Malaysian Chicken Curry

It’s officially winter now in the United States, I am sure many people are bundling up at home and cooking, instead of out and about in the frigid cold weather. I am lucky that I am in Southern California where winter is mild, in fact, this year there is no real winter here. However, being an island girl from the forever tropical Penang island, Malaysia, I feel cold whenever the temperature dips below 60.

Whenever I feel that I need to warm up, I make dishes that warms up my body, for examples: soups, stews, one-pot meals such as Japanese hot pot,  and curries. I especially love curries because they are so easy to make and I can just make a big pot and eat the whole day and I might still have some leftover the next day, which taste even better as the flavors develop overnight. Curries are so delicious, great with steamed rice, and heats up my body right away. Plus the smell of curries wafting through the kitchen is enough to set my stomach rumbling, and my mouth watering.

There are countless ways of making Malaysian-style chicken curries and there are various recipes: devil’s curry, chicken curry kapitan, Nyonya-style chicken curry, etc. However, this Malaysian chicken curry recipe is very easy chicken curry that you can make with easy-to-find ingredients. For curry powder, I always buy the curry powder packets from Malaysia, brands such as Baba’s meat curry powder or Alagappa curry powder (made in Penang). They are fantastic, cheap and you can use them for a long time.

Without further ado, this is my homey Malaysian chicken curry which is really easy to make. Make a big pot today and share it with your family and friends. Enjoy!

(Click Page 2 for the Malaysian Chicken Curry Recipe)

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Nasi Ulam (Malaysian Mixed Herb Rice)

I started Rasa Malaysia in 2006 with the mission to promote Malaysian cuisine to the world. Today, I am so thrilled to announce that I am working with Malaysia Kitchen New York City to celebrate and evangelize the rich legacy of Malaysian food. I will be sharing two classic Malaysian recipes with Rasa Malaysia readers, and would like to kick off the Malaysia Kitchen for the World program with nasi ulam, or Malaysian mixed herb rice, a much celebrated traditional recipe for many Malaysians.

Nasi ulam is a Malay dish, and a staple to many people in Malaysia, especially for the Malays and Nyonya/Peranakan (or Straits-born Chinese). As a multi-ethnic country makes up of Malays, Chinese, Indians, and Eurasians, nasi ulam is much loved by many denizens of Malaysia, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or origin. The reason is very simple: there is nothing not to like about nasi ulam. It is utterly delicious, aromatic, healthy, and extremely appetizing, and great with a side dish of meat or fish. What’s more, it can be a complete meal on its own.

Nasi means rice in Malay, while ulam means the assortment of herbs served during meal times. In general terms, the ulam is equivalent to “salad” and they are usually eaten with sambal belacan, which is the national condiment of Malaysia. However, in nasi ulam, the herbs are sliced finely and mixed with rice and other ingredients. The exotic, earthy, and aromatic nuance of the different herbs, paired with rice and dry-toasted shredded coconut or kerisik yield a richly fragrant and scrumptious concoction that is uniquely Malaysian.

In my childhood days, I used to watch my Nyonya grandmother preparing this dish. My mother and aunt would help her slicing the many different types of herbs: daun kadok (wild betel leaf), daun kesom (polygonum leaf or Vietnamese mint leaf), daun kunyit (turmeric leaf), bunga kantan (torch ginger flower), kaffir lime leaf, mint, etc. Many of these herbs are grown in our family’s garden, so it was just a matter of harvesting them from the garden. However, some of these exotic herbs are almost impossible to find out of Malaysia, so I have improvised my recipe to make it more accessible to you. A trip to your local Asian stores (try Vietnamese or Thai grocery stores) will enable you to gather all the ingredients needed for the dish.

Making nasi ulam is not hard, but it does take some time. I can assure you that the end result is rewarding, as once you have tried this, especially toying with the interplay of the different herbs in this mixed herb rice, you will be instantly converted. Enjoy!

About Malaysia Kitchen for the World

Malaysia Kitchen for the World is a global initiative of the Malaysian government that aims to educate and inform consumers about Malaysian cuisine and Malaysian restaurants throughout the world. The New York campaign seeks to boost interest among American food lovers to try Malaysian cuisine and visit Malaysian restaurants in the New York metropolitan area as well as in other locations in the United States. The program also seeks to facilitate local chefs and restaurateurs to introduce Malaysian cuisine at their establishments.

