WELCOME TO MALAYSIA ( Cuisine ) Part 2

Assalamualaikum..

Malaysia Cuisine ( malaysian food )

Malaysian cuisine is influenced by various cultures from all around the world. Malaysia's population consists mostly of three ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese and Indians. As a result of historical migrations and Malaysia's geographical advantage, Malaysia's culinary style is a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai and Arabian cuisines - to name a few. This resulted in a symphony of flavors, making Malaysian cuisine highly exotic.

Indian cuisine:

• Banana leaf rice is white rice served on banana leaf with an assortment of vegetables, curry meat or fish and papadum.

• Chapati is a type of bread originated from Punjab. It is made from a dough of atta flour (whole grain durum wheat), water and salt by rolling the dough out into discs of approximately twelve centimeters in diameter and browning the discs on both sides on a very hot, dry tava or frying pan (preferably not one coated with Teflon or other nonstick material). Chapatis are usually eaten with vegetable curry dishes, and pieces of the chapati are used to wrap around and pick up each bite of the cooked dish.

• Fish head curry - a dish where the head of a fish (usually ikan merah, or literally "red fish"), is semi-stewed in a thick curry with assorted vegetables such as okra and brinjals.
• Thosai (in Johor Bharu spelt Dosai) 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.

• Idli is made from lentils (specifically black lentils) and rice — into patties, usually two to three inches in diameter, using a mold and steamed. Most often eaten at breakfast or as a snack, idli are usually served in pairs with chutney, sambar, or other accompaniments.

• Naan bread is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread. It is usually eaten with an array of sauces such as Chutney and curries such as Dhal curry. Some examples of Naan bread include Garlic Naan, Butter Naan, Garlic Butter Naan, Cheese Naan, Garlic Cheese Naan.

• Paneer is a dish that uses cheese. Unlike other types of cheese, it does not use rennet as the coagulation agent. This makes it completely lacto-vegetarian. Some of the usual types of Paneer include Paneer Tikka, Paneer Butter Masala and Palak Paneer (Spinach).

• Payasam is a popular dessert, payasam is an integral part of traditional South Indian culture.

• Pongal - rice boiled with milk and jaggery, it also shares the same name as the harvest festival which is celebrated every January. The name itself is derived from the fact that pongal (the dish) is cooked in the morning and offered to the gods, thanking them for the harvest.

• Putu Mayam (String hoppers/ Idiyappam) is a sweet dish of rice noodles with coconut and jaggery as main ingredients. It is served with grated coconut and jaggery, or, unrefined block sugar. In some areas, gula melaka (coconut palm sugar) is the favourite sweetener. Putu piring is a version of putu mayam in which the rice flour dough is used to form a small cake around a filling of coconut and brown sugar. The homemade version in Malaysian Indian homes tend to be eaten as a savoury accompaniment to curried dishes or dal.

• Rasam is a type of lentil soup with pepper, coriander and cumin seeds Sambar is a thick stew of lentils with vegetables and seasoned with spices.
• Upma/Uppittu is a staple meal prepared from semolina (rava), onion, green chillies, and certain spices.

• Roti canai is a thin unleavened bread with a flaky crust, fried on a skillet with magarine and served with condiments. It is sometimes referred to as roti kosong. In Singapore, it is referred to as prahta. Roti telur is a roti canai with egg in it. Telur means egg. Other variations include roti bawang which has thinly sliced onions in it.

• Mamak rojak is a variant of rojak consisting of substantial ingredients like boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Also known as 'pasembur'.
• Maggi goreng is a dish of fried Maggi instant noodles with flavouring (usually curry), bean sprouts, sliced mustard greens, shredded cabbage, eggs, tofu, fish cake and occasionally chicken.
• Murtabak is a dish of savoury stuffed roti, usually including minced mutton, garlic, onion, and folded with an omelette, and is eaten with curry sauce. During the fasting month of Ramadan, it is popularly eaten with a side of sweet pickled onions.

