CHAPTER 5

CUISINE OF MALAYSIA

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE
Malaysian cuisine reflects the multiracial aspects of Malaysia.
Various ethnic groups in Malaysia have
their dishes but many dishes in
Malaysia are derived from multiple
ethnic influences.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE
Rice tends to be a staple food in Malaysia as in
most countries in the region.
The rice eaten in Malaysia tends to be the local
variety of rice or fragrant rice from Thailand, its
northern neighbour.
Quality rice (long grained, fragrant and delicate
flavour) Indian basmati is used in biryani dishes.
Japanese short grain rice and others are slowly
entering the Malaysian diet as Malaysians expand
their culinary tastes to new areas.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE
The staple food of the Malays is rice,
boiled to a white fluffy texture.
It is served with dishes of meat
(chicken or beef), fish and vegetables.
Meat and fish are usually prepared as
sambal (chili paste) or curry dish.
In fact, Most of the Malaysian food
can not be eaten without some
spices.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE
Variety is the spice in Malay food.
The traditional culinary style has been greatly
influenced by the long-ago traders from
neighboring countries, such as Indonesia, India,
the Middle East, and China.
Malay food is often described as spicy and
flavorful as it utilizes a melting pot of spices and
herbs.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE
Malay cooking incorporates ingredients such as lemon
grass, pandan (screwpine) leaves, and kaffir lime
leaves.
Fresh herbs, such as daun kemangi (a type of basil),
daun kesum (polygonum or laksa leaf), nutmeg, kunyit
(turmeric) and bunga kantan (wild ginger buds) are
often used.
Traditional spices such as cumin and coriander are
used in conjunction with Indian and Chinese spices
such as pepper, cardamom, star anise and fenugreek.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE
Seasonings play an important role in Malay
cooking as they often enhance the food taste and
flavors.
Many of the seasonings are not dried spices but
are fresh ingredients such as fresh turmeric,
galangal, fresh chili paste, onions, and garlic.
A combination of fresh seasonings and dried
spices are normally pounded together to make a
fine paste and cooked in oil.
Fresh coconut milk (santan) is often added.
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE
Rice is the staple diet in any Malay meal.
It is often served for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper too.
Most meals are eaten by using your fingers, and eating
utensils are kept to a minimum.
All dishes are served at the same time, accompanied by a
refreshing drink.
Fish is popular in Malay cooking, as with other seafood such
as shrimps and cuttlefish.
Beef and mutton are very popular choices but never pork as
it is against their religious beliefs to eat pork.
The other popular white meat is chicken.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE
Desserts are a must for any Malay meal.
Easily available at most local restaurants and
roadside stalls, Malay desserts are invariably
very sweet and include ingredients such as
coconut milk, palm sugar, and flour.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE
Noodles are another popular food. Noodles such as
"Bi Hoon ( ), " (rice vermicelli), "Kuay Teow, "
(soft fluffy noodles shaped like fettuccine but made
of rice and translucent white in colour), "Mee ( ), "
(yellow noodles), "Mee Suah( ), " (very fine
wheat vermicelli), "Yee Meen ( ), " (pre-fried
noodles), "Tang Hoon ( ), " (transparent noodles
made from green beans), and others provide a
source of carbohydrate besides the ubiquitous
serving of rice that accompanies every meal.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

Bi Hoon ( ) (rice vermicelli)

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

"Kuay Teow, "

(soft fluffy noodles shaped like fettuccine but made of rice
and translucent white in colour)

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

"Mee ( ), " (yellow noodles)

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

"Mee Suah( ), " (very fine wheat vermicelli)

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

"Yee Meen ( ), " (pre-fried noodles)

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

"Tang Hoon ( ), " (transparent noodles made

from green beans)

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE
Indian style bread such as naan, puri, roti
canai, thosai and idli are commonly eaten by
most Malaysian as part of breakfast.
Western style bread is a relatively new addition
to the Malaysian diet, having gained
acceptance in the last generation.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

Naan
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

Puri
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

Roti Canai
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

Thosai
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAYSIAN CRUSINE

Idli
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

POULTRY
Chicken is generally available from local farms and is a
cheap source of meat.
Farms used to be family affairs, with chickens
slaughtered fresh on demand at the community wet
market.
For a small fee a vendor would put the dead chicken
into a machine where the feathers would be removed.
The machine consisted of a large container of hot water
which was agitated aggressively resulting in removal of
feathers.
Gutting and cleaning the chicken would be performed at
home.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

