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Home , Choy sum, Mee rebus, Noodle soup, Soto (food)

Photo Credits: Liam Ghani In Partnership With:

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs CONTENTS

2 Editorial - Jackie M. Jackie M. explains the changes happening behind the scenes at MOMC

3 Schedule A complete schedule of Series 5 cooking demonstrations covered in this issue

4 Introducing Liam Ghani Prolific writer and cook Liam Ghani joins our team as article contributor and a member of MOMC At Heart

7 Kampung Stay in Perak Part 2 Travel through the eyes of Jackie M and her special needs child Noah, as they continue their stay in a rural Malaysian village

17-25 Recipes

26-27 Special Media Release Find out about MOMC Series 7 and Her Majesty Queen Azizah’s cookbooks

Home Cooking, Far From Home

1 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs Editorial Oodles of...Changes

okbooks AND is Tourism Liam is a Penang boy who’s Ambassador for Nyonya . now based in South Africa, We are so excited to welcome and you might have seen him her, but you’ll have to wait for our in Wednesday Cook-Alongs formal announcement :) with our MOMC co-founder and his fellow South African, Don’t forget it’s not too late Paul Gray. We’ve invited Liam to catch our special Queen’s ell, that took a while! as a contributor to our eMag Series that’s happening right W Our apologies for this starting with this issue, and now through the month of much-delayed MOMC eMag - as you you can expect to see more of December - our chefs have would know, all our chefs contribute Liam in our live demos as well all been tasked with cooking their time to bring you this project as through his articles. dishes from the cookbooks of while running businesses in real life, Her Majesty Queen so sometimes other tasks need to Pearly Kee has decided to Azizah of Malaysia and we take priority. focus on her own projects, and are beyond humbled at this we thank her for the short time Which brings me to Chef opportunity. You can find out she was with MOMC. We, of Norman Musa who’s notably absent more from the media release course, have the fantastic Chef in this series AND in this eMag - he in this issue. Bob who is no longer “guest really wanted to work on the maga- Until next time, chef” in case you’re wondering, zine but after many weeks, he finally Jackie M. but a staunch member of our conceded he couldn’t fit it into his group. schedule. Norman was also initially meant to cook Mee Kicap for his ses- Also, we have a new Nyonya chef sion, but in the end we had to bring join Masters of , in Liam Ghani - blogger at who has published SEVEN (!!!) co- TheMuddledPantry.com - to tackle Norman’s recipe.

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 2 SCHEDULES

In this series, our chefs bring their unique styles to 8 Malaysian SCHEDULES recipes, which you can find on pages 17-25 SERIES #5 Jackie - Sang Har Meen (Crispy with Shellfish) Zaleha - Mee Calong (Egg Noodle with Fishballs) OCT 2020 Nora - Mee Bergedel ( with Turkey Meatballs) Rene - Mee Udang (Noodles in with Prawns) Bob - Gearbox (Noodles in Gravy with Bone Marrow) Liam - Mee Kicap (Seafood Noodles in ) Dave - Mee (Vegan Noodles with ) Papa Jo - Mee (Noodles in Parcel)

Enjoy!

3 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs SCHEDULES INTRO Introducing Liam Ghani

focuses on overcoming this perennial problem by reconstructing authentic dishes, albeit using substitutes and adapted recipes.

Now in its fifth year, The Muddled Pantry has expanded its scope beyond Malaysian food and features a wide variety of from around the world. Largely based on his travels, Liam has recreated and curated a large collection of classic Liam Ghani dishes using the ingredients he has available A Contemporary Arts photographer and food without them being at the expense of flavour or blogger based just outside of Cape Town in South flair. Combining authentic techniques, tantali- Africa, this born and bred Penangite has never lost sing photographs, and an array of easy to follow his appetite and passion for Malaysian food, nor the cooking tips, The Muddled Pantry is testament heritage it embodies. that your geographical location should never dictate what you are having for dinner! Written out of a desire to recreate the dishes he

grew up eating in Penang, Liam began his food In more recent times, Liam has joined the Ma- blog, The Muddled Pantry, in 2014 as a way of sati- sters of Malaysian Cuisine family as a regular sfying and sharing his Malaysian food cravings. Like contributor on MOMC@HEART, as well as being many other Malaysians based overseas, a limited a featured guest on several live cooking demon- supply of authentic Asian ingredients proved to be strations for MOMC itself. an ongoing challenge. Nevertheless, rather than be hampered by such limitations, The Muddled Pantry