• Nasi Beriani or Biryani is a rice dish made from a mixture of spices, basmati rice, meat/vegetables and yogurt. The ingredients are ideally cooked together in the final phase and is time-consuming to prepare. Pre-mixed biryani spices from different commercial names are easily available in markets these days, which reduces the preparation time though the taste differs considerably.
• Teh tarik literally meaning "pulled tea", is a well-loved drink amongst Malaysians. Tea is sweetened using condensed milk, and is prepared using outstretched hands to pour piping hot tea from a mug into a waiting glass, repetitively. The higher the "pull", the thicker the froth. The "pulling" of tea also has the effect of cooling down the tea. Teh tarik is an art form in itself and watching the tea streaming back and forth into the containers can be quite captivating.

Chinese cuisine:

• Bak Kut Teh (Chinese : 肉骨茶) (pork ribs soup). A soup cooked with cuts of pork meat, intestines, pork ribs (the root meaning for the dish, Fukkeinese dialect: "Bak Kut" is the term for meaty ribs or bones) herbs, garlic and dark soy sauce which have been boiled for many hours. Traditionally eaten by hard working Chinese coolies working on the wharfs at Port Swettenham (now Port Klang) and clearing estates. The city of Klang is famous for it. The dish has since spread across to other states in the country as well as neighbouring countries, Thailand and Singapore. In some towns, additional ingredients include sea cucumber and abalone. Bak kut teh is believed to be a health tonic.
• Bakkwa (Chinese : 肉干), Known also as barbecued pork and it literally means dried meat. This delicacy is sold everywhere throughout Malaysia and is especially popular during the Chinese New Year celebrations period. Now eaten year round as a popular snack.

• Bread with curry chicken, chicken cooked in curry with a covering of bread. Found in the town of Kampar.
• Cantonese Fried Mee. (Chinese : 廣府炒, 河粉, 鴛鴦) Deep fried thin rice noodles served in a thick egg and cornstarch white sauce. The sauce is cooked with sliced lean pork, prawns, squids and green vegetables such as choy sum. It is one of the common Chinese foods in Malaysia.
• Chai tow kway (Chinese : 菜頭粿) is a common dish in Malaysia and Singapore, also known as fried radish cake, it is made of rice flour, bean sprouts and preserved white radish.
• Char Kway Teow (Chinese : 炒粿條，炒河粉). Stir fried rice noodles with bean sprouts, prawns, eggs (duck or chicken), chives and thin slices of preserved Chinese sausages. Usually, with an option of cockles as well. A variation of the dish found in the northern island state of Penang has shredded crab meat added in.

• Chee cheong fun (Chinese : 豬腸粉) is square rice sheets made from a viscous mixture of rice flour and water. This liquid is poured onto a specially made flat pan in which it is steamed to produce the square rice sheets. The steamed rice sheets is rolled or folded for ease in serving. It is usually served with tofu stuffed with fish paste. The dish is eaten with accompaniment of semi sweet fermented bean paste sauce, chilli paste and/or light vegetable curry gravy. Up north in the city of Ipoh, certain stalls serve the dish with a red sweet sauce, thinly sliced pickled green chillies and fried shallots.

• Curry Mee (Chinese : 咖喱面). A bowl of thin yellow noodles mixed with beehoon (rice vermicelli) in spicy curry soup with coconut milk with dried tofu, prawns, cuttlefish, chicken, mint leaves and topped with a special sambal.
• Duck noodle soup (Chinese : 鸭腿面线) is famous in Penang food stalls, ingredients include duck meat in hot soup with mixed herbals and slim white noodles mee-sua.
• Fuzhou cuisine can be found in the Sitiawan area, as well as several cities and towns in Sarawak. Specialities include Kong piang.
• Ginger Duck Mee (Chinese : 姜鸭面). Egg noodles cooked with duck stew. The duck is stewed with ginger in black sauce. This dish is available only from selected restaurants in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley as the duck stew can be cumbersome to prepare.
• Hainanese Chicken Rice (Chinese : 海南雞飯). steamed chicken served with rice cooked in margarine or chicken fat & chicken stock and chicken soup. The rice is usually served in a bowl or a plate but in Malacca (a historical town), the rice is served in the form of rice balls.

• Hakka cuisine can be found throughout the country, as there is a substantial Hakka community within the greater Chinese population.
• Yong tau foo (Chinese : 酿豆腐) is a stuffed tofu dish with Hakka origins but is now popular Malaysians of all races, and is particularly associated with . As a localiazed adaptation, brinjals, lady fingers, fried tofu, bitter melon and chillies are also stuffed with the same meat paste used for the original version.