About MATRADE

The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is Malaysia’s national trade promotion agency. Established in March 1993 as a statutory agency under the Ministry of International Trade Industry (MITI), MATRADE is responsible for assisting Malaysian companies to succeed in the international market by developing and promoting Malaysia’s exports to the world. MATRADE is the lead agency for the Malaysia Kitchen campaign.

(Click Page 2 for the Nasi Ulam (Malaysian Mixed Herb Rice) Recipe)

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Wonton Noodles (Malaysian Wantan Mee)

Wonton Noodles (Malaysian Wantan Mee) pictures (1 of 6)

Fern at To Food with Love is a reader of Rasa Malaysia. She often leaves me sweet comments on my recipes, and that’s exactly how I found out her absolutely mouthwatering and delicious blog To Food with Love. A fellow Malaysian who currently resides in Sydney, Fern shares many home-cooked recipes ranging from Malaysian, Chinese, western, baking to desserts. I am particularly drawn to her gorgeous food photography on the site. Please welcome Fern to Rasa Malaysia, with the wonton noodles or Malaysian Wantan Mee recipe. Anthony Bourdain had it in the Penang episode so now the world wants to learn how to make it. Enjoy!

Hello everyone! I’m Fern from To Food with Love, where I share my favourite recipes for home-style Asian cooking and popular Asian street food. I am delighted that Bee has given me this amazing once in a blog-time opportunity to do a guest post on Rasa Malaysia. This is even better than that plane ticket I won ten years ago! Like Bee, I also spent my childhood days in Malaysia, oftentimes a willing spectator, milling around my mother’s kitchen, waiting to execute my duties as the official “taste-tester”.

It was tough choosing a dish to feature in this post, as Bee has covered almost every well-known Malaysian dish on her website, and I didn’t want to repeat any recipes from my previous posts either. I finally settled on Wonton Noodles, because apparently, Anthony Bourdain had a taste of it in Penang and now the whole world wants some wontons too!

Wonton Noodles are known in Chinese dialect as “Wantan Mee”, as the locals would call it. I’m guessing that most of you would be more familiar with the version you get at Hong Kong-style eateries where the noodles don’t look as dark (in all fairness) as the one you see here. This version of “Wantan mee with black sauce” is typically found in KL and the northern part of West Malaysia, including Penang. I was telling Bee that where I come from, the Wonton Noodles are served with an orangey-coloured chilli sauce instead, that is just particular to my hometown. Anyway, I haven’t managed to replicate that sauce yet, but I think I’ve come close with this black version, after a few attempts.

In Malaysia, the basic Wonton Noodles are usually egg noodles tossed in a sauce, topped with Char Siu (Bbq pork), wontons, choy sum and pickled green chillies. I should emphasize that the pickled green chillies are as essential to this dish as are the rest of the ingredients to achieve that authentic balance, and they are really easy to prepare too. In fact, if you just use store-bought Char Siu (or even wontons too), making this dish is really easy. Just make sure that you get good quality fresh egg noodles (not too thin) and your favourite brand of ready-made wonton skins.

(Click Page 2 for the Wonton Noodles Recipe/Malaysian Wantan Mee Recipe)

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Lydia of The Perfect Pantry needs no introduction. A professional food writer, author, cooking instructor, and food blogger extraordinaire, Lydia’s “The Perfect Pantry” is packed with very useful food-related articles, resources, and drool-worthy recipes. Lydia has been a supporter of Rasa Malaysia since the very early days. Her comments are always warm, insightful, but most of all, she has a…

About four years ago, I shared my take on the Vietnamese-style garlic noodles made famous by the An family of Crustacean restaurant. Garlic noodles remain my favorite noodle dish all these years, and the recipe is the ones that I have always tried to perfect each time I make the noodles. That’s the fun of cooking—our cooking skills and techniques…

March, which also happens to be National Noodle Month is drawing to a close and I have just the noodle dish to end the celebration with a bang – Cold Sesame Noodles. This noodle dish of Sichuan origin is perfect for springtime and summertime, especially when it starts to get hot working in the kitchen. It is also a refreshing…