“The Muddled Pantry is testament that your geographical location should never dictate what you are having for dinner!”

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 4 ARTICLE

HOME COOKING, FAR FROM HOME. By Liam Ghani

As a Malaysian, food has always mattered to me, home, no matter how far away they may be. perhaps more than it should. Unfortunately for many of us, recreating our favourite dishes in foreign climes is often fraught Hailing from the culinary paradise that is Penang, with disappointment and pitfalls. Indeed, whilst it my life’s journey has brought me far: far away from can be said that food is only as good as its ingre- my culinary roots of South , that is. 30 dients, unlike many of the world’s other great years after I left my canai and late gastronomies Malaysian cuisine is still relatively night rojak suppers behind me for a life lived over- niche, making the sourcing of genuine ingredients seas, my love for Malaysia and its food has never a perennial hurdle for many of us. diminished. Indeed, though I am blessed to have called Cape Town home for the last two decades, A lack of access to key ingredients, combined with my heart and stomach have always been rooted in a notoriously fastidious view on what constitutes the rich culinary heritage I left behind. authentic Malaysian flavours, makes replicating our favourite dishes overseas both difficult and Like most diasporas, Malaysians cherish their cui- intimidating. Nevertheless, it can be done! sine and are forever trying to bring those flavours The first step in making Malaysian food aboard is to life, in whichever far flung corner of the world not to get hung up on the finer details:Tak boleh we find themselves in. From in Reykja- cari belacan? vik to in Minnesota, Malaysians will always go to great lengths to enjoy a taste of Use the Thai version instead. Buah Keras proving

5 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs ARTICLE

“My love for Malaysia and its food has never diminished”

to be impossible to find? Substitute them with blan- you’ve made it using a regular or Asian shal- ched almonds or macadamia nuts. A lack of lengkuas lots. All cooks adapt recipes; it is their knowledge getting you down? Just use some instead. and technique that allows them to continue making great food. Of course, substitutions are never ideal; but in a robust dish lik e daging or kari kapitan, The key thing to remember when making even the keenest of palates is unlikely to notice the Malaysian food abroad is this: you are making difference. Naturally, there are ingredients that defy it for yourself, not for those we left behind. substitutions – petai, pandan and torch ginger are Authenticity is an aspiration, not a necessity – among the most elusive, and their scarcity is an un- never let a nostalgia for how something used fortunate reality for those of us they elude. to taste get in the way of cooking the dishes Sometimes you must accept you can’t have you love. Though our ingredients may be everything – this is the price of being a muddled, the true taste of home is manifest Malaysian living abroad. not in its perfection, but in the hearts of those making it. Thankfully, as unorthodox as it may seem, when it comes to many Malaysian dishes, technique often trumps authentic ingredients. More often than not, knowing how to fry your rempah is infinitely more crucial to the success of the dish than whether

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 6 ARTICLE KAMPUNG STAY IN PERAK PART 2 SUKASUKA LAKE RETREAT By Jackie M.

Most of you would know that I too, used to be an IT consultant; back in my day my IT colleagues almost to a person had dreams about one day giving it all up and running their own B&B or cafe (which pro- bably says something about the soul-destroying nature of troubleshooting IT problems in high-stress merchant banking environments).

