Malaysian cuisine

Street food a cook preparing murtabak at a mamak stall Malaysian cuisine is influenced by various cultures from all around the world. Malaysia's population is made up mainly of 3 main ethnics - Malays, Chinese and Indians, with a number of other ethnic groups living together mostly in harmony. As a result of historical migrations and Malaysia's geographical advantage, Malaysia's culinary style is a mixture of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Thais and Arabian cuisines - to name a few. This resulted in a symphony of flavors, making Malaysian cuisines highly exotic albeit a touch underrated as compared to some of its neighbouring counterparts.

Staple foods
Rice

Nasi lemak served with anchovies, peanuts, egg, lamb curry, vegetables, and sambal belacan. A popular dish based on rice in Malaysia is nasi lemak: rice steamed with coconut milk to give it a rich fragrance, and served with fried anchovies, peanuts, sliced cucumber, hard boiled eggs and a spicy chilli paste known as sambal. For a more substantial meal, nasi lemak can also be served with a choice of curries, or a spicy meat stew called rendang.

Of Malay origin, nasi lemak is often called the national dish. Although it is traditionally a breakfast dish, because of the versatility of nasi lemak in being able to be served in a variety of ways, it is now often eaten at any time of the day. The Malaysian Indian variety of the sambal tends to be not very spicy, and the Malay sambal in a nasi lemak tends to be a bit sweeter. Nasi lemak should not be confused with nasi dagang, which is sold on the east coast of Malaysia Terengganu and Kelantan although both nasi lemak and nasi dagang can usually be found sold side-by-side for breakfast. Noodles Noodles are another popular food, particularly in Malaysian Chinese cuisine, but used by other groups as well. Noodles such as bi hoon (, Hokkien: b-hn, Malay: bihun; rice vermicelli), kuay teow (, Hokkien: ke-tiu) or ho fun (, Cantonese: ho4 fan2; flat rice noodles), mee ( or , Hokkien: m, Malay: mi; yellow noodles), mee suah ( or , Hokkien: m-sa; wheat vermicelli), yee meen ( or , Cantonese: ji1 min6; golden wheat noodles), langka (, Hokkien: tang-hn, Cantonese: dung1 fan2; transparent noodles made from mung beans),[ Sh fn (Mee Tikus can be find at Johor-Kan Lau or Fried, also mix with curry)]. and others provide a source of carbohydrate besides the ubiquitous serving of rice that accompanies every meal. Bread

Roti canai. Indian style bread such as roti canai, dhosai (Tamil: tcai /to saj ), idli (Tamil: ili l ) and puri (Tamil: pri pu ) are commonly eaten by most Malaysians as part of breakfast. Western style bread is a relatively new addition to the Malaysian diet, having gained acceptance in the last generation.

Meat
Poultry Malaysian poultry is handled according to Halal standards, to conform with the country's dominant and official religion, Islam. Imported poultry is available at major hypermarkets, supermarkets & specialty stores especially in the affluent areas of Mont Kiara, Bangsar, Damansara Heights & Sri Hartamas where a significant expatriate community can be found. Beef Beef is common in the Malaysian diet though it is notable that followers of certain religions such as Hinduism and some followers of Buddhism such as monks forbid the consumption of beef, while some Buddhists say people can eat beef and other meat. Beef can be commonly found cooked in curries, stews, roasted, or with noodles. Malays generally eat beef that is halal. Australian fresh beef which is prepared under supervision of the Government Supervised Muslim Slaughter System (AGSMS) is imported into Malaysia and that beef is halal.

Australian beef can also be found in supermarkets such as Giant. Fresh beef can be found in supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Pork Pork is largely consumed by the non-Muslim community in Malaysia like the Malaysian Chinese, natives (except non-muslim) like Iban, Kadazan, Orang Asli and expatriates. All Malaysian Malays are Muslim and therefore do not consume pork since Islam forbids it. Most Malaysian Indians are Hindus and avoid pork out of religious reasons as well. This does not prohibit others from producing and consuming pork products. Pork can be bought in wet markets, supermarkets and hypermarkets. During the Nipah virus epidemic, over a million pigs were culled in an effort to contain the outbreak. Mutton Mutton is also a part of the Malaysian cuisine. It generally refers to goat meat rather than sheep. The meat is used in dishes such as goat soup, curries, or stews. It is a popular ingredient in Malaysian Indian food.

Seafood
Many types of seafood are consumed in Malaysia, including shrimp or prawn, crab, squid, cuttlefish, clams, cockles, snails, sea cucumber and octopus. In general, members of all ethnic communities enjoy seafood, which is considered halal by Malaysian Muslims (and indeed all other Muslims), though some species of crabs are not considered Halal as they can live on both land and sea. Sea cucumbers are considered halal. Fish Fish features in the Malaysian diet and most local fish is purchased the day after it is caught. Frozen fish is generally imported. Such fish, namely salmon and cod, are well received on the

Malaysian table but are not caught by local fishermen. Imported fish are frozen and flown in as pieces or as whole fish and usually sold by weight.

Vegetables
Vegetables are usually available year round as Malaysia does not have four seasons. During the rainy season, sometimes vegetable yield decreases but does not stop altogether. Therefore, vegetables can be purchased throughout the year but are slightly more expensive at certain times of the year.