Summer in the US can be scorching hot, which can potentially strip your healthy appetite even though you’re hungry. In times like this, I like to make refreshing and light salads when I am not in the mood to have something heavy. Thai salads always fit the bill as the signature flavors of tart, spicy, sweet, and salty always set…

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Malaysian Style Beef Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Beef Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce pictures (1 of 8)As I have mentioned in my Beef Panang post, I have saved a couple of juicy pieces of top sirloin sponsored by my friends at TX Bar Organics for an upcoming recipe, which is this one. Top sirloin is a very versatile cut of beef that can be enjoyed as a nice juicy piece of steak, sliced up for a beef stir-fry, or diced up, skewered and grilled ala shish kebabs or satay. Since I am in the mood for an appetizer, I decided to use it to make some Malaysian-style Beef Satay.

I would say Satay is undisputably Malaysia’s “King of Street Foods”. It is enjoyed by people from all walks of life, regardless if you is looking for a light appetizer or a complete meal. It is the perfect item to order, especially when you’re out with a group of friends. And it will definitely impress anyone that you are introducing Malaysian street food to for the first time.

Just as Ampang is famous for Yong Tau Foo and Klang for Bak Kut Teh, Kajang is another town in the State of Selangor that is famous for a signature street food – Satay. Kajang Satay is renowned for it’s signature Satay sauce and slightly larger portion of meat among other secret ingredients used that have yet to be made public. I am sure it’s a closely guarded family secret just like KFC’s 11 herbs and spices. Anyway, nowadays you don’t have to make a special trip to Kajang just for the Satay as more and more Kajang Satay outlets are springing up all around Malaysia. If you are jonesing for some Satay right at home, you can always follow my recipe to satisfy your craving instead.

(Click Page 2 for the Malaysian Style Beef Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce Recipe)

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Malaysian Mango Chicken

Malaysian Mango Chicken pictures (1 of 4)Growing up in Malaysia, I was very much spoiled by all the exotic tropical fruit varieties.  From the seasonal Durian ‘King of Fruits’ and Mangosteen, the mighty Queen, to mangoes that are amongst the royal fruits you will see everywhere throughout the year.  Fruits are abundantly available, so much so that restaurants are always coming up with fresh new ideas to incorporate fruits into the local dishes, eg. Durian with sticky rice and fried fish with Dragon fruit sauce, just to name a few.  Ripe mangoes are used to cook dishes like Mango Chicken, whereas fresh, unripened mangoes are used in most fruit salads, eg. Rojak. Ripe green mangoes impart a distinct sweet and tangy flavor to any chicken or shrimp dish, especially when rendered spicy.

Out of the three mango varieties that I am fond of, two were grown in our family garden.  Apple Rumanis, sweet and tangy apple-shaped mangoes with a crunchy texture and Champagne / Honey Mangoes, aka Manila Mangoes, which are super sweet and juicy, and bigger than the kind found in the USA, roughly 5-6 inch long.  Some of the best moments in my life were shared with my dad around the garden.  I vividly remember how exciting it was during mango picking time when we couldn’t wait till we finished picking them and started peeling them off and enjoying them right under the trees. The third variety came from a tree that grew right outside our house and it bore green mangoes throughout the year for, much to the delight of any lucky passer-by. When those mangoes ripen, they emit a highly aromatic and unique scent and to this day, remain my personal favorite over the yellow kind. For those unripe mangoes, my folks would put them in a rice bucket, buried in the rice for a few days. Remember those days?

One of the most popular uses of mango in Malaysian cooking is in making Mango Chicken. And there are two delicious versions. The first one is more of a Thai influence using mango slivers with other shredded veges served with crispy chicken and a sweet spicy sauce.  The other is a stir-fried version with chicken and mango slices. The latter style being the one more popular in the USA because it’s widely offered by most, if not all of the Malaysian restaurants here.

Unlike other sweet-sauced chicken dishes, eg. Sweet and Sour Chicken and Orange chicken, stir-fried Mango chicken does not use any frying batter. It is certainly an appetizing dish that will satisfy your tastebuds when you are in mood for something light and tangy. Just be sure to pick up a nice fresh, ripe or medium ripe mango, which I prefer. Let the mango work it’s magic.  Simmer the mango until the juices surrender and you will definitely be on your way to a truly delicious Malaysian Mango dish!