I’m the only one I know who did take the plunge by quitting IT to sell Malaysian food; now I’ve finally met a couple who not only did so, but made an even more radical seachange through what Pak Aziz himself describes to have been a Robinson Crusoe existence. It’s one thing to quit your career and move out of KL, it’s another to move to an uninhabited island with no electricity in the middle of a lake in a rural village. Over the last 16 years or so, they have gradually built on this initial foundation, ultimately setting up the retreat on the mainland facing the lake.

Mak Asiah takes care of the meals – the fish they cook are often caught from the lake – and often by their young but very well-spoken son Azam.

Pak Aziz

7 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs ARTICLE ARTICLE

Baby Noah instantly takes not only to the setting, but also to the food – I’ve never seen him with such an enormous appetite before or since our two days at Sukasuka.

Noah chillin’ at the main house at Sukasuka

The pictures I’ve captured of Noah du- ring our stay speak volumes – chilling out in the hammock by the lake, happily sitting on the steps at the entrance of my kampung house, and lazing around on the floor mat in the main house – they remind me of scenes from my favourite childhood comic Lat’s most Lat’s – Kampung Boy. famous book – Kampung Boy.

I find out that Lat coincidentally is from Perak and still lives there. Also, on at least one occasion an overseas guest has booked a stay there after being inspired by the idyllic kampung life portrayed in Lat’s work.

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 8 ARTICLE D A Y 2

Sukasuka I’m not the only city slicker in the group; our driver Tony struggles to deploy his mosquito net correctly and by the next morning his bed looks like a scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Shaukani snapped this picture of our driver Tony’s bed at dawn, looking eerily like a scene from a UFO abduction movie.

9 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs ARTICLE

Breakfast is a traditional Malay offering – Facebook page that they host a significant nasi lemak plus different types of in- number of European and North American cluding onde-onde, which in Perak is known guests, so knowing how Westerners like ce- as buah melaka (melaka-fruit kuih). Like the reals and toast in the morning, I ask Pak Aziz melaka fruit, the onde-onde served are tiny whether he adapts the menu depending on compared to ones I’m used to, and comple- the guests’ backgrounds. tely addictive. I’ve noticed on Sukasuka’s

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 10 ARTICLE “They eat what we eat!”

“They eat what we eat!”, he says with a big smile. This appeals to my take-no-prisoners sensibilities where my food is concerned.

11 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs ARTICLE

Pak Aziz is knowledgeable about lots of a pontianak is a female vampire. This things and can pretty much talk about sends shivers down my spine. any topic at length. I show him a picture of amysterious There are a variety of activities to keep tree at the Gaharu tea plantation which us busy during our stay – boating, fi- we’d just visited enroute to Sukasuka (I’d shing, walks through the village (Kam- had an unexplained experience there); pung Kelantan) within which Sukasuka he takes a look and immediately re- is located, relaxing by the lake and just cognises it as a pontianak tree – if you hanging out at the main house and know Malaysian folklore you’ll know playing traditional games and chatting.

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 12 ARTICLE

13 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs ARTICLE Cooking lesson with Mak Asiah

The highlight for me though, is the cooking les- son with Mak Asiah on our second day there. The dishes are unique even to me – Chicken Rendang using a local mushroom (cendawan sisir – it looks, per its name, like small hair combs – nothing like your typical mushroom) instead of coconut. This Perak-style chicken rendang is a real eye-opener – if ever you make it to Sukasuka you absolutely have to persuade Mak Asiah to teach you how to make it.

And then there’s sticky steamed in periuk kera – literally “monkey pots” – which are a type of pitcher plant. We also cook pajeri nenas – a pineapple dish, using pineapples from Mak Asiah’s garden. The dishes form part of what we end up having for dinner that night. Noah’s not generally averse to a bit of chilli in his food but even the dishes I think might be too spicy for him are gorged down with enthusiasm, so much so I’m finding I have to go back for third and fourth servings. It’s almost embarrassing. Sticky Rice in Monkey Pots

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 14 ARTICLE D A Y 3

“THESE LAST TWO DAYS HAVE COMPLETELY CHANGED MY BELIEFS ABOUT TRAVELLING IN AIR CONDITIONED LUXURY”

Day 3 and it’s time to leave Sukasuka with a lifetime of memories. These last two days have completely changed my beliefs about travelling in air conditioned luxury and leave me toying with the idea of one day moving to this part of the world. You know how sometimes you come away from a trip feeling like you need a holiday to recover from your holiday? Sukasuka might be the answer.