Fruit

Durians in rack sold in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia's climate allows for fruit to be grown all year round. Most tropical fruits are either grown in Malaysia or imported from neighbouring countries. The demand for fruits is generally quite high. Some notable fruits include:

The durian, a fruit with a spiky outer shell and a characteristic odour is a local tropical fruit that is notable because it provokes strong emotions either of loving it or hating it. It is also known as the "King of the Fruits". The rambutan also has a distinctive appearance, being red or yellow in colour (when ripe) and having fleshy pliable spines or 'hairs' on its outer skin. The mangosteen, often called the "Queen of the Fruits". The lychee, which has a bumpy red skin and sweet, sometimes made with tea to make it sweet. They are sold all year round. The mango, a refreshing fruit The longan, which name translates to 'Dragon Eye' in Chinese, but not to be confused with mata kucing in Malay (literally 'cat's eye') which have quite similarities except mata kucing is slightly smaller and it's similar to lychee The guava, a fruit that comes in two varieties : "jambu air", meaning water guava and "jambu batu", meaning rock guava. It is a crisp and sweet tasting fruit.

Food types
Malay food

Typical festive fare during Hari Raya Puasa or Hari Raya Haji (clockwise from bottom left): beef soup, nasi himpit (compressed rice cubes), beef rendang, and sayur lodeh. Malay cuisine bears many similarities to Indonesian cuisine, in particular some of the regional traditions from Sumatra. It has also been influenced by Chinese, Indian, Thai and many other cultures throughout history, producing a distinct cuisine of their own. Many Malay dishes revolve around a Rempah, which is a spice paste or mix similar to an Indian Masala. Rempahs are made by grinding up fresh and/or dried spices and herbs to create a spice paste which is then sauteed in oil to bring out the aromas.

Apam balik - a bread like puff made from flour based batter with raising agent, topped with castor sugar, ground peanut, creamed corn, and grated coconut in the middle. Ayam percik - Typically a dish made from grilled marinated chicken basted with spicy coconut milk gravy. Ayam goreng kunyit - deep fried chicken, marinated in a base of turmeric and other seasonings. Ikan bakar - grilled/barbecued fish with either chilli, kunyit (turmeric) or other spice based sauce. Ikan pari - stingray wings, usually grilled/barbecued, and served accompanied with "air asam" (a dip made from shrimp paste, onion, chillis and lime/tamarind juice). Sometimes also cooked as "asam pedas" Ikan asam pedas - A sour stew of fish (usually mackerel), tamarind, chili, tomatoes, okra and Vietnamese coriander (Malay: daun kesum).

Kangkung belacan is water convolvulus wok-fried in a pungent sauce of shrimp paste (belacan) and hot chilli peppers. Various other items are cooked this way, including petai (which is quite bitter when eaten raw; some older generation Malays still eat it as is), kai lan and yardlong beans. Keropok lekor, a specialty of the state of Terengganu and other states on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, is a savoury cake made from a combination of rice flour and minced fish. Sliced and fried just before serving, it is eaten with hot sauce.

Kuih (plural: kuih-muih) is usually a selection of cakes, pastries and sweetmeats eaten as a snack during the morning or during midday, and are an important feature during festive occasions. It is a tradition shared by both the Malay and the Peranakan communities. Some example include: o Onde onde - small round balls made from glutinous rice flour with pandan [screwpine] leaves essence, filled with palm sugar and rolled in freshly grated coconut. o Kuih talam - steamed layered coconut pudding made of rice flour, sago flour and coconut milk is cooked by steaming. Pandan (Screwpine)leaves lends aroma and the colour to one layer. A white coconut layer goes on top. The bottow pandan flavoured layer is sweetened and the top half is usually left savory. o Pulut inti - a kind of steamed 'dry' rice pudding made from glutinous rice & coconut milk. It is traditionally wrapped in banana leaves folded into a pyramid shape, and topped with fresh grated coconut sweetened with palm sugar. o Layer Cake or kuih lapis - a sweet steamed cake made from rice flour, coconut milk, sugar and various shades of edible food colouring done with many individual layers. Nasi Lemak - rice steamed with coconut milk, usually served with sambal. Nasi Berlauk - If you want to sample various dishes in one sitting you would be wise to go with Nasi Berlauk which literally means Rice with Dishes. You will be given a plate of plain rice and you would get to choose from a variety of dishes placed on the same plate. The cost of the meal would depend on what you take and how many different items you choose from. Generally meaty dishes cost more than vegetable dishes. Nasi dagang - the Nasi Lemak of east coast Peninsula Malaysia, in the state of Terengganu and Kelantan. Nasi kerabu - a type of rice which is blue in color (dyed by a kind of blue flower or bunga telang), originated in Kelantan state. Nasi Paprik - originated from southern Thailand, rice with "lauk", typically chicken. Nasi Minyak - a multi-colored rice (dyed in a similar manner to Nasi Kerabu) usually eaten with rendang. It is very oily as the name implies. (minyak means oil) Nasi goreng - fried rice. Nasi goreng kampung is a typical variant, traditionally flavored with pounded fried fish (normally mackerel), though recently fried anchovies are used in place of it. Pulut - Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is widely used during the Raya festive seasons as traditional food. o Ketupat - Originally from Indonesia, a type of glutinous rice dumpling that has been wrapped in a woven palm leaf pouch and boiled. As the rice cooks, the grains expand to fill the pouch and the rice becomes compressed. This method of cooking gives the ketupat its characteristic form and texture. Usually eaten with rendang (a type of dry beef curry) or served as an accompaniment to satay or gado-gado. Ketupat is also traditionally served by Malays at open houses on festive occasions such as Idul Fitri (Hari Raya Aidilfitri). Rendang - a spicy meat stew originating from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia, rendang is traditionally prepared by the Malay community during festive occasions.

