Nasi Kebuli is a fragrant rice and crispy chicken royal dish that's famous the Malaysian state of Pahang. The word "Kebuli" is an abbreviation of the royal honorific "ke bawah duli (yang maha mulia)" (kind of like "his Majesty" etc.). I didn't grow up in Pahang so this backgrounder on Nasi Kebuli is courtesy of our Masters of Malaysian Cuisine » Read More
Chillies (30 Days 30 Asian Ingredients Series)
September 2, 2018 by
In this Live broadcast on Chillies, I cover the different types of chillies used in Malaysian and Southeast Asian cooking, and explain their uses and preparation methods. I also reveal a good, cheap substitute that I’ve encountered in my recent trips to my local non-Asian fruit and vegetable shop, and how to “hack” the flavour to achieve the same » Read More
How to Make Kuih Ketayap (Coconut-Filled Crepes)
March 21, 2018 by
Kuih Ketayap - A Wok Around Asia Recipe courtesy of Parkroyal Penang Resort Kuih Ketayap, also known as Kuih Dadar in my part of Malaysia, is a popular teatime snack which consists of pandan-infused crepes rolled with a coconut and palm sugar filling. It's an easy recipe to attempt, and the ingredients should be readily available at any » Read More
How to Make Chicken or Beef Bak Kwa (Barbecued Minced Meat)
March 9, 2018 by
I grew up in the part of Malaysia where this is known as “long yoke” (Cantonese & Hakka), and for a long time after coming to Australia, I had no idea what other people were talking about when they made reference to “bak kwa” (Hokkien) - more evidence of how gloriously splintered Malaysia can be when it comes to food, language and » Read More
How to Cook Malaysian Chicken Curry Noodles
February 26, 2018 by
I wasn’t intending to blog about this Live Asian Kitchen broadcast, because Malaysian Chicken Curry is something I cook on a regular basis and I've already posted the recipe in the past. However, this particular batch turned out different enough (in a good way) that I thought it worth sharing. Plus there's the added element of serving it with » Read More
How to Cook Chicken Bak Kut Teh (Chik Kut Teh)
February 21, 2018 by
I’ve had an aversion to pork since I was a kid, so I have no recollection of ever having eaten Bak Kut Teh (BKT), which is traditionally made using pork spare ribs. The smell of BKT is quite unmistakable however, and hard to avoid if you grew up in Malaysia or Singapore. Since I knew how it’s meant to smell, I felt vaguely confident going into this » Read More
Blue Flower Power And The Case For Cultural Appropriation
February 8, 2018 by
(Originally published on The Huffington Post December 2017) I have a confession to make - I don’t spend a lot of time browsing through pretty pictures on Instagram; it’s just not how I consume content. No surprise then, that I missed the recent trend in blue butterfly (aka blue pea) flower-infused images of food and drink on social media. » Read More
How to Make Indonesian Sup Soto (Low Carb)
December 26, 2017 by
I was hesitant to call this a Soto since its defining characteristic is the use of compressed rice squares (ketupat) simmered in soup, and with the whole low-carb thing, I’m severely restricting my rice consumption. Instead, I added some coconut powder (I would have used coconut cream or coconut milk but I didn’t have any on hand) to compensate » Read More
How to Make Sambal for Prawn Noodle Soup (Har Meen) (Low-Carb)
December 17, 2017 by
If you've followed my Live Asian Kitchen broadcasts for any length of time, you would know that the term sambal belacan" (shrimp paste sambal) covers a number of different chilli dips - there's raw sambal belacan which consists of pounding chillies with toasted shrimp paste, some seasoning plus a dash of fresh lime juice - popular in » Read More
How to Make Low-Carb Malaysian Prawn Noodle Soup (Har Meen)
December 11, 2017 by
This dish is known by different names depending on which part of Malaysia you grew up in; I know it as har meen (literally prawn noodles), and being pork-averse, I make mine with a combination of prawn and chicken stock, and top it with chicken in lieu of pork. The low-carb version covered in this recipe involves the use of konnyaku » Read More