Malaysian cuisine is a melting pot of influences from Indonesia, China, India and the native Malay population. It owes its rich culinary heritage to these cultural influences and its colonial past. Due to its location as a key trading hub in the 15th century, Arab traders brought spices from the Middle East, while the Portuguese, Dutch and English introduced staples such as peanuts, pineapples, avocado, tomatoes, squash and pumpkin. The result is a cuisine with a strong and spicy taste with aromatic flavours.
Here’s what you should sample on your tour of this multicultural country.
Nasi lemak is Malaysia’s unofficial national dish. Its name means “fat rice” and the cooking process involves soaking white rice in coconut cream and steaming the mixture. The rice is normally cooked with pandan leaves which give the dish a distinctive flavour. The meal is served in banana leaves but every region brings its own twist to the dish, with accompaniments like sambal (a spicy sauce), cucumber slices, fried anchovies, roasted peanuts and hard-boiled or fried eggs. It’s a breakfast meal but due to its popularity it can be eaten at any time of the day.
This noodle dish was introduced to the country by Indian Muslim immigrants. Yellow noodles are stir-fried with fish cakes, chicken, prawns, garlic, scallions, tomato sauce, curry spice, sweet soy sauce, boiled potatoes and eggs. Toppings include red chillies, crispy fried onions and lime juice. The dish is a staple of Malaysian cuisine and can be eaten at roadside stalls or fine dining restaurants.
For Maggi lovers, there is also a Maggi mee goreng which uses the beloved instant noodles instead of fresh yellow ones.
Inspired by Indian rotis, the roti canai is made with flour, eggs, butter or ghee, and water. The dough is flattened, folded, oiled and cooked on a skillet, resulting in a fluffy piece of bread with a crispy exterior. This light flatbread is usually accompanied by three dipping sauces of varying levels of spiciness.
Char kway teow is a stir-fry dish made with flat rice noodles, shrimps, eggs, cockles, bean sprouts, chives and Chinese sausage. The ingredients are doused in soy sauce but some versions also incorporate shrimp paste, garlic and fried pork lard. The dish has become hugely popular in the region but also has a reputation for being unhealthy due to its high saturated fat content.
Originating in Indonesia, beef rendang is a spicy, rich and creamy stew made with beef, spices and coconut milk. The concoction is slowly simmered to let the meat absorb the spices until the rosy liquid completely evaporates. This makes the meat tender, resulting in a rich coconut beef stew.
Just the thought of grilling chicken, lamb, beef or pork on skewers is enough to make anyone's mouth water. The meat is marinated in a blend of spices like turmeric, coriander, lemongrass and cumin, after which it is stuck onto skewers and fanned over a charcoal grill. Satay done right is juicy and flavourful. It is traditionally served with a rich peanut sauce which adds a hint of sweetness to this savoury meal.