15 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs ADVERTORIAL

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 16 RECIPES

Recipes

Series 5 is all about noodles; we had a good mix of well-known favourites such Jackie M’s Sang Har Meen (Crispy Noodles with Shellfish) and regional specialties such as Zaleha Olpin’s Mee Calong (Egg Noodle Soup with Fishballs), along with Nora Ha- ron’s California-inspired Mee Soto Bergedel (Noodle Soup with Turkey Meatballs).

Rene Juefri made a childhood favourite of his, Mee Udang (Noodles in Gravy with Prawns) while Chef Bob added a unique twist to Mee Rebus by serving it with bone marrow, which is locally called “Gear- box”.

Norman Musa supplied his Mee Kicap (Seafood Noodles in Soy Sauce) recipe for our guest chef of this series, Liam Ghani, while Dave Murugaya gave a vegan twist to Mee Rojak (Noodles with Fritters).

Papa Jo, as usual, added an eclectic touch to the series by making Mee Murtabak (Noodles cooked Murtabak-syle, ie. in a parcel). Enjoy, and don’t for- get to tag us if you attempt these recipes and post the photos on social media!

17 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs RECIPES

MEE REBUS GEAR BOX NOODLES IN GRAVY WITH BONE MARROW Chef Bob Serves 4 4 nos. Shank (Gear Box) 600 g Yellow Mee Noodles 500 ml 1500 g Sweet Potato 800 g Potato 200 g Dried 80 g Ginger 100 g 200 g Red Onion 100 g Meat Curry Powder 50 g 50 g Lemongrass 3 L Beef stock 200 g Roasted 150 ml Juice 150 g 20 g Dried chillies (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes) 40 g Fried 40 g (sliced) 40 g Green Chilli (sliced) 40 g Beansprout 40 g Spring Onion (sliced) 2 nos. Fresh (halved)

Method:

1. Pressure cook or boil the beef shanks until the meat is soft. Keep the stock and set aside. 2. Boil sweet potato and potato until soft, then blend into a puree. 3. Blend dried chillies, red onion, garlic, , galangal, lemongrass and meat curry powder with a little water to make a paste. 4. Heat up oil in a pot and cook the paste until the oil separates, then add in the beef stock. 5. Bring to the boil and add tamarind juice and gula melaka (palm sugar) 6. Add the beef shanks (gear box) in and coconut milk. 7. Adjust with seasoning and lastly, add the crushed roast nuts. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. 8. Blanch egg noodles and bean sprouts. Strain and place on a serving dish. 9. Pour gravy over the noodles, top with condiments and serve.

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 18 MEE MURTABAK NOODLES IN PARCEL Chef Jo Edrus

An Eclectic Murtabak from Noodles 2pkt. Instant noodles (boil for 2 minutes, strain and toss dry) 100g Carrot (brunoise cut, blanch slightly, strain and toss dry) 100g Onion (brunoise cut) 100g Pumpkin (brunoise cut, blanch slightly, strain and toss dry) 100g Black mushroom (brunoise cut, blanch slightly, strain and toss dry) 100g stick (brunoise cut, blanch slightly, strain and toss dry) 100g Young jackfruit (brunoise cut, boil until cooked, strain and toss dry) 100g Broccoli (shave the floret and brunoise-cut the stem, blanch slightly, strain and toss dry) ½ Avocado (diced) 100g Young coconut flesh (diced) 3 TBSP powder 1 tsp. (coarsely pounded) 10 eggs, medium-sized Some sunflower oil for pan- to taste

