FOOD

If shopping is the national pastime in Malaysia, then food is the national obsession. It is not uncommon to be greeted by the phrase 'Sudah makan?' (Have you eaten already?). Everything in Malaysia revolves around great food. Pleasant social get-togethers are always combined with having a nice meal. In Malaysia, more people blog about food than about anything else. Locals usually never eat at home; unless it is with family. Everybody eats outdoors every night; Malaysia is all about food!

Malaysian cuisine consists of cooking traditions and practices found in Malaysia, and reflects the multiethnic makeup of its population. The vast majority of Malaysia's population can roughly be divided among three major ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese and Indians. The remainder consists of the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia, the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia, the Peranakanand Eurasian creole communities, as well as a significant number of foreign workers and expatriates.

MALAY CUISINE

NASI LEMAK

As easy to find as a sandwich in America, nasi lemak could be considered Malaysia's national dish—a little banana leaf parcel that cradles a bed of coconut rice with spicy sambal, crunchy dried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, cucumber, and egg (sometimes sliced of hard-boiled, sometimes cooked like a flat omelet). While considered classic comfort food, it's a showcase of flavors and textures, from the delicate coconut to the brash belacan, the tender bite of rice and the salty crunch of anchovies. The simplest elements really matter here: rice that's suffused with the flavor of coconut milk and sometimes further fragranced with pandan; sambal that's bright-tasting and spicy but balanced. It's often eaten as a breakfast food, but can be a snack at any time of the day, and to bulk it up, it might be served with a seafood or chicken curry, or vegetables, or beef rendang.

 

SATAY

"Wait, I thought satay was Thai!" Malaysians will proudly declare that they have the best satay, and that others have just been more successful at marketing it. (Thailand and Indonesia, to name two, might contest that.) But you'll see satay all over the place in Malaysia, towering piles of skewers in hawker stalls that are tossed on the grill once you order. Penang food writer Helen Ong distinguishes Malaysian satay by its peanut-based "sweet and slightly piquant sauce" and the "meats marinated with local spices."

                                

                                                                  RENDANG

Rendang is a spicy meat dish which originated from Indonesia, especially the ethnic group of Minangkabau people, and is now commonly served across the country. One of the characteristic foods of Minangkabau culture, it is served at ceremonial occasions and to honour guests. Rendang is also served among the Malay community. Rendang is traditionally prepared by the Minangkabau community during festive occasions such as traditional ceremonies, wedding feasts and Hari Raya. The popularity of rendang has spread widely from its original domain because of the merantau (migrating) culture of Minangkabau people. Overseas Minangkabau leave their home town to start a career in other Indonesian cities as well as neighbouring countries, and Padang restaurants, Minangkabau eating establishments that are ubiquitous in Indonesian cities, spring up. These Padang restaurants have introduced and popularised rendang and other Padang food dishes across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the wider world.

CHINESE CUISINE

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

Hainanese chicken rice is a dish adapted from early Chinese immigrants originally from Hainan province in southern China. It is considered one of the national dishes of Singapore. Hainanese chicken rice is most commonly associated with Singaporean and Malaysian cuisines, although it is also popular in Thailand, where it is known as Khao Man Gai, and also in Vietnam and Indonesia. It is based on a well-known Hainanese dish called Wenchang chicken. In Malaysia, Hainanese chicken rice is also called nasi ayam (not to be confused with nasi lemak); nasi means rice and ayam means chicken in Bahasa Malaysia.

YONG TAU FOO

Yong tau foo (also spelled yong tao foo, yong tau fu, yong tau hu or yong tofu; yentafo in Thailand) is a Hakka Chinese cuisineconsisting primarily of tofu filled with ground meat mixture or fish paste. Variation of this food include vegetables and mushrooms stuffed with ground meat or surimi. Yong tau foo is eaten in numerous ways, either dry with a sauce or served as a soup dish.

INDIAN CUISINE

CAPATI

Chapati (alternatively spelled chapatti, chappati, chapathi, or chappathi), also known as roti, safati, shabaati, phulka and (in the Maldives) roshi, is an unleavened flatbread from the Indian Subcontinent and staple in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, East Africa and the Caribbean. Chapatis are made of whole wheat flour known as atta, mixed into dough with water and optional salt in a mixing utensil called a parat, and is cooked on a tava (flat skillet).

It is a common staple in the Indian subcontinent as well as amongst expatriates from the Indian subcontinent throughout the world. Chapatis were also introduced to other parts of the world by immigrants from the Indian subcontinent, particularly by Indian merchants to Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Caribbean islands.

TANDOORI CHICKEN

Tandoori chicken can be eaten as a starter or appetizer, or as a main course, often served with naan flatbread. It is also used as the base of numerous cream-based curries such as butter chicken.Local varieties of tandoori chicken prepared from the rooyi posto in Bengal have appeared in local eateries, particularly those between Kolaghat and Kolkata. Tandoori chicken was popularized in post-independent India by Moti Mahal, Daryaganj in Delhi when it was served to the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.There, tandoori chicken became a standard offering at official banquets

CENDOL

Other than basic ingredients of green jelly noodles, palm sugar syrup, and coconut milk; iced cendol might be served with additional toppings. Additional topping includes diced jackfruit, durian flesh, and chocolate condensed milk are popular in Indonesia. While in Malaysia, additional topping such as red beans, glutinous rice, grass jelly, creamed corn, might also be included.The influence of Singapore and the West has given rise to different variations of cendol, such as cendol with vanilla ice-cream or topped with durian.