Favourite Malaysian and Asian recipes with time-saving hacks
I’m currently obsessed with sambal hijau (ijo)!! This whole journey started when I had a nasi goreng kampung craving. I’ve eaten some really good ones before, but honestly, many commercial versions are just … not great. The rice is too soft. Not enough wok hei. Barely any spice paste. And don’t even get me started…
Ever since I stumbled upon harissa — that fiery, fragrant North African chili paste — I’ve been absolutely obsessed. The problem? It’s nearly impossible to find in Malaysia. Not even Shopee had it! So, in true home-cook fashion, I thought, haiya, why not make it myself? With a little help from ChatGPT (and some kitchen…
I love me some hummus but tahini is SO expensive in Malaysia – then one day I thought, can I make hummus WITHOUT tahini? Turns out you can! The secret lies in a pantry staple familiar to every Asian kitchen: sesame oil. While it may not replicate the exact taste of tahini, it’s a great…
Cili boh, chilli paste, cili giling. When I first dipped my toes into the cooking world, I came across these terms in Malaysian recipes and was thoroughly confused. Alamak, so many types of cili. What’s the difference? Actually, was there even a difference? If you are like me, be confused no more. The terms essentially…
I’m no stranger to onion jam. A sweet-sticky condiment of slow-cooked onions, it’s typically served with burgers in Western restaurants. In Asia, it’s sometimes just called “caramelised onions”. Is it nice? Yes, but nothing to get excited about. Until I ate a version made by a friend in Singapore, using her personal recipe. Holy smokes….
My first encounter with pâté was thanks to the late Dr Frank Dourado, a popular general practitioner in Ipoh. Many years ago, my father went to his clinic on Brewster Road for consultation. Both gardening geeks, the two men got along like a house on fire, though their backgrounds were very different. Their friendship extended…