Roti jala - The name is derived from the Malay word 'roti' (bread) and 'jala' (net). A special ladle with a five-hole perforation used to make the bread look like a fish net. It is usually eaten as an accompaniment to a curried dish, or served as a sweet with 'serawa'. Serawa is made from a mixture of boiled coconut milk, brown sugar and pandan leaves. Sambal sotong - squid are cooked in a sambal-based sauce, made with chillies, shallots, garlic, stewed tomatoes, tamarind paste and belacan. Sayur Lodeh - Originally from Indonesia, a stew of vegetables cooked in a lightly spiced coconut milk gravy. Sup kambing - a hearty mutton soup slow simmered with aromatic herbs and spices, and garnished with fried shallots and fresh cilantro. Serunding - Shredded meat in a form of meat floss with spices. Tempoyak - a popular Malay delicacy. It is durian extract which is fermented, preserved and kept in an urn. Commonly eaten with the accompaniment of chillies and other condiments during meals.

Javanese-influenced cuisine

Soto ayam, (chicken soto). Note the transparent yellow broth, the emping and fried shallot There are a few Johorean dishes with Javanese influences or copied from Javanese. These include lontong, nasi ambeng and bontrot or berkat - both traditionally served after feasts like wedding ceremonies, Yasinan and others; and ungkep.

Soto - Soup with rice vermicelli or ketupat. Mee soto noodle in soto soup. Mee rebus - a famous noodle dish which consists of mee (a spaghetti like mixture of flour, salt and egg) served with a tangy, spicy and sweet potato-based sauce. It is sometimes also called mee jawa, perhaps as a nod to its Javanese origins. Mee Bandung Muar is also a dish originated from Johor, specifically from Muar. The term 'bandung' is not derived from Bandung, Indonesia but is a term for anything that is mixed from many ingredients. One of the most important ingredient is dried shrimp. Penganan Kacau keledek is a dessert normally reserved for the Johor monarch and elites. It is made from sweet potatoes, a lot of eggs (at least 40), fresh coconut milk (not instant ones) and huge amounts of sugar. It is mixed and stirred on a simmering heat for at least 4 hours. Arisa - A unique chicken dish that is very rare nowadays, and is normally served to the royalties and social elites of Johor at formal functions and celebrations.

Sate

Satay - is a popular food in Malaysia. Made from marinated meat or chicken and burnt on charcoal grill. Cooked satay is dipped in special peanut sauce. A favourite Malay food in Johor, mostly found in Johor Bahru and Muar. Telur pindang - Eggs boiled together with herbs and spices, popular during wedding feasts in Johor. Kacang Pol- This dish is influenced by Arab Culture where special baked bread was served with special sauce and a 'sunny side up' egg. Pisang Salai or Gimpi smoked banana cooked into perfection Mee Bakso - This is almost identical with soto, only this dish have meatball instead of slices of chicken meat. Lontong - Dish using combination of pressed rice and special coconut soup with vegetables. Served with boiled egg and chili. Burasak - It is a type of Buginese food. Kerutup ikan - Fish is steamed with variety of local fragrant leaves. Pecal - It is a Javanese traditional cuisine which consists of long beans, slice of cucumber, beansprout, tauhu, tempe mix with special peanut sauce. Tauhu bakar- it is made from soybean where it is burnt on a grill and cut into cubes and dip with special sauce. Pendaram Mee Siput - It is a mixture of flour that will expand in term of size when deep fried. Rojak Petis - It is a combination of local vegetables mix with special black colored sauce made mostly from shrimp(Otak Udang). ABC - ABC is abbreviation of 'Air Batu Campur' or known as Ice Kacang Johor. It is a special desserts created from shaved ice added with corn, jelly, redbeans, groundnut, syrup, pasteurized milk, and liquid chocolate.

Malaysian Indian food

Malaysian Indian cuisine of the ethnic Indians in Malaysia is similar to its roots in India. Before the meal it is customary to wash hands as cutlery is often not used while eating, with the exception of a serving spoon for each respective dish. This cuisine consists of curries which uses a lot of spices, coconut milk, and curry leaves. Some of the most popular curries include chicken curry, fish curry, and squid curry. Type of food found in Malaysian Indian Cuisine

