plain rice accompanies a variety of stews and curries, but there are also more complex rice dishes that stand on their own, such as nasi lemak. Most commonly served for breakfast, nasi lemak is cooked in coconut cream and spices and served wrapped in banana leaves along with small dried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted or fried peanuts, hard boiled egg, cucumber slices, and a hot spicy sauce (sambal). There are various special rice dishes such as nasi briyani, nasi goreng, nasi tomato, etc.

Noodles

A staple of Malaysian meals, both fresh and dried noodles are very common. The most widespread types include: fresh yellow wheat noodles (hokkien mee); spaghetti-style made with wheat flour and eggs; fresh flat rice noodles (kway teow); fresh laksa rice noodles, thin rice noodles that look like spaghetti; dried rice vermicelli (beehoon), very fine threads usually used in soups; and dried mung bean glass noodles (tanghoon), very fine strands sometimes called cellophane noodles due to their transparency after soaking in water. Popular noodle dishes include curry mee, fried char kway teow, mee goreng, prawn mee, and mee bandung.

 

 

Satay

Satay is probably Malaysia’s most famous contribution to the culinary world. It consists of small pieces of marinated meat (usually chicken) skewered on sticks and grilled over a charcoal fire. The skewers are then brushed with oil mixed with honey and spices and served with a spicy peanut dip.

 

Nasi Lemak

Nasi lemak is rice cooked in a rich, creamy coconut milk flavored with pandanus leaf, ginger, and lemongrass.  It is served typically with fried peanuts and anchovies, hard-boiled egg, cucumber slices and a dollop of sambal, a spicy Southeast Asian condiment.  Die-hard fans of this meal love to have their nasi lemak with many other side dishes such as fried chicken or cuttlefish gravy.

 

Beef Rendang

Rendang is a sumptuously spiced dry curry commonly made with beef. It’s prepared by simmering pieces of beef with coconut milk and a sweet and spicy blend of spices and aromatics, including cinnamon, cloves, star anise, sugar, galangal, ginger, Kaffir lime leaves, and chillies.

 

Roti Jala

A popular teatime entrée, roti jala literally means “net bread”, named for its web-like appearance. This lacy pancake is made from a creamy batter of plain flour, eggs, butter, and coconut milk with a dash of turmeric for color.  A special metal or plastic funnel with small holes is used to achieve the lace effect.  The batter is then cooked briefly over a greased hot griddle and usually rolled or folded.

 

Laksa

The word laksa derives from the Sanskrit lakhsa, which means “a lot,” and refers to a delicious, rich noodle dish that can take two forms: assam laksa, a sweet-and-sour, brothy noodle soup or curry laksa, a thicker, creamier curry, also made with noodles. Most laksas are made with fish, from mackerel to shrimp, and they’re often garnished with bean sprouts and fresh mint.

 

Murtabak

An Indian Muslim dish served as street food in Malaysia, it is typically made by stuffing eggs and minced meat, usually lamb, inside the folds of a paper-thin flatbread.

 

Curry Mee

Created by the confluence of Chinese and Malay culinary traditions, curry mee is a uniquely Malaysian dish. It’s a bowl of noodles in a spicy curry with fried tofu, meat (anything from shrimp to fish to chicken), and garnished with crunchy bean sprouts and mint leaves.

 

Fish Head Curry

With Chinese and Indian roots, fish head curry includes the head of an ikan merah (literally "red fish") semi-stewed in a thick curry with assorted vegetables such as okra and Indian eggplants.  It is usually served with either rice or bread.

 

Ais Kacang or Air Batu Campur (ABC)

Ais kacang or ice kacang (literally "red bean ice") is also popularly known as air batu campur.  "Air batu” means ice and "campur" means mixed. Today, sweet-tasting ABC comes in bright colors with different flavored syrups, jellies, and dressings.  Often, a large serving of attap chee (palm seed), red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly, cubes of agar agar and cendol form the base. Many Malaysian coffee shops, market centers and food courts offer this dessert.

 

Asam Pedas

Asam pedas is one dish synonymous with Malacca as well as Johor in Malaysia.  Asam pedas means hot/spicy and sour and is basically a dish of fish or beef in light gravy.  The common ingredients are dried chillies, shallots, garlic, belacan, daun kesum (Vietnamese mint), bunga kantan (torch ginger flower), and tamarind juice.  Some recipes also use ginger, galangal, fresh turmeric, lemon grass and asam gelugor, a Malyasian fruit, in the dishes.  Common fish used are Spanish mackerel, stingray or catfish.

 

Chicken Curry

Originally from India, the dish has spread throughout South Asia. A typical curry consists of chicken in an onion, tomato, and yogurt-based sauce, flavored with ginger, garlic, chillies and a variety of spices, often including cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom. Milk is sometimes added to decrease the spiciness.

 

Mee Goreng

This is a sweet and spicy dish of yellow noodles stir-fried in soy sauce with chillies, eggs, tomatoes, bean curd, vegetables, and shrimp.

 

Nasi Goreng

Nasi goreng, or Malaysian fried rice, can refer simply to fried pre-cooked rice, a meal including fried rice accompanied with other items, or a more complicated fried rice dish including eggs and shrimp and spiced with tamarind and chillies.

 

Hainanese Chicken Rice

This dish is ubiquitous and one of the most popular everyday meals. Chicken is slowly poached whole, allowed to cool to room temperature, cut up into bite-sized pieces and garnished with cucumbers, scallions, and cilantro. Rice is then cooked with the flavorful chicken broth. A small side of the broth is usually served as well as a dipping sauce made of red chilies, garlic, ginger and lime juice.

 

Teh Tarik

Literally meaning "stretched tea", the tarik is a favorite local pick-me-up. There is a certain skill required to stretch the tea back and forth using two containers without spilling a single drop. The stretching of the tea actually helps to mix the ingredients better, thus enhancing its taste.

 

Char Kway Teow

Kuay Teow, a type of flat noodle, is stir- fried over high heat in a huge iron wok with ingredients such as shrimp, chicken, cockles, chives, and light and dark soy sauce.  It is topped with a generous amount of crunchy bean sprouts.  Duck’s eggs are sometimes added to the dish.  The most famous and sought-after char kuay teow is found on the island of Penang.

 

Roti Canai

Many of the unleavened breads that are a staple of Indian food show up in Malaysian kitchens. The most popular is roti canai, a simple bread made of flour, water, eggs, and ghee (caramelized clarified butter) that is repeatedly kneaded, folded, oiled, flattened, and tossed before it’s cooked in a skillet. Making roti canai is an art in and of itself that results in delicious bread that’s crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside.