Nasi kandar is a popular food originated from the northern part of East Malaysia in a state called Penang. Nowadays, one can find it everywhere around Malaysia. There are lots and lots of variety of curries and types of food being served.
This classic Malaysian dish combines steamed rice and an assortment of different curries and vegetables like cabbage, ladies fingers and beansprouts. The rice is steamed and occasionally seasoned, and the choice of curries includes various combinations of 4 to 5 curries like fish curry, chicken curry, lamb curry, prawn curry and black gravy. Nasi Kandar is also well known for its Fish Head curry and fried chicken, fish and squids.
1 teaspoon mixture of mustard seeds, fenugreek & cummin
2 stalks curry leaves
1 onion chopped
1 tomato cut into 6
30gms tamarind & little water
1/2 glass coconut milk
Method:
Add salt, ginger & garlic paste, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and water to the fish and mix well.
Heat oil, fry the ladies fingers for 3 mins and transfer to a plate.
Add mustard, fenugreek & cumin seeds to the oil, followed by curry leaves and onion. Cook for about 2-3 mins and followed by the marinated fish. Let the fish cook for 10 mins by flipping the fish over and adding tomoatoes, tamarind juice and coconut milk subsequently.
The combinations of 4 to 5 curries are added to the steamed rice as shown in the picture. This is the speciality for Nasi Kandar.
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
42
Our friend klyeoh on a nasi kandar lunch in Penang last year. Nice photos.
It reminds me of my city, Manchester, and the “rice and three curries” at the Asian cafes in the city’s Northern Quarter. Although not as nice looking as the nasi kandar
Roti Jala means “net bread” because of its lacy or net-like appearance. This crepe is tender and delicate and eaten with chicken curry, fish curry or rendang. A special cup with five nozzles is used to make the crepe. The batter is poured into the cup and moved in an overlapping circular motion on the pan to create the lacy effect. If you do not have this special cup, use a squeeze bottle or an empty can punctured with holes to create this effect.
Heat the pan. The batter is poured into the special cup and moved in an overlapping circular motion on the pan to create the lacy effect. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or as required without flipping over. The crepe should be cooked lightly and not crispy. Fold to the shape as shown in the picture.
Chicken Varuval (spicy dry-fried chicken) is a South Indian speciality chicken dish in Malaysia originated from Chettinad, region of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. This recipe is everyone’s favourite dish in Malaysia. It has an intense flavour of herbs and spices.
I just saw one of those specialty squeeze bottles for roti jala at a cookware shop in Penang last weekend. Looked pretty nifty - costed only MYR 3 (70 US cents), so I bought one.
This is a simple and easy food available for breakfast or tea.
Ingredients:
A - batter
1 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
1 ½ cup coconut milk
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoon oil
A drop of green colouring
B – filling
½ grated coconut
¾ cup palm sugar
½ cup water
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoon all purpose flour
Blend all the ingredients in A and pour into a container
Combine all the ingredients in B and cook till the sauce thickens and slightly dry.
Heat a non-stick pan. Scoop some batter in a ladle and pour on the pan by swirling in circular movement to form a thin crepe.
Cook till the crepe starts to lift from the pan. Remove the crepe to a plate and repeat the process till the batter finishes.
Finally put a spoonful of coconut filling on each crepe, fold in the sides and roll up like a spring roll. Repeat the process for all the remaining crepe and serve.
ASSAM FISH (Spicy Tamarind Fish) is a classic Malaysian dish and is prepared in many different styles by Malay, Chinese and Indian. Eventually, what we get is a spicy, tangy & sour tasty fish which will definitely tempt anyone!
10 dry chilies (boiled in hot water and seeds partially removed)
3 tablespoon grated coconut - lightly roasted
C
8 pcs shallot – sliced
1 cinnamon
4 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon jaggery or brown sugar
200 ml coconut cream
Method
In a pan add ingredient A, cover, and cook the meat in low flame for 30 minutes or until the meat is cooked.
Blend item B to smooth paste.
In a pan add oil, cinnamon, shallot, and saute the shallot till light brown.
Add the blended paste and cook till aromatic.
Add the coconut cream, jaggery, meat, and cook for 15 minutes or till sauce thickens. Ready to serve.
4 Likes
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
55
Rendang recipe sounds great. I’m going to be trying that in the near future. I’m guessing I’d want to be using something like lamb shoulder for this? What sort of size would you cut the cubes into, please?
I’m making a beef rendang tonight. The recipes are all over the map.
I’m mostly using a recipe from my Terrific Pacific cookbook, calling for beef, coconut milk, curry powder, coriander, cumin, dried chiles, black pepper, ginger, onion, garlic, brown sugar.
I added turmeric which was mentioned in another recipe.
I have dried tamarind powder, dried galangal and dried lemon grass somewhere. I am not sure whether I will add these yet.
Some recipes also call for star anise, nutmeg, candle nuts and/or clove.
If you have a favourite recipe could you paraphrase or link to it?