Banana leaf rice is white rice served on banana leaf with an assortment of vegetables, curry meat or fish and papadum. Chapati is a type of bread originated from Punjab. It is made from a dough of atta flour (whole grain durum wheat), water and salt by rolling the dough out into discs of approximately twelve centimeters in diameter and browning the discs on both sides on a very hot, dry tava or frying pan (preferably not one coated with Teflon or other nonstick material). Chapatis are usually eaten with vegetable curry dishes, and pieces of the chapati are used to wrap around and pick up each bite of the cooked dish. Fish head curry - a dish where the head of a fish (usually ikan merah, or literally "red fish"), is semi-stewed in a thick curry with assorted vegetables such as okra and brinjals. Thosai (in Johor Bharu spelt Dosai) is a batter made from lentils and rice blended with water and left to ferment overnight. The batter is spread into a thin, circular disc on a flat, preheated pan, where it is fried with a dash of edible oil or ghee until the dosa reaches a golden brown colour. Then the thosai may optionally be turned over on the pan, and partially fried. The end product is neatly folded and served. Thosai is served with sambar (vegetable curry) and coconut chutney. Idli is made from lentils (specifically black lentils) and rice into patties, usually two to three inches in diameter, using a mold and steamed. Most often eaten at breakfast or as a snack, idli are usually served in pairs with chutney, sambar, or other accompaniments. Naan bread is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread. It is usually eaten with an array of sauces such as Chutney and curries such as Dhal curry. Some examples of Naan bread include Garlic Naan, Butter Naan, Garlic Butter Naan, Cheese Naan, Garlic Cheese Naan. Paneer is a dish that uses cheese. Unlike other types of cheese, it does not use rennet as the coagulation agent. This makes it completely lacto-vegetarian. Some of the usual types of Paneer include Paneer Tikka, Paneer Butter Masala and Palak Paneer (Spinach). Payasam is a popular dessert, payasam is an integral part of traditional South Indian culture. Pongal - rice boiled with milk and jaggery, it also shares the same name as the harvest festival which is celebrated every January. The name itself is derived from the fact that pongal (the dish) is cooked in the morning and offered to the gods, thanking them for the harvest.

Putu Mayam (String hoppers/ Idiyappam) is a sweet dish of rice noodles with coconut and jaggery as main ingredients. It is served with grated coconut and jaggery, or, unrefined block sugar. In some areas, gula melaka (coconut palm sugar) is the favourite sweetener. Putu piring is a version of putu mayam in which the rice flour dough is used to form a small cake around a filling of coconut and brown sugar. The homemade version in Malaysian Indian homes tend to be eaten as a savoury accompaniment to curried dishes or dal. Rasam is a type of lentil soup with pepper, coriander and cumin seeds

Sambar

Sambar is a thick stew of lentils with vegetables and seasoned with spices. Upma/Uppittu is a staple meal prepared from semolina (rava), onion, green chillies, and certain spices. Roti canai is a thin unleavened bread with a flaky crust, fried on a skillet with magarine and served with condiments. It is sometimes referred to as roti kosong. In Singapore, it is referred to as prahta. Roti telur is a roti canai with egg in it. Telur means egg. Other variations include roti bawang which has thinly sliced onions in it. Mamak rojak is a variant of rojak consisting of substantial ingredients like boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Also known as 'pasembur'. Maggi goreng is a dish of fried Maggi instant noodles with flavouring (usually curry), bean sprouts, sliced mustard greens, shredded cabbage, eggs, tofu, fish cake and occasionally chicken. Murtabak is a dish of savoury stuffed roti, usually including minced mutton, garlic, onion, and folded with an omelette, and is eaten with curry sauce. During the fasting month of Ramadan, it is popularly eaten with a side of sweet pickled onions. Nasi Beriani or Biryani is a rice dish made from a mixture of spices, basmati rice, meat/vegetables and yogurt. The ingredients are ideally cooked together in the final phase and is time-consuming to prepare. Pre-mixed biryani spices from different commercial names are easily available in markets these days, which reduces the preparation time though the taste differs considerably. Teh tarik literally meaning "pulled tea", is a well-loved drink amongst Malaysians. Tea is sweetened using condensed milk, and is prepared using outstretched hands to pour piping hot tea from a mug into a waiting glass, repetitively. The higher the "pull", the thicker the froth. The "pulling" of tea also has the effect of cooling down the tea. Teh tarik is an art form in itself and watching the tea streaming back and forth into the containers can be quite captivating.

Mamak Culture Mamak (Indian Muslims) dishes have developed a distinctly Malaysian style. Available throughout the country, the omnipresent Mamak stalls or restaurants are particularly popular among the locals as they offer a wide range of food and some outlets are open 24 hours a day. A type of Indian Muslim meal served buffet-style at specialist Mamak eateries is called nasi kandar (analogous to the Indonesian nasi padang, where you pay for what you have actually eaten), white rice or briyani rice served with other dishes of curry either with chicken, fish, beef, or mutton, and usually accompanied with pickled vegetable and papadums.

Malaysian Chinese food

Penang Rojak in Malaysia. Malaysian Chinese food is derived from mainland southern Chinese cuisine such as Fujian cuisine, Cantonese cuisine and Hakka cuisine but has been influenced by local ingredients and dishes from other cultures though it remains distinctly Chinese. Most Chinese meals have pork as their sub-ingredient, but due to the popularity and unique taste of the actual food, there are chicken options available for the local Malays (Malaysian Malays are Muslims). Some Chinese food restaurants nowadays can be found serving halal food. Chinese restaurants serving food in halal can introduce a wider range of customers to it.

