I’d always assumed high-powered gas stoves were my only option if I wanted to - 1) use my round-bottom traditional Chinese woks 2) generate good “wok hei”. That was before I met Kenneth Lim, the owner of Omnomnom Food Truck in Perth. Kenneth convinced old-school (behind-the-times?) me that chefs in China have long ago adopted concave » Read More
How to Convert Malaysian Recipes for the Thermomix
August 24, 2023 by
Plus - A Case Study Using My Easy Prawn and Pineapple Curry Recipe If you’re a Thermomix TM6 owner you’re likely familiar with Cookidoo - a platform where you can pick and choose out of thousands of recipes. You select what you want to cook, and it guides you step-by-step with preset temperatures, times and speeds. But if you’re a Malaysian » Read More
How To Cook Vegan Penang Char Koay Teow
February 10, 2022 by
In Street Food Journeys: Malaysia Series 3 (Plant-Based Edition) we explore some of Malaysia's most famous dishes, and show our audience how to tweak them to be vegan-friendly. Episode 1 covers Penang, arguably Malaysia's most famous street food destination, and in this particular segment, I demonstrate how to cook a vegan version of Penang Char » Read More
7 Ways To Use Malaysian Satay Sauce (Kuah Kacang)
January 27, 2022 by
When I started my food business, my specialty was satay (bet you didn't know that) - I used to cook them on charcoal grills and sell them at the monthly Kirribilli and Mosman Markets in the mid-90s, back when I was still working in an office during the week. And I used to make a disproportionate amount of satay sauce ("kuah kacang" in Malay) to go » Read More
7 Ways To Use Spring Roll Wrappers (Kulit Popiah)
January 25, 2022 by
Everybody loves to eat spring rolls (aka egg rolls in America) and while you can buy pre-made spring rolls easily, in my opinion it always tastes better when you make it yourself at home. Not only that, you get to decide exactly what ingredients go into it. Nowadays in Australia, you can find frozen spring roll pastry that are Made in Malaysia » Read More
8 Recipe Ideas for Kaya (Coconut And Pandan Spread)
December 23, 2021 by
The word “kaya” has two meanings in Malay - it can mean “rich” as in “wealthy”, or it can refer to a coconut and pandan jam that’s universally loved by Malaysians. Making kaya at home properly can be laborious and time-consuming - back in the old days you would cook it in a double-boiler and stand over the stove for hours stirring the coconut » Read More
6 Ways To Use Frozen Roti Canai (Paratha)
December 8, 2021 by
Watching a Malaysian mamak flip roti canai never gets old, but many have tried and failed to master the art of the perfect roti canai in their own kitchen. Thankfully, you can buy frozen roti canai easily here in Australia - the caveat is that it's marketed as "roti paratha", which can be a source of confusion for Australians. Having said » Read More
6 New Ways To Spice Up Malaysian Instant Noodles
December 2, 2021 by
Most Malaysians grew up eating and enjoying instant noodles, or what is popularly referred to as “ramen” in the USA, long before it became popular on a global scale. I remember as a kid being taught by my brother C.S. on how to cook it - his preferred style being to drain most of the water before adding the seasoning, and stirring in a spoonful of » Read More
Ginger Crisps – 9 Ways To Use Them In Your Dishes
July 21, 2021 by
Ginger is widely known for its health benefits, and most people would be familiar with using it to add flavour and aroma to their dishes. If you’re Malaysian like me, you probably use it regularly in curries, stews and in “tong sui” (sweet soup). I’d never tried consuming ginger as a crisp, however, until My Blue Tea sent me a jar of Borneo » Read More
Malaysian Jackfruit – 8 Suggestions On How To Use It
July 19, 2021 by
What does a Malaysian like me think of when I think of jackfruit? I think of a fully-ripened, golden-yellow, firm-fleshed super-sweet, delicious fruit - described elsewhere as something like a cross between a pineapple and a mango. Watch here>> https://youtu.be/C1fXy6bl4UI So it came as quite a shock to me when I was alerted to Zoe » Read More