eG Foodblog : kew/Tepee

[JustKay]

Kew & TP, any recommendations on books in English on Malaysian food. I saw  Nordin's book on Kuih listed on Amazon Japan and Amazon UK.

My books are decades out of date! Can you bring me up to date?

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But old cookbooks are da bomb.

When I first got married and had to cook everything myself , I found (and still find) this book by Betty Yew very helpful.

Rasa Malaysia (Flavors of Malaysia)

The recipes are categorized by the states of Malaysia and following each section are recipes for kuih/dessert from there.

The book in your linkie : yeah, I was going to recommend her book too. Btw, the Malays do not have surnames and we always go by our first name, and not the last name which is the first name of our father.

Norzailina Nordin, the author has her own website where she shares recipes and tips, but it's in Malay. However she does answer back in English if you ask her in English.

She is also a novelist.

Her cookbooks

While searching for her Q&A website, I came across a recipe for Jackfruit Muffin!

It's in Malay but the ingredients are : high protein flour, superfine sugar, dessicated coconut, baking powder, salt, milk, finely chopped jackfruit flesh, corn oil, eggs and vanilla.

Well .... I can't find the site now but I'll post it on the Malaysian forum when I find it.

Edited March 14, 2005 by kew (log)

[Tepee]

Helen, I can't seem to be able to link to http://www.mph.com.my at the moment. But if you want to try, the authors to look for are: Betty Saw (was Yew), Rohani Jelani, Amy Beh and Carol Selvarajah.

[JustKay]

A good Malaysian recipe site is Kuali (The Wok)

Go here to do a search by specific cuisine.

There are several others that I go but they are all in Malay. One site which has quite an extensive collection is here, but in Malay.

Edited March 14, 2005 by kew (log)

[Tepee]

Another website is Jodeli's bakery. She tests out a lot of recipes herself....slowing down now with her new condition ; she's a good e-friend.

[helenjp]

we always go by our first name

I'm sorry...I should have known that, because I had a Malaysian student in my class last year, and I sure got to use her name often enough, as in "X, would you and your friend care to stop chatting for a minute there...."

I notice Rasa Malaysia is available on Amazon Japan. But wow, expensive - have ta wait till term (=paychecks) start up again!

Jackfruit Muffins...hmm, sure that's not a waste of a good jackfruit?

The Kuali site is great!

And by the way, I made agar flavored with that Philippine pandan/coconut essence today, with young coconut and pineapple in a milk/coconut milk syrup...finished it just in time for my DS2 and his best friend to race in from school and gobble it up. I told them it was a very serious experiment, and they better tell me just exactly what they thought about the flavors and textures! DS' friend is going through hard, hard times at the moment, and I just about teared up watching him motor through it all with a look of intense concentration on his face. He loved the young coconut and the sweet coconut/milk, butdidn't care for the pandan flavor, though!

Edited March 14, 2005 by helenjp (log)

[JustKay]

The Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council has great recipes and some by one of our very own celebrity chefs , Chef Wan.

Some of the recipes though are both in Malay and English (the Rasawit section).

clickie

Edited March 14, 2005 by kew (log)

[SuzySushi]

Kew & Tepee, What a delicious blog! Thanks so much for posting it, and for the mouthwatering and explanatory photos!

I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit Malaysia but have a friend in KL who I am trying to persuade to join eGullet. I've eaten Malaysian restaurant foods in NYC. There was a good Malaysian restaurant here a few years ago, but it had a poor location and so closed rather quickly. My friend sent me several Malaysian cookbooks -- one is Florence Tan's Secrets of Nyonya Cooking, and I've also perused "My Kuali" (at The Star) but the recipes can be hard to follow if I don't know what the ingredients are (many are available locally in Hawaii, but by different names!) or how the recipe is supposed to turn out.

Thanks again for dispelling some of the mystery!

[Tepee]

And by the way, I made agar flavored with that Philippine pandan/coconut essence today, with young coconut and pineapple in a milk/coconut milk syrup...finished it just in time for my DS2 and his best friend to race in from school and gobble it up. I told them it was a very serious experiment, and they better tell me just exactly what they thought about the flavors and textures!  DS' friend is going through hard, hard times at the moment, and I just about teared up watching him motor through it all with a look of intense concentration on his face. He loved the young coconut and the sweet coconut/milk, butdidn't care for the pandan flavor, though!

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I've been following your agar-agar exploits. Very interesting.

BTW, toldya about pandan essence tasting weird.

[JustKay]

Kew & Tepee, What a delicious blog! Thanks so much for posting it, and for the mouthwatering and explanatory photos!

.......... My friend sent me several Malaysian cookbooks -- one is Florence Tan's Secrets of Nyonya Cooking, and I've also perused "My Kuali" (at The Star) but the recipes can be hard to follow if I don't know what the ingredients are (many are available locally in Hawaii, but by different names!) or how the recipe is supposed to turn out. .........

Thanks again for dispelling some of the mystery!

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Anytime!! We had fun.

You can post in the Malaysian forum about anything Malaysian and we'll try our best to demistify the mysteries.

[Tepee]

There are several others that I go but they are all in Malay.  One site which has quite an extensive collection is here, but in Malay.

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Doing the happy dance! Thanks, Kew, never knew about that site.

[JustKay]

BTW, toldya about pandan essence tasting weird.

Have you tried 'Star brand' pandan flavoring? This is not too weird and almost colorless. I don't use this, but I bought a bottle to try.

I sent Helen a couple of bottles of this and another extract but they never made it there. Grrr ....

[Tepee]

Kew & Tepee, What a delicious blog! Thanks so much for posting it, and for the mouthwatering and explanatory photos!

Thanks again for dispelling some of the mystery!

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Anytime!! We had fun.