Bak Kut Teh (Chinese : ) (pork ribs soup). A soup cooked with cuts of pork meat, intestines, pork ribs (the root meaning for the dish, Fukkeinese dialect: "Bak Kut" is the term for meaty ribs or bones) herbs, garlic and dark soy sauce which have been boiled for many hours. Traditionally eaten by hard working Chinese coolies working on the wharfs at Port Swettenham (now Port Klang) and clearing estates. The city of Klang is famous for it. The dish has since spread across to other states in the country as well as neighbouring countries, Thailand and Singapore. In some towns, additional ingredients include sea cucumber and abalone. Bak kut teh is believed to be a health tonic. Bakkwa (Chinese : ), Known also as barbecued pork and it literally means dried meat. This delicacy is sold everywhere throughout Malaysia and is especially popular during the Chinese New Year celebrations period. Now eaten year round as a popular snack. Bread with curry chicken, chicken cooked in curry with a covering of bread. Found in the town of Kampar.

Cantonese Fried Mee. (Chinese : , , ) Deep fried thin rice noodles served in a thick egg and cornstarch white sauce. The sauce is cooked with sliced lean pork, prawns, squids and green vegetables such as choy sum. It is one of the common Chinese foods in Malaysia. Chai tow kway (Chinese : ) is a common dish in Malaysia and Singapore, also known as fried radish cake, it is made of rice flour, bean sprouts and preserved white radish. Char Kway Teow (Chinese : ). Stir fried rice noodles with bean sprouts, prawns, eggs (duck or chicken), chives and thin slices of preserved Chinese sausages. Usually, with an option of cockles as well. A variation of the dish found in the northern island state of Penang has shredded crab meat added in.

Kulim Char Kway Teow

Chee cheong fun (Chinese : ) is square rice sheets made from a viscous mixture of rice flour and water. This liquid is poured onto a specially made flat pan in which it is steamed to produce the square rice sheets. The steamed rice sheets is rolled or folded for ease in serving. It is usually served with tofu stuffed with fish paste. The dish is eaten with accompaniment of semi sweet fermented bean paste sauce, chilli paste and/or light vegetable curry gravy. Up north in the city of Ipoh, certain stalls serve the dish with a red sweet sauce, thinly sliced pickled green chillies and fried shallots. Curry Mee (Chinese : ). A bowl of thin yellow noodles mixed with beehoon (rice vermicelli) in spicy curry soup with coconut milk with dried tofu, prawns, cuttlefish, chicken, mint leaves and topped with a special sambal. Duck noodle soup (Chinese : ) is famous in Penang food stalls, ingredients include duck meat in hot soup with mixed herbals and slim white noodles mee-sua. Fuzhou cuisine can be found in the Sitiawan area, as well as several cities and towns in Sarawak. Specialities include Kong piang. Ginger Duck Mee (Chinese : ). Egg noodles cooked with duck stew. The duck is stewed with ginger in black sauce. This dish is available only from selected restaurants in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley as the duck stew can be cumbersome to prepare. Hainanese Chicken Rice (Chinese : ). steamed chicken served with rice cooked in margarine or chicken fat & chicken stock and chicken soup. The rice is usually served in a bowl or a plate but in Malacca (a historical town), the rice is served in the form of rice balls. Hakka cuisine can be found throughout the country, as there is a substantial Hakka community within the greater Chinese population.

Yong tau foo (Chinese : ) is a stuffed tofu dish with Hakka origins but is now popular Malaysians of all races, and is particularly associated with . As a localiazed adaptation, brinjals, lady fingers, fried tofu, bitter melon and chillies are also stuffed with the same meat paste used for the original version. Hokkien Mee(Chinese : ). A dish of thick yellow noodles brasied and fried in thick black soy sauce and pork lard which has been fried until it is crispy. This dish is served mostly in Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Klang, Kuantan and Penang. Hokkien Mee or Hae Mee or Prawn Mee (Penang) This is a bowl of yellow mee and meehoon (rice noodles) served in soup boiled from prawns, boiled egg, kangkong vegetable and chilli. Kaya toast or Roti bakar is a traditional breakfast dish. Kaya is a sweet coconut and egg jam, and this is spread over toasted white bread. Traditionally served with a cup of local coffee/tea and soft-boiled eggs in light/dark soya sauce & ground white pepper. Kway chap (Chinese : ), Teochew dish of rice sheets in dark soya soup, served with pig offal, tofu derivatives and boiled eggs. Loh Mee (Chinese : ). A bowl of thick yellow noodles served in a thickened soup made from egg, flour, prawn, pork slices and vegetables. Mee Hoon Kor (Chinese : ) Ngah Choy Kai (Bean sprouts chicken) of Ipoh (Chinese : ) is similar to Hainanese chicken rice. The steamed chicken are served with light soya sauce flavoured with oil and with a plate of beansprouts. This dish is favoured by all Malaysians. Ngah Po Fan Also known as Claypot Rice/Sha Po Fan(Chinese : or ) is a claypot chicken rice dish. It is basically chicken rice cooked over high heat in copious amount of soy and oyster sauce. Dried salted fish is optional but highly recommended.

Pan Mee

Pan Mee or Ban Mian (Chinese : ) is a Hokkien-style egg noodle soup, some forms of Ban mian, comprises hand-kneaded pieces of dough, while others use regular strips of noodles. A current popular variation of it commonly known as "chilli pan mee" consists of the blanched noodles served with minced pork, a poached egg and fried anchovies. The dish typically comes with a bowl of clear soup with leafy vegetables. The fried chilli flakes are added in by the person consuming it according to the level of tolerance he or she can take. Pao (Chinese : ) also known as bao, is a steamed bun made of wheat flour, with fillings of various types of meat. It is usually a menu item found in Dim Sum places, although these days it can be seen in most coffee stalls.