• Hokkien Mee(Chinese : 福建麵). A dish of thick yellow noodles brasied and fried in thick black soy sauce and pork lard which has been fried until it is crispy. This dish is served mostly in Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Klang, Kuantan and Penang.
• Hokkien Mee or Hae Mee or Prawn Mee (Penang) This is a bowl of yellow mee and meehoon (rice noodles) served in soup boiled from prawns, boiled egg, kangkong vegetable and chilli.

• Kaya toast or Roti bakar is a traditional breakfast dish. Kaya is a sweet coconut and egg jam, and this is spread over toasted white bread. Traditionally served with a cup of local coffee/tea and soft-boiled eggs in light/dark soya sauce & ground white pepper.
• Kway chap (Chinese : 粿汁), Teochew dish of rice sheets in dark soya soup, served with pig offal, tofu derivatives and boiled eggs.
• Loh Mee (Chinese : 滷麵). A bowl of thick yellow noodles served in a thickened soup made from egg, flour, prawn, pork slices and vegetables.
• Mee Hoon Kor (Chinese : 面粉粿)
• Ngah Choy Kai (Bean sprouts chicken) of Ipoh (Chinese : 芽菜雞) is similar to Hainanese chicken rice. The steamed chicken are served with light soya sauce flavoured with oil and with a plate of beansprouts. This dish is favoured by all Malaysians.

• Ngah Po Fan Also known as Claypot Rice/Sha Po Fan(Chinese : 瓦煲雞飯 or 沙煲饭) is a claypot chicken rice dish. It is basically chicken rice cooked over high heat in copious amount of soy and oyster sauce. Dried salted fish is optional but highly recommended.
• Pan Mee or Ban Mian (Chinese : 板面) is a Hokkien-style egg noodle soup, some forms of Ban mian, comprises hand-kneaded pieces of dough, while others use regular strips of noodles. A current popular variation of it commonly known as "chilli pan mee" consists of the blanched noodles served with minced pork, a poached egg and fried anchovies. The dish typically comes with a bowl of clear soup with leafy vegetables. The fried chilli flakes are added in by the person consuming it according to the level of tolerance he or she can take.
• Pao (Chinese : 包) also known as bao, is a steamed bun made of wheat flour, with fillings of various types of meat. It is usually a menu item found in Dim Sum places, although these days it can be seen in most coffee stalls.
• Popiah (Chinese : 薄饼), Hokkien/Chaozhou-style rolled crepe spring roll style, stuffed mainly with stewed vegetables, usually shredded tofu, turnip and carrots. Other items may also include egg, Chinese sausage ("lup cheong").

• Rojak (Malay Influenced: 水果囉喏). A fruit salad with a topping of sweet thick dark prawn paste, gounded peanuts and some sliced fried 'yau cha kwai'. The Penang version is particularly popular and well regarded. The dish is usually served with a generous sprinkling of toasted powdered Shrimp paste.
• Sin Chow (Singapore) Fried Meehoon (Chinese : 星洲米粉). Rice noodles stir fried with various ingredients such as barbecued pork, fish cake, carrots etc. Some restaurants may use different ingredients but the noodles should have the distinct Sin Chow Fried Rice Noodle taste. Popular in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas. The American Chinese version uses curry powder. Interestingly, this dish did not originate from Singapore.
• Turmeric chicken (黄姜鸡) is a chicken stew cooked with from a blend of bases mashed into a paste, consisting fresh turmeric, ginger and lemongrass.
• Tau foo fah or Dau Huay (Chinese : 豆腐花 or 豆花) is a curdled version of soya bean milk and is flavoured with syrup. It looks much like Tau Foo but it is very tender. Sold in many places. It is a popular dessert among Malaysians and Singaporeans.

• Tong Sui (Chinese : 糖水), Chinese dessert with a lot of variety. Basically a sweet drink with different ingredients such as black beans, sea coconut, yam, sweet potato, longan and others.

• Vegetarian dishes (Chinese : 素食, 斎) In some towns in Malaysia, there are vegetarian restaurants that serve vegetarian dishes which resembles many meat dishes in look and even taste although they are made solely from vegetarian ingredients. You can get vegetarian roast pork, steamed fish with skin and bone, chicken drumstick complete with authentic looking bone, etc.