Stories and recipes from a Malaysian home kitchen
A teriyaki chicken poke bowl is a thing of joy – and the perfect quarantine meal. First, what’s poke bowl … is it Japanese or Hawaiian? Poke is a regional American-based cuisine from Hawaii, heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine.The word “poke” means “to slice or cut” in Hawaiian. In the original version, poke bowls feature…
One of the most popular dishes during the month of Ramadan sahur is, tadah, shakshuka! Featuring poached eggs in a hearty tomato sauce, this beloved Middle Eastern breakfast dish is perfect for sahur because it’s healthy, nutritionally balanced, keeps you full and most of all, very delicious! Just dip some crusty bread in the creamy,…
When I feel under the weather, I automatically think of ABC soup, the comfort food of many a Malaysian Chinese household. More so during this COVID pandemic period, when we should keep our immune systems as strong as possible. While some turn to supplements, I am focusing on using nutritious, immune system boosting ingredients that…
I never, ever thought I would cook lamb, let alone lamb pilaf. For a long time, I was under the impression that lamb/mutton needs hours of pre-boiling to soften the tough meat, until recently. Using my Le Creuset Dutch Oven and Made-in-Malaysia mixed spice brand Opah Herbs, I attempted to cook lamb shoulder. To my…
Next to kai si hor fun, wat tan hor must be the most popular noodle dish in Ipoh. I’ve never received so many responses to my Instastories until I posted a picture of the wat tan hor I made last Friday! A rich eggy sauce poured over wok-charred rice noodles loaded with vegetables and…
How do you prevent fried beehoon from sticking to the wok? Ask any cook and that is probably their no 1 pet peeve when cooking fried beehoon, a simple and most delicious dish. Washing the wok after frying, however, is a pain of epic proportions. I usually soak the wok in hot water to “lift”…
Every Ipohite has their favourite kai si hor fun stall. Mine is Canning Garden’s Little Katong, a relative newcomer compared to the old stalwarts in other parts of Ipoh. I prefer this version because the soup is rich and flavourful without being overly sweet. For the uninitiated, kai si hor fun stands for shredded chicken…
What could be so luxurious about chicken porridge? If you make them the way my Aunt Wong Kim Yeng does, then it is SUPER luxurious. In fact, better than any dim sum restaurant out there! I found out about her special porridge way back in 2006. I had just moved to Kuala Lumpur permanently to…
Do you find yourself stuck with leftover bread that you don’t know what to do with? I know I do, especially the ends of bread loaves, which are hard and not so nice to eat. Inspired by Japanese chef Masa, I developed a simple recipe that uses leftover bread to create a delicious breakfast casserole…
Sang har meen brings back wonderful memories. Growing up, I would visit my relatives in Bukit Bintang whenever I came to Kuala Lumpur. The neighbourhood was a hotspot for sang har meen, a popular Chinese restaurant dish featuring giant river prawns atop a bed of crispy noodles swimming in a rich briny sauce. Yum!! The…
Growing up in Ipoh, I got to know claypot chicken rice at a very young age. I still remember where I ate it: a roadside stall in Hugh Low Street. The uncle and aunty would monitor multiple claypots on stoves like hawks, holding fans to control the flame and lifting the lids occasionally to check…
Too many K-dramas during COVID19 are triggering an overwhelming craving for Korean food, so I made kimchi fried rice a few days ago 😂 What you need Rice You’ve probably heard that day old rice is best for fried rice. However, if you don’t have time to plan ahead, just use less water to boil…
Ooof, how I love loh mai fan or fried glutinous rice! Not to be confused with loh mai kai, although they share common ingredients, this traditional Chinese dish is stir-fried with sausage, dried shrimps, shitake mushroom, and flavoured with aromatics. In other words, an umami bomb! In case you’re wondering about the difference between loh…
Bittergourd, dried shrimp and fried beehoon? Sounds strange? Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, though. When this dish appeared at a table in a Chinese restaurant in Kuching a few years ago, I was skeptical as well. Seeing the look on my face, my Kuching host merely smiled and told me that it’s a…
It’s been a surreal few weeks. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would experience a lockdown restricted movement order in my lifetime. What this means for many of us is a lot more cooking than usual. While I love cooking, breakfast is a bit of a challenge for me. Other than…