Popiah (Chinese : ), Hokkien/Chaozhou-style rolled crepe spring roll style, stuffed mainly with stewed vegetables, usually shredded tofu, turnip and carrots. Other items may also include egg, Chinese sausage ("lup cheong"). Rojak (Malay Influenced: ). A fruit salad with a topping of sweet thick dark prawn paste, gounded peanuts and some sliced fried 'yau cha kwai'. The Penang version is particularly popular and well regarded. The dish is usually served with a generous sprinkling of toasted powdered Shrimp paste. Sin Chow (Singapore) Fried Meehoon (Chinese : ). Rice noodles stir fried with various ingredients such as barbecued pork, fish cake, carrots etc. Some restaurants may use different ingredients but the noodles should have the distinct Sin Chow Fried Rice Noodle taste. Popular in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas. The American Chinese version uses curry powder. Interestingly, this dish did not originate from Singapore. Turmeric chicken () is a chicken stew cooked with from a blend of bases mashed into a paste, consisting fresh turmeric, ginger and lemongrass. Tau foo fah or Dau Huay (Chinese : or ) is a curdled version of soya bean milk and is flavoured with syrup. It looks much like Tau Foo but it is very tender. Sold in many places. It is a popular dessert among Malaysians and Singaporeans. Tong Sui (Chinese : ), Chinese dessert with a lot of variety. Basically a sweet drink with different ingredients such as black beans, sea coconut, yam, sweet potato, longan and others. Vegetarian dishes (Chinese : , ) In some towns in Malaysia, there are vegetarian restaurants that serve vegetarian dishes which resembles many meat dishes in look and even taste although they are made solely from vegetarian ingredients. You can get vegetarian roast pork, steamed fish with skin and bone, chicken drumstick complete with authentic looking bone, etc.

Wantan Mee

Wonton Mee (Chinese : ), Chinese noodles with Chinese dumplings (Chinese : ), chooi sam and BBQ pork . Dumpling are usually made of Pork and/or prawns. The noodles may be served either in a bowl of soup with dumplings or on a plate with some dark soya sauce flavoured with oil and slices of roast pork and vegetable. Variations of this dish are usually in the accompanying meat servings with the noodles. They include roast pork (siew yok), braised chicken feet, and roast duck. For the latter, the dumplings will be served in a separate bowl with soup.

Wu Tau Guo (Chinese : ), is yam cake that is made of mashed yam and rice flour. It has deep fried onion and shrimp on top, and usually served with red chilli paste. Yau Zha Gwai or Eu Char Kway or You Tiao (Chinese : or ) is variation of the deep fried Chinese crueller, a breakfast favourite eaten either like a doughnutwith sweeten local black coffee, or as a condiment for congee. It is shaped like a pair of chopsticks, stuck together. The name itself amusingly translates into "greasy fried ghosts". Some commercial outlets have started serving them with an option of either savory congee or hot sweetened soy milk. Zuk or zhou (Chinese : ) is congee, a rice porridge that comes with such ingredients as fish slices, chicken breast, salted egg, century egg and minced pork. Mui is the teochew version of rice porridge, and is usually more watery with visible rice grains. It is often cooked with sweet potato and served with an assortment of Chinese dishes like vegetables, meat and salted egg. Roasted Duck (Chinese : ): A popular Malaysian delicacy that is not crispy like the roasted duck in China. The famous duck roaster is located at Lunas, Kulim.

Kulim Duck Roaster

Nyonya food

A bowl of Asam laksa Nyonya food was developed by the Nyonya (Straits Chinese) and Peranakan (mixed Chinese/Malay ancestry) people of Malaysia and Singapore. It uses mainly Chinese ingredients but blends them with South-East Asian spices such as coconut milk, lemon grass, turmeric, screwpine leaves, chillies and sambal. It can be considered as a blend of Chinese and Malay cooking with some Thai influence . Examples of Nyonya dishes include:

Acar - various pickled meats and vegetables like acar keat lah (honey lime/calamansi), achar hu (fried fish), acar kiam hu (salt fish), acar timun (cucumber), acar awat (mixed vegetables). Asam Laksa (Malay: ). A bowl of thick white rice noodles served in a soup made of fish, tamarind, onion, basil, torch ginger flower, pineapple and cucumber in slices. Ayam pongteh, a chicken stew cooked with tauchu or salted fermented soy beans and gula melaka. It is usually saltish-sweet and can be substituted as a soup dish in peranakan cuisine. Ayam buah keluak, a chicken dish cooked using the nuts from Pangium edule or the "Kepayang" tree, a mangrove tree that grows in Malaysia and Indonesia. Bak Chang. Similar to the original zongzi, or Chinese rice dumpling, made from glutinous rice wrapped in leaf along with pork, shiitake mushrooms, nut and salted egg yolk of a duck's egg. A common Peranakan variant (Nyonya zong () involves pandan leaves being used as the wrapping instead. Cincalok, a distinctly Nyonya condiment made of fermented shrimp, salt and rice Itek Tim or Kiam Chye Ark Th'ng is a soup whose main ingredients are duck and preserved mustard leaf and cabbage flavoured with nutmeg seed, Chinese mushrooms, tomatoes and peppercorns. Jiew Hu Char is a dish made up mainly of shredded vegetables like turnip or jicama, carrot, and cabbage and fried together with thinly shredded dried cuttlefish. Kerabu Bee Hoon is a salad dish comprising rice vermicelli mixed with sambal belacan, honey lime (limau kesturi/calamansi) juice, and finely chopped herbs and spices. Other famous salad dishes are kerabu bok ne (cloud ear fungus/tikus telinga), kerabu kay (chicken), kerabu kay khar (chicken feet), kerabu timun (cucumber), kerabu kobis (cabbage), kerabu kacang botol (four angled bean), kerabu bak poey (pork skin).

