Malaysian Recipes

  • Grandma’s Red Bean Filling (Inti Kacang Nenek)

    Grandma’s Red Bean Filling (Inti Kacang Nenek)

    If you are attempting the gauntlet that is my late maternal grandmother’s legendary kuih kacang, you can either fill it with store-bought red bean filling to significantly cut the prep time, or you can make it from scratch following her recipe which has been passed down through the ages.

  • RayaFest 2018: Kak’mbang’s Peanut Sauce (Kuah Kacang)

    RayaFest 2018: Kak’mbang’s Peanut Sauce (Kuah Kacang)

    Kak’mbang seriously makes the best kuah kacang.  We love it so much, whenever we see kuah kacang sold by vendors out there we never gave them a second look.  Of course Kak’mbang thinks everything she makes is just so-so, which is downright ridiculous. Anyway, since there was a lot we needed to prep for Hari Raya, I volunteered…

  • Pulut Lepa Terengganu

    Pulut Lepa Terengganu

    Being from Terengganu, I grew up thinking fish is a natural, common ingredient in so many local favorites; nasi lemak with sambal ikan tongkol, karipap, pulut panggang (we call ’em pulut lepa)… but *of course* fish is the main ingredient! Wait… you guys have nasi lemak with chicken rendang and *gasp* paru (beef lung)? Karipap kentang? What is this orange coconut nonsense in this pulut…

  • Weekend Cooking: Roti Golok

    Weekend Cooking: Roti Golok

    I saw this recipe on Facebook some time back.  Apparently it was something that was going viral here in Malaysia.  Looking through the ingredients it did seem quite yummy, so I started writing this post, with some small adjustments and notes. It took me two tries to get this right, using my trusty old…

  • Murtabak Maggi

    Murtabak Maggi

    Back in boarding school, every year the Form 4 seniors would organize a food carnival to raise funds for their Graduation Night.  Every class would set up stalls selling all sorts of food, from the normal stuff like pasta or nasi goreng, to the more creative stuff like banana with Milo drizzle (my first time learning that…

  • Weekend Cooking: Mak Long’s Baked Macaroni (Makaroni Bakar)

    Weekend Cooking: Mak Long’s Baked Macaroni (Makaroni Bakar)

    I usually make my casseroles truly “Western-style” – full of ground meats, dried herbs like oregano, thyme and parsley, and a lot of cheese.  A while back Kak’mbang asked me to try making baked macaroni casserole “Malay-style,” which uses common local spices and eggs as the primary binding agent.  Every now and then I’d surf…

  • Pressure-Cooked Chick Peas (Kacang Kuda Rebus)

    Pressure-Cooked Chick Peas (Kacang Kuda Rebus)

    Some of the yummiest snacks are the simplest, and one of my favorites is boiled chick peas.  For an afternoon snack (and anything in between), boiled chick peas are perhaps a healthier alternative, and I could keep munching on these all day while sipping yummy cups of coffee.  Before the advent of pressure cookers…

  • RayaFest 2016: Kerepek Bijan Nenek (Grandma’s Sesame Crackers)

    RayaFest 2016: Kerepek Bijan Nenek (Grandma’s Sesame Crackers)

    Ramadan is almost over and Kak’mbang and I were busy with our preparations for Hari Raya tomorrow.  When I was growing up, the usual routine in the days leading up to Hari Raya would be to bake cookies, but in this day and age, everybody just buys their Raya cookies, so we no longer bother.…

  • Weekend Cooking: Kak’mbang’s Chicken Rice

    Weekend Cooking: Kak’mbang’s Chicken Rice

    Others may have their own personal preferences, but Rudy and I both agree that Kak’mbang’s chicken rice is really, really good.  This was another recipe that simply must be preserved for generations to come, but again I’ve always had trouble catching her in action (she’s such a ninja in the kitchen; dishes just magically appear and you…

  • Weekend Cooking: Kak’mbang’s Nasi Minyak with Chicken Korma

    Weekend Cooking: Kak’mbang’s Nasi Minyak with Chicken Korma

    Those who have had the privilege of tasting Kak’mbang’s cooking know that she’s a really good cook, so I am making it a personal mission to document her amazing recipes and to photograph her in action.  This is something that is surprisingly difficult, because she’s always done cooking by the time I get home from…