POULTRY
A special type of chicken in Malaysian cooking is
called the "kampung chicken" (literally village
chicken).
These are free-range chickens which are allowed
to roam instead of being caged.
These chickens are generally considered to have
higher nutritional value.
They are scrawnier than their farmed
counterparts, meaning they have less body fat.
Cooking of kampung chicken is usually by way of
steaming or preparation in a soup.
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

POULTRY

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

POULTRY
Duck and goose also form part of the Malaysian
diet.
Satay chicken, grilled chicken with a peanut
and coconut milk sauce, is in fact the national
dish of Malaysia.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

BEEF
Beef is common in the Malaysian diet though it
is notable that followers of certain religions
such as Hinduism and Buddhism forbid the
consumption of beef.
Beef can be commonly found cooked in curries,
stews, roasted, or with noodles.
Malays generally eat beef that is halal.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

PORK
Pork is largely consumed by the Chinese
community in Malaysia.
Malaysian Malays are by definition Muslim and
therefore do not consume pork since Islam forbids
it.
Canned pork can usually be found in the non-halal
sections of local supermarkets and hypermarkets,
and fresh pork can be bought in some wet markets
and some supermarkets and hypermarkets.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MUTTON
Mutton is also a part of the Malaysian cuisine.
It generally refers to goat meat rather than
sheep.
The meat is used in dishes such as goat soup,
curries, or stews.
Popular in the Indian food category.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

SEAFOOD
Many types of seafood are consumed in
Malaysia, including shrimp or prawn, crabs,
squid, cuttlefish, clams, cockles, snails, and
octopus.
In general, members of all ethnic communities
enjoy seafood, which is considered halal by
Malaysian Muslims (and indeed most other
Muslims) though some species of crabs are not
considered halal as they can live on both land
and sea.
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

FISH
Fish features in the Malaysian diet and most local
fish is purchased the day after it is caught.
Some is salted and dried by fishers and sold at sea
sides and in some hypermarkets.
Frozen fish is generally imported. Such fish, namely
salmon and cod, are well received on the Malaysian
table but are not caught by local fishermen.
Imported fish are frozen and flown in as pieces or as
whole fish and usually sold by weight.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

FRUIT
Malaysia's climate allows for fruits to be grown
all year round.
Most tropical fruits are either grown in Malaysia
or imported from neighbouring countries.
The demand for fruits is generally quite high.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

FRUIT

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

FRUIT

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

FRUIT
The durian, a fruit with a spiky outer shell and a
characteristic odour is a local tropical fruit that
is notable because it provokes strong emotions
either of loving it or hating it.
It is also known as the king of fruits.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

FRUIT
The rambutan also has a distinctive
appearance, being red or yellow in colour
(when ripe) and having fleshy pliable spines or
'hairs' on its outer skin.
Some other fruits include the mangosteen
which is called the queen of fruits and lychee
which has a bumpy red skin.
Mangoes & bananas are also have wide market
price in Malaysia.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

FRUIT

Rambutan
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

FRUIT

Mangosteen
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAY FOOD
Typical festive fare during Hari Raya Puasa or
Hari Raya Haji (clockwise from bottom left):
beef soup, nasi himpit (compressed rice
cubes), beef rendang and sayur lodeh.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAY FOOD

Lemang
A traditional food cooked in a hollowed bamboo stick
lined with banana leaf is made of glutinous rice and
coconut milk, with salt added for taste. Lemang is
usually eaten with rendang.
INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAY FOOD

Cendol.
Smooth green rice noodles in chilled coconut milk and
gula melaka (coconut palm sugar).

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

MALAY FOOD

Rendang
A meat dish that is prepared with coconut milk,
chilies, onions and other condiments. Eaten
with rice, the tasty tender meat is a delectable
dish, a must at most Malay functions.

MALAY FOOD

Ketupat Sotong
A popular tea-time dish, it features squids stuffed with
glutinous rice, bathed in a sea of cooked thick coconut
milk. The stuffing is first soaked in coconut milk for an
hour and a half before it is stuffed into the squids. Little
skewers of coconut leaf rib holds the stuffing in place.

MALAY FOOD

Laksam
A delightful yet simple dish, the laksam is akin to the
western pasta dish. Like the latter, it has both the flour
dough and the gravy that goes with it. However, unlike
the pasta, laksam is made using both wheat and rice
flours, and the dough is steamed instead of boiled.
Laksam's gravy is made of fish meat, which is boiled,
pureed, and later mixed with coconut milk.