Kiam Chye Boey is a mixture of leftovers from Kiam Chye Ark Th'ng, Jiew Hu Char, Tu Thor Th'ng and a variety of other dishes. "Boey" literally means "end". Laksa lemak is a type of laksa served in a rich coconut gravy. Laksa Johor is from Johor. It differs from Laksa Penang by having coconut milk added during cooking. It also differs from other laksas by using spaghetti instead of rice-based noodles. Lam Mee is long yellow rice noodles cooked in a rich gravy made from the stock of prawns and chicken. It is always served at birthdays to wish the birthday boy or girl a long life, and is also known as birthday noodles. Masak Belanda is a dish made from sliced pork and salt fish simmered together with tamarind juice. Masak Lemak is a style of cooking vegetable stew that makes liberal use of coconut milk. There are various versions of masak lemak. One example uses spinach as the main ingredient. In another version sweet potato is the main ingredient. Masak Titik is a style of cooking vegetable soup that makes liberal use of peppercorns. One version uses watermelon rind as the main ingredient. Another makes use of green or semi ripe papaya. Mee Siam is a dish of thin rice noodles (vermicelli) in spicy, sweet and sour light gravy. Nasi Kunyit (Translated into English as "Turmeric Rice") is glutinous rice cooked with turmeric colouring and is usually served with coconut milk chicken curry, "Ang Koo" (Literally "Red Tortoise", a Nyonya Cake) and Pink-dyed hard-boiled egg(s) as a gift of appreciation in celebration of the 1st month of a newly born child. Nasi Ulam is a herbed rice comprising a variety of herbs (daun kaduk, daun cekur, daun kesum etc.) shredded thinly and mixed raw into hot rice with pounded dried shrimp (hae bee) and salt fish (kiam hu) and chopped shallots. Ngo Hiang (so called because of the use of Chinese five spice powder to flavour the minced meat), also known as Lor Bak (so called because of the lor or starch-based dipping sauce) is a fried, sausage like dish made from minced pork rolled up in soya bean curd sheets and deep fried. Otak-otak is a fish cake grilled in a banana leaf wrapping. The town of Muar is famous for it. The Penang Otak Otak is steamed, not grilled and the distinct flavour and aroma or daun kaduk and coconut milk is clearly evident in this unique version. Perut Ikan is a spicy stew (of the asam pedas variety similar to asam laksa) comprising mainly vegetables/herbs and getting its distinctive taste mainly from fish bellies preserved in brine and daun kaduk (The Wild Pepper leaf is from the Piper stylosum or the Piper sarmentosum). A classic Penang Nyonya dish. Se Bak, pork loin, marinated overnight with herbs and spices, cooked over a slow fire and simmered to perfection. Ter Thor T'ng (pig's stomach soup) requires a skilled cook to prepare and deodorise the ingredients, using salt, before cooking. Its main ingredients are pig's stomach and white peppercorns.

Sarawak Indigenous Cuisine

Sarawakians tend to have a distinct cuisine from their Peninsula counterparts. Some of them are part of the traditional cuisine of the natives, while some are influenced by either Chinese or Indian cuisine. Among the cuisine unique to Sarawak are:

Laksa Sarawak, is a beehoon with aromatic shrimp based gravy topped with shredded chicken, shredded egg, bean sprouts, prawns and chilli paste. Sarawak Kolo Mee, is a slightly sweet noodle dish, and often a main component of it is char siew, compliments the dish. Halal-type Kolo mee normally replaces pork slices with beef. Beef stock is used to replace lard. Manok Pansoh, is a traditional Iban cuisine. Chicken is briefly cooked in a bamboo until tender and complimented with lemongrass, ginger and tapioca leaves. Another similar to Manok Pansoh but with added rice, is a traditional Bidayuh cuisine named Assam Siok. It can be hardly found in any restaurants in Sarawak as it is normally home cooked. Umai, is a traditional Melanau cuisine. It is a raw seafood salad consists of raw sliced seafood (either 'terubok' fish, prawn or jellyfish), sliced onions and served with ketchup and chillies. 'Umai Jeb' is a type of umai with no other ingredients than the seafood itself. Normally fresh 'terubok' fish is used. It is similar to Japanese sashimi. Kek Lapis Sarawak, or Sarawak layer cakes are famous among not only Sarawakians, but Peninsular Malaysians, especially during festive seasons. It is a must have for festive occasions like Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Gawai and Christmas. Among the most popular ones are Sabok Tun Razak layer cakes, Evergreen layer cakes and Hati Pari cakes. . Linut, is sticky broiled sago flour, normally complimented with 'sambal belacan' (shrimp paste) or curry gravy. It is popular among Melanau and Kedayan people in Sarawak. The same dish can be observed in Sabah and Brunei with different name, which is 'ambuyat'. Tebes or Ti'ong, is a traditional Melanau Baie 'kuih', which originated from Bintulu. It consists of fresh shrimps, wrapped wholly in coconut husk, and wrapped again in pandan or coconut leaves, then toasted. Selorot, is a traditional Sarawakian Malay 'kuih'. It is made from palm sugar and rice flour, cooked in a spiraled coconut leaves. It is normally eaten during a tea break, normally between lunch and dinner. Midin, is a jungle fern (quite similar to 'pucuk paku' that is popular in the Peninsular, but crispier). Midin is much sought after for its crisp texture and great taste. Midin is usually served in two equally delicious ways - fried with either garlic or belacan (shrimp paste). It is normally eaten with rice. Nasik Aruk is a traditional Sarawakian Malay fried rice. Unlike Nasi Goreng, Nasik Aruk does not use any oil to fry the rice. The ingredients are garlic, onion and anchovies, fried to perfection with very little oil and then rice. The rice must be fried for longer time (compared to frying rice for Nasi Goreng) for the smokey/slightlyburnt taste to absorb into the rice. It is a common to see Nasik Aruk in the food menu list at Malay and Mamak coffee shops and stalls throughout Sarawak. Tomato noodle is a variation of the popular fried noodle or kueh tiaw (thin, flat rice noodles), with tomato gravy, meat (usually chicken pieces), vegetables and seafood (usually prawns). Sometimes crispy noodle is used.

