Favourite Malaysian and Asian recipes with time-saving hacks
Chau lup lup is one of those old-school Cantonese home dishes that doesn’t look flashy, but once you start eating it, wah… very hard to stop. The name literally means “stir-fried dices”, referring to how almost everything in the dish is cut into little cubes: tofu, French beans, preserved sweet radish. It’s colourful, deeply savoury,…
My mum makes many wonderful soups, but this one might just be my sentimental favourite because she made it when I needed it most. I wasn’t feeling well and my appetite was very poor. Seeing my condition, she simply said, “I’ll make a soup to wake up your appetite.” I remember thinking … sure or…
Read More “Old Cucumber Soup with Red Dates & Chicken (老黄瓜汤)” »
When my husband came home with a 130g pack of shabu-shabu beef from AEON, my first thought was: what exactly are we supposed to do with this since we don’t have a hotpot? As I racked my brain, I suddenly remembered dry beef hor fun. Those flat rice noodles with wafer-thin slices of intensely flavourful…
Read More “Caramelised Shabu-Shabu Beef (Nonstick Pan Version)” »
This whole recipe started because a good friend gifted me with a bag of salted duck eggs. Not one or two but TEN. Dear B had bought them directly from a salted egg manufacturer in Pantai Permatang Damar Laut and very generously passed some along to me. Aiks, what on earth do I do with…
Every Chinese family has its own treasured version of soya sauce chicken, but for me, nothing comes close to Mum’s. Her version is full of soul, the kind of dish that speaks volumes about who she is. Kampung Girl Mum grew up in Enggor, a small village in Northern Perak, where cooking was about all…
It’s been so long since Mum cooked, and honestly, I didn’t realize how much I’d missed her food until nam yue chicken appeared on the table again. There’s just something about a mother’s cooking — the way she turns the most humble ingredients into pure comfort. This Nam Yue Chicken, or fermented beancurd chicken, is…
Can you see me drooling as I film my mum – this onion omelette is one of those dishes that look too simple to impress. Just three eggs, two red onions, soy sauce, salt, and oil. But somehow, in her hands, it becomes magic. In Malay, we call that ‘air tangan’, the special touch that…
If you’re looking for a dinner that’s fast, flavourful, and utterly addictive, this sizzling sauce salmon might just become your new favorite. Inspired by the London culinary academy School of Wok (I’ve simplified the recipe further for lazy cooks like myself ahem), this recipe combines lightly fried salmon cubes with a simple yet aromatic sauce…
This Chinese New Year, I had the privilege of learning how to make jiu hu char, a beloved Nyonya dish, from my mum. For those unfamiliar, it’s a stir-fry of jicama (or bangkuang) and dried cuttlefish. Typically enjoyed as a side dish with rice or wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves, it embodies the essence of…
Read More “Jiu Hu Char (Stir-Fried Jicama with Dried Cuttlefish)” »
For most of my life, I’ve regarded roast chicken as a dish flavoured with “Western” herbs like rosemary and thyme. Then at a Christmas party, I ate a roast chicken that overturned all my assumptions. The flavours were deep, complex and unlike any roast chicken I’d ever tasted. When I asked the chef for the…
Mark my words, this gingery soya sauce chicken is the ULTIMATE side dish to pair with rice. After my first bite of this dish created by Wong Zenzi @onegoodmeal.a.day I had only one thought: “Aiya, I wish I’d cooked more rice!” I also understood why the recipe went viral: such intense and complex flavours contributed…
If you’re craving a bowl of comforting, flavorful soup but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, try my cheat version of Chinese style fish soup noodles. With just a few key ingredients (only 4 for the soup base!) and a simple technique, you can whip up a one-pot meal that feels like it…
This Chinese-style minced meat noodles recipe is a must-try if you love noodles with big bold flavours which are easy to prepare. It’s so good that my husband asks for it every single week (and I happily oblige), no exaggeration! The secret to its addictive taste lies in a killer sauce. Sear tender minced meat…
Ah, shrimp toast brings back fond memories of my childhood. Growing up, I spent a lot of time poring over mum’s mountains of recipe books. One day, in a thick hardcover tome that was filled with mouthwatering illustrations – either Puriselera or Malaysian Cooking something – I came across this Hong Kong dim sum specialty…
If there’s a side dish that’s universally beloved, it must be sweet and sour chicken. Who could resist crispy battered juicy chicken pieces tossed in an appetizing sweet sticky sauce with crunchy vegetables? As my husband, nieces and nephews would say, “One plate of rice is not enough!” Chances are, you have probably eaten sweet…