(Click Page 2 for the Malaysian Mango Chicken Recipe)

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Malaysian Bak Kut Teh

February 13th, 2011 | Malaysian Food, Travel | 17 Comments

Clay Pot Bak Kut Teh pictures (1 of 6)

It’s been almost two weeks since we arrived in Malaysia. Needless to say, I have been stuffing myself silly with lots of great food daily. I apologize for the lack of posting but there are just too much fun being home, especially during the festive Chinese New Year celebration. There are always friends and family to visit, places to go, foods to eat, etc. Anyway, the good news is that I am currently working with my designer on a brand new Rasa Malaysia Photoblog, a new sub-domain which is pretty much about my life in photographs. The Photoblog will be a great tool for me to share many things with you, without writing a lengthy post. I am just very excited. Please stay tuned for the launch…

Anyway, when I was in Kluang during the first few days of Chinese New Year, I tried out some of the best Bak Kut Teh in town. Bak Kut Teh originated from Klang, Malaysia. It’s a hearty soup made of pork ribs, Chinese herbs, mushrooms/wood ear, fresh lettuce, etc., and eaten with side dishes such as yam rice and fried youtiao. Bak Kut Teh is available throughout the day but I love it as my breakfast. Nothing comforts the empty stomach more than fall-off-the-bones pork ribs, fluffy yam rice, crispy fried youtiao, and the aromatic herbal-infused broth.

Here are the  photos of the Bak Kut Teh I had. My favorite is the clay pot Bak Kut Teh at Teoh Heng.

Restoran Teoh Heng (?????)
53 Jalan Lim Swee Sim,
Kluang Baru,
86000 Kluang, Johor
Phone: +6-016-754-4932

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Yeo's Malaysian Sweet chili sauce - 6.7 oz x 2 bottles

We describe the flavor as a delicious barbeque sauce with mild heat, a cross between ketchup, tabasco and sweet & sour sauce. Inspired as a Malaysian flavor, beautiful deep red color and great consistency (a bit thicker than ketchup), you will certainly enjoy it. Product of Malaysia.

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

Nyonya - Malaysian Food in Chinatown

Living far away from family this year, I didn't celebrate the first week of Chinese New Year by going out for dim sum or another festive meal. I talked to my parents in China via cell phone, made some Sichuan wontons, and called it good. I took solace in the fact that 1) I've eaten many great CNY meals in the past, and 2) I'm constantly recipe testing for my upcoming Chinese cookbook, so every day is like Chinese New Year. 

Still, it was nice to finally have a Chinese meal outside of my apartment after a long hiatus of not doing so. Last night I went with Kian (of Red Cook) and his partner Warren to the opening of our friend Magda's photo exhibit near Chinatown. Afterward we wandered over to Nyonya on Grand St., It's part of the Penang restaurant chain that's pretty popular along the East Coast. I've eaten at the Boston branch numerous times, and occasionally find myself with massive cravings for their roti canai with curry chicken dip, so I was pretty excited to try Nyonya. 

We ordered two servings of the roti. Needless to say, it was as good as I remembered from Penang, and even flakier. Usually I would order one or two bowls of rice cooked with chicken oil (which tastes much better than it sounds) and pour the remaining chicken curry dip over the rice. This make-shift chicken rice smothered with curry dip is FANTASTIC, but the danger is filling up on rice and not eating enough of everything else. So I resisted.

We did not resist ordered the New Year dish called "yee sang", which I had never seen or heard of before. According to Kian, who's from Singapore, it's a CNY tradition that's carried on only in Singapore and Malaysia. The salad has about 7 or 8 ingredients, one of which is raw fish, and gets tossed with chopsticks by everyone at the table for prosperity. Ours had a bunch of colorful components, including daikon, jicama, candied papaya, candied persimmon, wonton crisps, rice crisps, and taro chips dyed red and green.

Our "yee sang" came with red envelope, which our server opened up to reveal our "lucky lotto number", plus some "white gold" (white pepper) which she sprinkled over the top of the salad. Then she scattered salmon sashimi over the salad and topped it off with what seemed to be a large amount of honey. Finally she wished us a happy new year, left us to toss the salad, and swooshed off to perform the same ritual for another table.

