How to cook Malaysian food

Malaysian cooks know their way around the spice rack. Claire Dodd tells you how to create traditional food packed with as much punch as the matriarchs behind some of the country's tastiest food.

From spicy curries, aromatic soups and stir fries with a bit of oomph, you'll find it in Malaysia. What sets apart Malaysian food is the sheer complexity of spice and herbs combined with an appetite for heat. If you can't stand the heat….you probably don't want to go near the kitchen in the first place to be honest. Read on to discover how you can recreate this melting pot of Malay, South-East Asian and European flavours in your very own cooking pot, so to speak.

Culinary style

Malaysia's important position as a spice trading hub shaped the country's appetite. When the Portuguese, Dutch and British moved in, they brought their own grub with them. Influences from traders and labourers from China, India, Indonesia and Thailand too have found their way into popular Malaysian meals. They've long since settled down and decided to play nicely, but the result is a fusion of styles and rich and fiery spice.

Though long lists of complicated ingredients may strike fear into the hearts of even hardy shoppers… persevere! Many recipes use the same base ingredients that can be easily kept in the store cupboard. Set aside an afternoon for zig-zagging across the supermarket in search of elusive ingredients and put it down as calorie-offsetting.

Bump and grind

Dig out your pestle and mortar from the back of the cupboard. Classic Malay-style food is mostly centred around a rempah, or spice paste to you and I, which is sautéed in oil to release the flavours. Ingredients can include turmeric, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and galangal – ginger's distantly related cousin. Coriander, cumin and fennel seeds are also regularly used in spice bases for dishes including curry and rendang.

Like much Asian food, you won't get far without a coconut, especially coconut milk. Kerisik may sound like a nasty tummy upset, but is actually roasted coconut. To make it, fry desiccated coconut until brown and blend into a paste.

And why have one chilli when you can have three? Chilli in one form or another features in most recipes. Red, green, bird’s eye, dried or chilli paste.

Splash out

Soy sauce (light and dark), curry powder and palm sugar are also frequently used. One common ingredient that may prove hard to get hold of is the candle nut. Its high oil content, texture and taste are similar to that of the macadamia, which makes an ideal substitute.

If the recipe demands crispy shallots, then plan your meal around your budget-furniture requirements. Scandinavians are fond of them too. You can buy jars of crispy fried shallots in Ikea.

Malaysian is the new black

Step aside China. Out of the way Thailand. The Malaysian government is on a mission to get Malaysian food on the menu in top restaurants around the world. And they've got their sights firmly set on us Brits. Malaysia Kitchen is a campaign which aims to educate British consumers on Malaysian Cuisine. You can find handy hints, listings of Malaysian restaurants and advice on ingredients on its website www.malaysiakitchen.co.uk.