Easy Malaysian home cooking with air fryer and stovetop recipes, and smart shortcuts
If you’ve never tasted Nam Khao, imagine a salad that crunches, crackles, and bursts with limey, savoury, slightly sweet flavours in every bite. I first learned about this Laotian dish from vegan cook Maya. She made it look soooo appetizing that naturally, I had to try making it at home. Of course, with a little…
If you’ve ever wanted sticky, glossy, restaurant-style lamb without turning your kitchen upside down, this airfryer recipe is going to change your life. Lamb is naturally rich and full of flavour, and when you glaze it with a sweet-salty marinade, you get that irresistible glossy finish that tastes like it came straight off a charcoal…
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…
Because of my loved ones’ health needs, I’ve had to completely rethink how I cook lately. Both what I cook and how I cook it. My new rules are simple: no spicy food, one-pot meals, easy, healthy, and it must, as the Chinese say, “have taste.” That last part is tricky. I love bold flavours,…
If you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner that doesn’t taste like one, these juicy Middle Eastern–inspired meatballs are the answer. They’re tender, flavour-packed, and—best of all—on the table in under 15 minutes. This recipe started on one of those nights when I opened the fridge and sighed. A pack of minced beef, one sad…
Like many people, I discovered pajeon, the Korean savoury pancake, through K-dramas. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were stuck in our apartment for weeks. Nowhere to go. Nothing much to do. From Crash Landing on You, I watched another .. and another…and another. Somewhere in between all the plot twists and…
Move over, Chilli’s – meet the best beef quesadilla in town! Before I dive into the recipe, I want to declare that I am officially in my minced beef phase now. It is such a superhero ingredient. You can use it to top baked potatoes. Whip up a moreish sauce for Turkish pasta. Or, my…
What can I do with potatoes that’s more exciting than French fries or mash? This recipe began with that simple question. There they were — a humble bag of baby potatoes leftover from last night’s dinner party, waiting to be transformed. I wanted something that would make my weeknight dinner feel special without requiring a…
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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…
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No matter where you are in the world, chances are there’s a version of the curry chicken. From the rich, slow-cooked curries of India to the mildly sweet Japanese kare, every culture has its own spin. Here in Malaysia, curry chicken isn’t just one dish — it’s a reflection of our multicultural society. With Chinese,…
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…
I’m not much of a baker and measuring ingredients with precision ain’t my style. However, I will make an exception for this chocolate banana bread. I have made it over and over again – partly because it’s just that good, partly because it’s so forgiving. I’ve made it using weighing scales. I’ve made it using…
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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…