I really liked our salad and couldn't stop picking at it. But our table did reach the consensus that, yes, that was a large amount of honey, even for a dish that's supposed to be sweet. It would have been a much better as a dessert than an appetizer.

But the dish was still good, and what followed was even better.  

I already gushed about the roti with chicken curry dip. This chicken satay was pretty juicy and also similar to what I remember from Penang. 

I had not had a good plate of char kway teow since visiting Singapore in 2009, so this was a good trip down memory lane. Not quite hawker stall quality, but pretty darn close. 

Another favorite (how many favorites can you have in a field of seven dishes?) was Chinese water spinach sautéed with belachan, or spicy shrimp paste. This gives the Cantonese preparation, stir-fried with a bit of garlic and fermented bean curd, some serious competition. 

We also had some poh piah, Malaysian spring rolls topped with a sweet chili sauce. And for dessert, Kian insisted on ordering the pulut hitam, black sesame rice with coconut milk. I'm normally not a huge fan of Asian desserts, with the exception of mochi and black sesame ice cream from Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, but the coconut milk made the dessert pretty enjoyable. I wouldn't mind eating it again in the future, along with everything else we ordered. 

Nyonya
199 Grand St. (btwn Mott & Mulberry)
New York, NY 10013
212-334-3669

_____________________________

More restaurants in New York:

Xi'an Famous Foods 

Grand Sichuan International - Chelsea

3 Chinese Dishes Worth the Trip into Flushing 

Chinese-Jamaican Food in Brooklyn: De Bamboo Express

Yun Nan Flavour Snack 

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao

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Malaysian Bak Kut Teh

February 13th, 2011 | Malaysian Food, Travel | 8 Comments

Clay Pot Bak Kut Teh pictures (1 of 6)

It’s been almost two weeks since we arrived in Malaysia. Needless to say, I have been stuffing myself silly with lots of great food daily. I apologize for the lack of posting but there are just too much fun being home, especially during the festive Chinese New Year celebration. There are always friends and family to visit, places to go, foods to eat, etc. Anyway, the good news is that I am currently working with my designer on a brand new Rasa Malaysia Photoblog, a new sub-domain which is pretty much about my life in photographs. The Photoblog will be a great tool for me to share many things with you, without writing a lengthy post. I am just very excited. Please stay tuned for the launch…

Anyway, when I was in Kluang during the first few days of Chinese New Year, I tried out some of the best Bak Kut Teh in town. Bak Kut Teh originated from Klang, Malaysia. It’s a hearty soup made of pork ribs, Chinese herbs, mushrooms/wood ear, fresh lettuce, etc., and eaten with side dishes such as yam rice and fried youtiao. Bak Kut Teh is available throughout the day but I love it as my breakfast. Nothing comforts the empty stomach more than fall-off-the-bones pork ribs, fluffy yam rice, crispy fried youtiao, and the aromatic herbal-infused broth.

Here are the  photos of the Bak Kut Teh I had. My favorite is the clay pot Bak Kut Teh at Teoh Heng.

Restoran Teoh Heng (?????)
53 Jalan Lim Swee Sim,
Kluang Baru,
86000 Kluang, Johor
Phone: +6-016-754-4932

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In <b>Asian Food</b> Truck News: Korilla to Peddle Korean BBQ, Malaysian <b>...</b>

?Korean tacos have been something of a Holy Grail of food-truck grub since the whole Kogi-coming-to-New York brouhaha of 2009. The new Korilla BBQ Truck might be just the thing to make us forget all about that mess. Thrillist is reporting that Korilla will serve bulgogi, spicy chicken thighs, and pulled pork stuffed into flour burritos and tacos from Queens-based La Mixteca, as well as homemade kimchi, Korean sausage, and Korilla Perilla "pizzas."

In other mobile Asian food news, the Malaysia Kitchen Food Truck will hit the streets of Manhattan and Queens October 11 through November 19, offering free samples from local Malaysian restaurants, as part of Malaysian Kitchen for the World, an initiative by the country's trade ministry to promote Malaysian food and culture worldwide.

The truck, which will feature dishes from Cafe Asean, Penang, Nyonya, and Fatty Crab, will be parked in various locations throughout the month. Find out where by following @malaysiakitchn on the Twitter.

Have a restaurant tip or other food-related news? Send it to fork@villagevoice.com.

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