Review: Turnula for Malaysian Cooking

During my twice-weekly Zoom cooking sessions, my Malaysian Hawker Pro and Skool Malaysian Cooking Club students are always engaging with each other on the latest and greatest kitchen utensils and gadgets – most recently, silicone wok-stirring spatulas.

What triggered the silicone spatula conversation was my experience using a spatula that snapped in half after only a couple of weeks, because it had a wooden handle that was separate to the scoop.

Like this – 

So down the rabbit hole we went, until one of our members came across a Kickstarter project spatula called the Turnula – details here – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/turnula/turnula-smarter-and-easier-way-to-cook?ref=cmcu5u

I approached the people behind the Kickstarter about doing a review, and they sent me two Turnulas – a right-handed and a left-handed one (Paul is left-handed).

Quick heads-up that I’m not getting paid for this review nor do I get any commission on sales etc. I’m just giving my honest opinion about the Turnula based on my experience of using it for different cooking functions over the last two weeks.

Truthfully, when we first started using the Turnula, I was using it the way I would normally use a traditional wok spatula – sometimes it worked well, other times, I was confused about the point of its side-scoop design.

Meanwhile, Paul was happily using it for his scrambled eggs and pancakes every morning – I even shared a clip of him doing so on social media – only to have the Turnula people contact me to point out he’s actually not using it the way it’s meant to be used. Either way, Paul remains very happy with his left-handed Turnula, so we’ll leave him at it.

What the company clarified with me was that the Turnula is designed for lateral sweeping; for example, when it comes to sautéing, you’re meant to –

(1) Let the head glide along the surface of the pan so it slides fully underneath the ingredients before lifting.
(2) Sweep the ingredients sideways across the pan, allowing them to roll gently off the side of the Turnula.

Based on this previously overlooked functionality, I tested out the Turnula on a number of dishes/pans. Here are my thoughts on where it stood out, and where it struggled –

Everything clicked once I stopped trying to use the Turnula like a typical wok spatula (ie. scooping it forwards).

Cooking sambal and rempah (spice pastes) in a wok, which requires a long, patient process of frying spice paste until the oil separates, is perfect with the Turnula.

The wrist-driven motion means the effort is noticeably less than with a traditional wok spatula (anyone who’s cooked a long rempah fry-off knows how much that can take out of your arm and shoulder).

The Turnula, by contrast, is so light and fluid and low-effort it feels therapeutic instead of stressful, and the continuous stirring motion suited the task perfectly.

Same story with congee (I tested it on Bubur Lambuk which is basically Malay-style congee). The Turnula handled the low, gentle, rhythmic stirring of the congee beautifully.

If your cooking life involves a lot of wok work, particularly the kind of low-and-slow paste frying that Malaysian cooking demands, this tool is what you need in your kitchen.

Low-walled frying pans are where the Turnula’s design works somewhat against it – scooping sideways didn’t feel like it gave me enough control to prevent my spice pastes from spilling over the sides, and it didn’t get enough leverage to lift up my crepes cleanly – so I still prefer using a regular spatula for these tasks.

The Verdict –

Ultimately I think you need to see the Turnula as a specialist utensil, rather than something that will replace all your cooking spatulas. Its lateral design fits in perfectly with tasks that require long, patient stirring – apart from rempahs, sambals and porridge/congee, think of tasks like roasting sesame seeds and shelled peanuts.

You’ll find that the effort is noticeably less than if you were using a wok spatula, where a lot of elbow and shoulder exertion is required.

Key Features of the Turnula, as listed in the Kickstarter:

• Innovative lateral-sweep design
  Enables smooth rolling motion for more even, efficient cooking.
• Designed for all users
  Available in both right-handed and left-handed versions.
• Precision-Tapered Edge
  0.03mm tip that slides under food without resistance.
• Flexible stainless steel core
  Firm support with enough flexibility to bend to different pan shapes.
• High-wall design:
  Allows quick, controlled scooping of ingredients and sauces in one quick sweep.
• Special Arch
  Creates a built-in safety clearance between hand and heat source to reduce burn risk.
• One-Piece Design
  The seamless finish prevents trapped grease for easy cleaning, and is dishwasher-safe.

Check out the Turnula page for more details (shortened link so it’s easy to remember): JackieM.com.au/Turnula