Good day to my beloved lecturer and my course mates. Before I start my
presentation, I would like to know something, have you taken your breakfast or lunch
yet? Because, right now, I’m going to make all of you very hungry. Presenting to you,
the famous Malay cuisines in Malaysia by myself, Mr. Tinagaran Gnanasekar.
Malaysia is a country with rich culture. The population is made of mainly Malay,
Chinese and Indians. Malaysian food, of course is very much reflective of the diversity
of the people staying here. There are just so much to choose from, whether traditional
or modern cuisines. The staple food in Malaysia is rice, just like the other Asian
countries. Malaysian food, just like its people, is divided into Malay, Chinese and Indian
and is still prepared by their own unique ways.
Malay food, in general is rich with herbs like lemongrass, tamarind, dried and
fresh chilies, ginger and garlic. Malay dishes can be distinguished into a few methods of
cooking namely masak merah (tomato sauce), masak lemak (coconut milk), masak
asam (sourish tamarind) and masak pedas (spicy). Popular dishes that cannot be
missed are such as nasi lemak (coconut milk steamed rice), rendang (dried curry) and
asam pedas (spicy sour).
The very first dish I’m going to talk about which is also one of my favorite choice
of Malaysian food is Nasi Lemak. A dish so popular, that even the Chinese and Indians
serve their own similar version. At its very basic, Nasi Lemak is a plate of white rice
steamed with rich coconut milk. Accompanying it on the plate is ‘sambal bilis’, a chilli
paste mixed with salted anchovies.
The sambal is the ‘soul’ of the Nasi Lemak, which breaks or makes the dish.
Different people prefer different flavour for sambal. For instance, the Malaysian Indian
variety of sambal tends to be a bit spicier while the Malays mostly serves the sambal a
bit sweeter. A complete Nasi Lemak is when there is an egg served, either boiled or
fried, with cucumber slices or sometimes even sauted water spinach, and a helping of
salted anchovies and peanuts for a crunchy feel in the dish. Simply delicious, Nasi
Lemak is eaten throughout the day for breakfast, lunch, or even for dinner.
Besides, I would also like to talk about one of the famous old-style Malay
delicacies in Malaysia and my first choice when it comes to food prepared during Eid
festival which is known as Lemang. Lemang is undeniable, a must-have food on the
menu during Raya period. Lemang is a Minangkabau and Malay traditional food which
is made from glutinous rice soaked with adequate amount of coconut milk and salt to
taste. Lemang is cooked in a hollowed bamboo shoot. But, before adding the
ingredients, the inner part of the bamboo is coated with banana leaves in order to
prevent the sticky rice from sticking to the bamboo. The bamboo then, is placed in a
slanted position besides a small fire with the opening facing upwards. It should be
turned regularly in order to ensure the rice inside the bamboo is cooked evenly. The
cooking process takes about 4–5 hours. It is then served with Rendang or Serunding
that acts as a sauce or an additional hot and spicy flavour, with some tender meat to
chew on, either chicken, lamb or beef.
Other than that, another famous food in Malaysia is cendol. Cendol is a
traditional dessert. A mountain of crushed ice soaked in coconut milk infused with
pandan, and palm sugar which is known as Gula Melaka in Southeast Asia), with a pile
of ingredients that add to its colour and texture, such as the green jelly and kidney
beans. Cendol is named after the green jelly, which is made from the rice flour and
added green color from the pandan leaves and then made into jelly form. Mix all the
ingredients up and you'll have an orgasmic dessert that is sweet, tasty and delightfully
satisfying. At times, additional condiments are added into the mix as toppings to give
the Cendol the extra oomph. Some of the famous varieties of Cendol are Cendol Biasa,
Cendol Pulut, Cendol Bakar, Cendol Kacang and Cendol Ice-cream. There is also no
one way to enjoy the Cendol. You can either opt to drink it in a glass through a straw or
eat it in a bowl. Often sold by pushcart vendors or street hawkers, Cendol provides an
icy relief from the tropical heat in our country.
In addition to your rising appetite, I’m going to talk about another famous Malay
dish which is very popular among any age group of people. Satay is our own version of
a Western kebab, only sweeter and somewhat smaller. Satay is one of the most popular
Asian appetizers and everyone loves them. Pieces of softened, marinated meat are
skewered on a thin stick made of coconut frond (‘lidi’ in Malay). It is then grilled or
barbecued over a tray of hot steaming charcoals by garnishing it with ghee or any other
butter until brown and tenderly cooked.
A wide range of meat can be used from rabbit to any animal protein but chicken
and beef is the most common. It is served best with a thick peanut gravy, which is called
as ‘kuah kacang’ and ‘ketupat’, rice cooked in coconut milk, cut into cubes and wrapped
into an attractive weave of coconut leaves. To counter any supposed effects of burnt
carbon in satay, generous portions of fresh cucumber and onions are served together.
As you know, there are a variety of foods in Malaysia. It all came from different
nations, but together into one. All people can taste food from various ethnic groups.
From main dishes to desserts, which we can experience a variety of tastes like sweet,
sour, spicy, and bitter. What I presented to you today is just a thumb sized information
about Malaysian food. Being born and raised in this culture-rich country, I’m proud to
say I can get to taste thousands of traditional cuisines my country is famous for. I wish
the same for you as you certainly will not feel loss to try the unique cuisine of Malaysian
society. Thank you for listening, enjoy having our traditional foods.