MALAY FOOD

Keropok Lekor / Keping

A popular and the most visible fried snack in Terengganu,
the keropok is made of fish meat, ground to a paste, and
mixed with sago. Coming in two main different forms, the
long chewy ones are called 'lekor', while the thin, crispy
ones are called 'keping'. Keropok is best eaten hot with its
special chili dip.

MALAY FOOD

Satay
Satay is another popular Malay dish. Pieces of
marinated chicken or beef are skewered and cooked
over a charcoal fire where they are periodically
brushed over with oil. The skewered meat is then
served hot, accompanied by a special peanut sauce.

MALAY FOOD

MALAY FOOD

Nasi Lemak
Steamed coconut rice served with fried anchovies, sambal, peanuts
and boiled egg. Chicken/beef rending can be added upon request.

MALAY FOOD

Nasi Ayam
Steamed chicken-flavoured rice served with
either steamed or roasted chicken, chicken,
chilli ginger sauce and soy sauce.

MALAY FOOD

Mee Curry
Noodles in curry gravy and garnished with beancurd,
fish balls, chicken, seafood and bean sprouts.

MALAY FOOD

Laksa
Noodles served with a sour, fish-based gravy, garnished
with pineapple, cucumber, chillies, onions and mint leaves.
The best place to try this noodle is in Penang, it is also
known as Penang Asam Laksa.

INDIAN FOOD
Banana leaf rice is white rice served on banana leaf with
an assortment of vegetables, curry meat or fish and
papadum.
Thosai is a batter made from lentils and rice blended with
water and left to ferment overnight.
The batter is spread into a thin, circular disc on a flat,
preheated pan, where it is fried with a dash of edible oil or
ghee until the dosa reaches a golden brown colour. Then
the thosai may optionally be turned over on the pan, and
partially fried. The end product is neatly folded and
served. Thosai is served with sambar (vegetable curry)
and coconut chutney.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

INDIAN FOOD

Teh Tarik
Teh Tarik literally means "pulled tea". The tea is thick
and frothy. The preparation involves passing the tea
and milk from one big metal mug to the other with a
"pour and pull" action.

INDIAN FOOD

INDIAN FOOD

Roti Telur : Egg Pastry Pancake - is a variation of a

Roti Canai. It is filled with eggs, chopped onions
and cilantro. Popular for breakfast or as a snack, it
is usually served with a side of curry gravy.

INDIAN FOOD

Chapatis
As well as rice, a number of different styles of
unleavened, wheat-flour bread are eaten with Indian
cuisine. Chutneys, pickles, and relishes are always
served to complement and balance the main dishes

INDIAN FOOD

Tandoori Chicken Kebabs

Chicken is highly regarded in India and often served at
special occasions. Shop-bought tandoori and vindaloo
pastes can be kept tightly closed in the refrigerator for
several months.

INDIAN FOOD

Spiced Potato Samosas

Serve hot with tamarind sauce, sweet
chili sauce of fresh miny chutney

INDIAN FOOD

Piquant Chick Peas

Much of the Indian population is vegetarian,
and they enjoy the most extensive vegetable
dishes in the world. Each region has distinct
cooking techniques and flavoring principles
for these dishes.

CHINESE FOOD
Malaysian Chinese food in Malaysia is derived from
mainland Chinese cuisine but has been influenced by local
ingredients and dishes from other cultures though it remains
distinctly Chinese.
Most Chinese meals have pork as their sub-ingredient, but
due to the popularity and unique taste of the actual food,
there are chicken options available for the local Malays
(most Malays are Muslims, and Islam forbids them from
eating pork).
Some Chinese food restaurants nowadays can be found
serving halal food i.e. food without ingredients that are
forbidden by the Islamic religion. Chinese restaurants
serving food in Halal can introduce a wider range of
customers to it.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

CHINESE FOOD

Hokkien Mee
The Hokkiens have provided us the Hokkien fried Mee
(thick egg noodles cook with meat, seafood and
vegetable and a rich soy sauce. Mind you, if you go to
North Malaysia, Hokkien Mee means prawn soup
noodles. Hokkien spring rolls (popiah) are also delicious.

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

CHINESE FOOD

Dim Sum (Steamed Dumpling)

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

CHINESE FOOD

Yee Mee

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS

CHINESE FOOD

Yee Sang

INSPIRING CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE MINDS