Sambal Shiok: The Malaysian Cookbook

Product Information

Find easy recipes for beloved local dishes, including char kuey teow, laksa and cendol, to recreate at home, while exploring the multicultural influences that shape this vibrant and historic Malaysian island. Yin served this rendang at her stall in a brioche bun with sweet pickles and sambal but we had it for dinner over plain rice; comfort food in a bowl. Now, she owns and runs cult restaurant Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar in London and is regularly featured in the national press. In addition, there are influences from the neighbouring cuisines of Thailand and Indonesia, not to mention the marks left by European colonisation and trade. Three of the recipes from this book were featured in the Sunday Times magazine in the 7 February 2016 issue.

It is extremely labour intensive to prepare (and I cook all the time) but once it’s cooking, you’re fine. From quick prawn noodles to the perfect coconut rice, there's something for everyone in this comprehensive introduction to the newest trend in Asian cuisine. We found the beef rendang recipe quite straightforward, and wouldn’t describe it as especially labor intensive… of course you need to make a paste before cooking, but using a spice grinder to do that which makes it quick and easy. The book’s introduction starts with Yin’s reminder of the manifold origins of Malaysian cuisine and her intention to celebrate the diversity of the country and its people. When I step into the house, I can smell it,” she said, adding that the smell of cucur udang reminds her of home.

As a solution, we recommend these cookbooks that provide easy recipes for beloved Malaysian snacks, dishes and desserts from all around the country. You'll find twists on nonya dishes and crowd favourites such as pumpkin fritters and cempedak spring rolls.

To a question, Dayana said it was her childhood dream to appear in a TV cooking programme or video production to promote Malaysian food and Malaysia to the world, as she grew up watching cooking shows hosted by renowned celebrity chefs.Other recipes in this chapter bookmarked to try soon are Coconut and Lemongrass Roast Chicken, Chinese Sweet Sticky Ribs, Hainanese Five-Spice Pork Chops, Mussels in Pineapple Curry, Assam Fish Curry, Prawn Sambal, Greens with Garlic and Oyster Sauce, and Sambal Mapo Tofu. She began to experiment as soon as she left home to attend university, quickly becoming known amongst her friends as a good cook. Used a lot by Ping in these recipes, this sauce is a classic seasoning made from extracts of oysters.

Although there are plenty of bright, colourful and appealing food photographs, there are quite a few recipes without an illustrative photo; I’m less drawn to and confident about making those not knowing what I’m aiming for. Though I can't help wanting to see what ingredients the authentic version would have in the case I can get my hands on some.The book, Penang Makan is nothing short of a labour of love”, said Dayana, who has also shared her personal childhood memories of growing up in the food haven, that is Penang Island. The recipes - such as Malacca Nyonya curry laksa, Penang assam laksa, Malaysian fried chicken, prawn fritters, spiral curry puffs, flaky roti canai, beef rendang, KL golden fragrant clams, sambal mapo tofu, and the perfect steamed rice - can be made for a weekday family meal, a dinner party or celebration. These first two chapters make me salivate but it’s the ‘Home-Style Dishes’ chapter – split into Soups, Meat, Seafood and Vegetarian – that garners the highest density of my little sticky bookmarks.

A trip to Malaysia has been on my travel wish list for a long time, and I’ll definitely be incorporating recommendations from this chapter when I finally make it there. This leads into Yin’s personal ‘Memories of Malaysia’, from childhood meals at home to celebratory feasts and banquets. I think the next step is to organise a similar event and look for distributors to market our cookbooks across the globe,” she added.

In contrast, whilst the Malay Red Chicken is also a decent chicken curry dish, it has none of the complexity of flavours of the Kapitan. The diversity, determination, lateral thinking and business acumen such individuals bring to the table enriches the hospitality sector. One of my new favorite recipes is the Nyonya Vermicelli Noodle Salad, which features rice noodles, tofu beansprouts, and ginger with plenty of lime juice and fresh herbs (if you are vegetarian, leave out the shrimp paste and prawns). Since moving from Singapore to Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, Wendy has written more than a dozen books on Borneo's natural environment.