You can post in the Malaysian forum about anything Malaysian and we'll try our best to demistify the mysteries.

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DITTO!

[JustKay]

Doing the happy dance! Thanks, Kew, never knew about that site.

Yer welcome.

I'l post more linkie as and when I find more sites. My bookmark folder is rather chaotic (that's an understatement! )

[JustKay]

Here are some recipes by Chef Wan. Sorry it's in Malay but if you see any of the dishes that looks good/interesting (Picture with every recipe), let us know and we'll translate them.

Chef Wan on TV1

A couple of recipes by Chef Wan in English.

One of his cookbooks.

Another TV gig by Chef Wan (in Malay, especially for Tepee and also for those who can read Malay ) Kak Long's website

The Malaysian recipe Lawar salad is one of Chef Wan's.

Some Malaysian Recipes in English

Edited March 14, 2005 by kew (log)

[Laksa]

Dang! Is this blog ending already? The week sure went by fast...

Thanks Q and TP, I've had a lot of fun. Almost felt like I was blogging too.

One last question, would you happen to have a recipe for that ginger sauce that goes over the steamed fish?

Is it trendy now in KL to steam fish with ginger sauce? I had an almost identical dish at the Hakka Restaurant and loved it. Though their sauce had a green tinge to it -- could it be kacangma? I have a picture of that around here somewhere....

This is steamed patin fish, a superior catfish variety, a river fish. It doesn't have the muddy taste of catfish. The flesh is velvety, yet firm. It was delicious with the ginger sauce. Wish they gave us more parsley, though.

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[Tepee]

Dang!  Is this blog ending already?  The week sure went by fast...

Thanks Q and TP, I've had a lot of fun.  Almost felt like I was blogging too. 

Well, it certainly was a combined effort.

One last question, would you happen to have a recipe for that ginger sauce that goes over the steamed fish?

Is it trendy now in KL to steam fish with ginger sauce?  I had an almost identical dish at the Hakka Restaurant and loved it.

I guess it's up to you how you want your fish to be done. If the fish is "swimming", then the recommended method is to steam it to savor all its sweet freshness. Even steaming, you have a choice of Teochew (with the salted veg and ginger slivers) or this method. This is just salted blended ginger (lots of it) which is made to cover the fish before the steaming. Drizzle some sesame oil/cooked oil when it comes out from the sauna.

Edited March 14, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[Laksa]

Jackfruit Muffins...hmm, sure that's not a waste of a good jackfruit?

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Many tropical fruits in Malaysia are still very much seasonal. When a fruit is in season, there tends to be such an over-abundance that you couldn't pay people to eat it. At least, that's been my experience in the more rural parts.

When Ms Congee's rambutan tree was bearing fruit, every Tom, Dick and Ali's rambutan tree was also bearing fruit. Those who didn't have a rambutan tree received bucketloads of rambutans from friends and family who did. At the Bintulu market, rambutan prices fell through the floor.

All that suited me just fine, as I had been deprived for five years. As a civic minded individual, I thought that, for the common good, I had to do something about the rambutan oversupply. I worked at a furious pace, I really did. But alas and alack, there's only so much one person can eat!

[Tepee]

All that suited me just fine, as I had been deprived for five years.  As a civic minded individual, I thought that, for the common good, I had to do something about the rambutan oversupply.  I worked at a furious pace, I really did.  But alas and alack, there's only so much one person can eat!

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So...did you start growing more rambut? If it's not too personal, could you describe Ms Congee's rambutans? I only eat those with flesh which comes out easily without yanking off part of the shell too.

[Laksa]

Well, Kew doesn't drink; she's Muslim. I'm practically a teetotaler although I do appreciate a good port and wine now and then. My cupboards are packed with liqueur, though....for flavoring purposes!

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I've always wondered about this... does Islamic law make allowances for the use of alcoholic beverages in cooking or baking? I mean, by the time the food is cooked, all the alcohol would have evaporated, right?

And what about things like listerine mouthwash?

[JustKay]

I only eat those with flesh which comes out easily without yanking off part of the shell too.

Do you mean kulit ari? The bark-like 'skin' of the rambutan seed? It's called aril in English. (pan .. ???)

I use a knife to cut off the rambutan flesh. I can't eat the kulit ari, I'll start coughing soon enough. Nasty stuff the kulit ari.

I also kinda like the canned rambutans stuffed with pineapple cubes.

Edited March 14, 2005 by kew (log)

[Laksa]

So...did you start growing more rambut? If it's not too personal, could you describe Ms Congee's rambutans? I only eat those with flesh which comes out easily without yanking off part of the shell too.

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That's a deeply personal question, but I'll be happy to answer it. Her rambutans can be rather temperamental. Only if enough care is taken to coax the flesh from the seed, will it come loose with just the tender outer layer of the seed attached. This, needless to say, calls for gentle and highly experienced fingers.

[JustKay]

Well, Kew doesn't drink; she's Muslim. I'm practically a teetotaler although I do appreciate a good port and wine now and then. My cupboards are packed with liqueur, though....for flavoring purposes!

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I've always wondered about this... does Islamic law make allowances for the use of alcoholic beverages in cooking or baking? I mean, by the time the food is cooked, all the alcohol would have evaporated, right?

And what about things like listerine mouthwash?

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Why you ask a susah question one?

No liquor in baking and cooking.

Yes to alcohol for medicinal properties but cannot be consumed, unless there is absolutely no other alternative.

Yes to listerine but must rinse mouth thoroughly. Although the more conservative Muslim would say no. Personally, if there is an alternative, why use this?

Alcohol falls into the 2nd category of things 'dirty'. And with this category, adequate washing until 3 conditions are satisfied : no taste, no smell and no physical particles visible to the naked eye; it is then considered 'cleaned'.

Edited March 14, 2005 by kew (log)