Foochow bagel is a traditional Foochow Chinese food. It is normally addressed as kompia. This pastry can only be found in Sibu, Bintangor or Sarikei where ethnic Chinese of Foochow clan formed a majority. Bubur Pedas (or transliterated as 'spicy porridge) is unlike many other porridge that we know. Bubur Pedas is cooked with a specially prepared paste. It is quite spicy thanks to its ingredients, which include spices, turmeric, lemon grass, galangal, chillies, ginger, coconut and shallots. Like the famous Bubur Lambuk of Kuala Lumpur, Bubur Pedas is exclusive dish prepared during the month of Ramadan and served during the breaking of fast. Tuak is a type of liquor, unique to Iban and Bidayuh communities in Sarawak. It is made from either fermented rice or sugarcane although the former is more popular. It is normally served as a welcoming drink to guests, or during festive occasions like Gawai or Christmas. Manok kacangma is a type of traditional Chinese-influenced dish, consists of a tender chicken parts cooked with lots of garlics and 'kacangma' herbs. Non-Muslims normally cook 'manok kacangma' with some Chinese wine or 'tuak' of their choice. Kelupis is similar to 'ketupat', but wrapped in spiraled pandan leaves. The rice used is glutinous rice, unlike ketupat which normally use plain rice. Pulut panggang is a type of traditional Malay kuih in Sarawak, which is a glutinous rice wrapped in pandan leaves then cooked over a fire. Unlike 'pulut panggang' in Peninsula, Sarawakian pulut panggang has more tastes in its glutinous rice and no filling. Murtabak corned beef is a type of traditional Indian-influenced dish. It is similar to murtabak in Peninsular Malaysia, but with corned beef filling. It is unique to Sarawak and Brunei Malays. Terubok Masin is a salted 'terubok' fish (or American shad fish), a type of oily fish with lots of scales and Y-shaped bones. The fish can be either freshwater or seawater, local or imported, but local seawater 'terubok' fish costs more than other types. Cerodet is a type of traditional Indian kuih which is very popular in Kuching. Kuih Jala is a type of traditional Iban kuih which is quite similar to kuih karas in Kedah. Suman is a traditional food of Malay in Pusa. It is a sea fish cooked in a banana husk and wrapped in banana leaves. It is almost the same with tebes and ti'ong in Bintulu.

Cross-cultural influence
Being a multicultural country, Malaysians have over the years adapted each other's dishes to suit the taste buds of their own culture. For instance, Malaysians of Chinese descent have adapted the Indian curry, and made it more dilute and less spicy to suit their taste. Chinese noodles have been crossed with Indian and Malay tastes and thus Malay fried noodles and Indian fried noodles were born.

Desserts

Ais kacang Desserts in Malaysia tend to make use of generous amounts of coconut milk. A distinctive addition is gula melaka (palm sugar). Some common desserts include:

Cendol. Smooth green rice noodles in chilled coconut milk and gula melaka (coconut palm sugar). Ais kacang (also known as air batu campur or just ABC. "'air batu' is ice in Malay") Sweet corn, red beans and cincau (grass jelly) topped with shaved ice, colourful syrups and condensed milk. Pulut hitam. Black glutinous rice porridge cooked with sago and served hot with coconut milk. Bubur cha cha. Yam and sweet potato cubes served in coconut milk and sago, served hot or cold. Honeydew sago. Honeydew melon cubes served in chilled coconut milk and sago. Pengat (Tapioca and Banana) a thick brown sugar mixed together with coconut milk, the fruits mentioned and boiled. Sago Gula Melaka (Sago, Coconut Cream and Palm Sugar) Cooked translucent sago with coconut cream topped with palm sugar syrup. Pineapple tart

A huge variety of tropical fruits are commonly served as desserts in Malaysia. The most famous is possibly the durian. Other popular fruits local to Malaysia include mango. Some of the foods are similar to the food of its neighbouring countries. Due to its diversity in cultures, there is a wide variety of different foods available.

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