Category: Malay

Bread and Batter, breakfast, Malay

Roti Telur Tuna (Tuna Egg Bread)

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Ok this is a super unhealthy and very sensitive food item for the family. This is a snack that is sold quite commonly. Essentially it’s a stuffed French toast filled with spicy sardines or a hot dog. I posted a brief post about this years ago sans the backstory.

So the story goes that a few weeks before my dad passed away because of a heart attack, he would eat this snack every single day. He was a taxi driver and so there’s some Malay stall somewhere (as you can see, my mom refuses till now to share details) that he would frequent for breakfast. And, this part I knew then, he was having heart problems. The doctors have told him to go for a balloon operation but my dad refused. He used to always say he’ll die at 50. Lo and behold, he really did. And my mom would always blame this snack for pushing him to the end.

Let me share with you this controversial snack. Eat in absolute moderation.

I used canned spicy tuna instead of sardines that day. You need only use store bought sliced bread, and roll it thin. Yes, with a rolling pin.

See the difference? So there’s more space…

Add filling and then roll tight. I didn’t manage to roll as tightly as I should. Then right before frying, dip in egg and fry till golden brown.

Drain well on paper towels and dab dab dab excess oil…

Asian Dishes, Malay, Sauces and Sambals, Seafood

Sambal Tumis Kupang

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Remember the basic sambal tumis recipe? Well, if you add any protein to it, it becomes a nice side dish. Though one can also make a sambal tumis dish from scratch.

That day I had some frozen shelled mussels and decided to make a popular malay dish called sambal tumis kupang, or mussels sambal. Using the same base, once it’s nice and well cooked, I added in the already boiled and defrosted shelled mussels. I also added onions for some texture. My mommy said it was a but bland so next time I’ll add more salt to the dish. If eaten with hot coconut rice (nasi lemak) this sambal is a winner!

Asian Dishes, Malay, Sauces and Sambals

Sambal Tumis

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You’re not Malay if you don’t know and don’t eat sambal tumis. Sambal is generic for any kind of chilli paste or condiment but sambal tumis is like a chilli jam. And I know that every family has their own version.

What I made yesterday was the plain sambal tumis that is just the base that is delicious eaten with nasi lemak or mixed with prawns, ikan bilis (dried anchovies), boiled eggs, etc.

I’ve always been intimidated making this because I know I can’t reach the same standards as Mom. But yesterday, I was surprised. Taste wise it was exactly like Mom’s but texture wise, it was not as smooth as I’d like it to be, and it was waaaayyy too hot! Next time, I’d reduce the number of chillies and boil the dried chillies for an hour to make them super soft. 🌶 🌶 🌶

This is tamarind water

Recipe of sorts

1. About twenty or more dried chillies, snipped and boiled till soft

2. 2-3 failry large onions

3. 3-4 garlic cloves

4. 1-2 tsp of belacan (toasted shrimp paste)

Blend till super fine. Add to hot oil and pn low heat, cook till oil appears at the top. Continue simmering till chilli paste is cooked. Add about three tablespoons of sugar, 1 tsp of salt and two tablespoons or so of tamarind water. Taste and adjust sugar, tamarind water to your preference. My preferred taste is sweet but not too sweet with a tangy taste.

Asian Dishes, Malay, Rice

Nasi Uduk

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After my trip to Bandung and having tried Nasi Uduk for the first time there, I decided I’d make the dish at home. Many people have said Nasi Uduk is merely the Indonesian version of Nasi Lemak. Partially so. While the condiments may more or less be the same, the taste is not. While Nasi Lemak rice is fragrant from the use of coconut and pandan leaves, Nasi Uduk’s rice is fragrant from the spices used. In any case, I love both Nasi Lemak and Nasi Uduk and reckon when I do retire one day, will be making both often as family dishes. “”] Mix the coconut mixture into the cooked rice. “] Plain cooked rice[/caption]

In the boiling coconut cream, add onion garlic ginger lemongrass fresh basil leaves white pepper
Coconut cream

In the meantime, make the sambaltumis and fry the tempe, tahu and chicken.

And then assemble all nicely together! In Indonesia, nasi uduk is also served with sambal kacang, peanut sauce.

Cakes and Cookies, Desserts, Malay, Singapore

Durian fritters

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An easy tea time staple in Malay homes will be the jemput–jemput pisang or banana fritters. I remember an aunt who married an American and then moved to Wyoming. She told me she made these for her neighbours and they loved them. They were also tickled by the literal translated name. Jemput means invite and so she’d tell them ‘banana invite-invite.’ When I got older, I learnt that jemput also means to take a small amount of something. So basically it means small amounts of batter.

That afternoon I decided to make a variation using durian. The Southeast Asian king of fruits so despised by Westerners (and some locals too!)

I took the flesh out from its seed and added some plain flour, a tiny bit of brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Then fry small amounts of the batter in hot oil. It was a success!

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