*Chef’s note: Brunoise (French: [boynwaz]) is a culinary knife cut in which the food item is first julienned and then turned a quarter turn and diced, producing cubes of about 3 mm or less on each side, or 1/8-inch dice. In France, a “brunoise” cut is smaller, 1 to 2 mm on each side, or 1/16-inch dice. Method: In a big bowl, crack all the eggs and beat well. Combine all the ingredients in egg bowl except the sunflower oil. Mix them thoroughly well. Adjust the seaso- ning. Heat the sunflower oil in the frying-pan, pour in the eggs and noodle mixture, make sure it is evenly spread in the frying-pan. Cook till golden brown on both side of the noodle mixture. Served immediately while it is still hot. Beetroot Pickle: Yellow Lentil Gravy: 1 no. Beetroot (peeled, julienned) 1 cup yellow lentil ] 1 cup 1 tsp. powder ] #A 1 tsp. Monkfruit sweetener or nor mal 3 nos. dried chilli ] sugar 4 , thinly shredded 2 stalks curry leaf *Chef’s note: ½ cup coconut milk Julienne; referred to as the allumette when 3 TBSP sunflower oil used on potatoes, and 1 ½ cup hot water sometimes also called the “matchstick Salt to taste cut” (which is the translation of “allumet- Directions te” from French), the julienne measures Combine all the ingredients #A in a bowl. Soak in hot water approximately 1⁄8 by 1⁄8 by 1–2 inches (0.3 for 1 hour. cm × 0.3 cm × 3 cm–5 cm). Pour the soaked mixture in a saucepan, boil till the lentil is well cooked (according to preference). Method: Season to taste. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, Heat oil in frying pan, add in the shredded shallots and curry keep a side leaves. Sauté until the shallots turn brown and are carameli- sed. Add to the lentils. Finally, add the coconut milk. Stir well and serve as the murta- Serving: bak gravy. Serve the Murtabak Mee with the lentil gravy and pickled beetroot. ENJOY! *Chef’s note: You can also replace some of the ingredients in the murtabak with meat like beef, lamb, chicken or even sardine. For the meat you need to sauté it till it’s cooked, then allow to cool before adding to the noodle and egg mixture.

19 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs MEE ROJAK RECIPES VEGAN NOODLES WITH FRITTERS Chef Dave Murugaya Serves 4 Prep Time: 20mins Cook Time: 45mins Ingredients: ½ cup dry roasted , unsalted 1pc tamarind slice 3 TBSP vegetable oil ½ cup water Salt as needed Palm sugar as needed ½ tsp powder ½ tsp Spice paste: 4 dried red chillies (seeded and soaked in warm water) 2 cloves garlic (peeled) 2 cloves small shallots or pearl (peeled) 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2 halves, use only Method: bottomhalf 1/2 inch galangal (peeled) 1. Crush the peanuts and set aside. 2. Chop the spice paste ingredients coarsely and blend until very fine. Add a few tablespoons of water to help blending. 3. In a sauce pan, heat the oil on medium heat and add the spice paste. 4. Add the remaining two halves of lemongrass in the spice paste. Fry the spice paste until aro- matic and smell spicy. 5. Add the ground peanuts, water, tamarind slice, salt, sugar, coriander powder and sweet soy sauce. Stir to combine well. 6. Reduce the peanut sauce on medium-low heat, stir continuously for about 5-10 minutes or until the peanut sauce thickens to your desired consistency, or until the oil and the peanut sauce separates.

Vegetable Noodles and Condiments: Ingredients: 400g Yellow noodle (blanched) 1 cup flour 4pcs (deep fried, cut into cubes) 1 handful garlic (roughly chopped) 2nos Potato (boiled, cut into cubes) 1/3 cup carrot (julienned) 1cup Beansprout 1/3 cup beansprout ½ cup Cucumber (julienned) 2 shallots (sliced) ½ cup Carrot (julienned) 1/2 tsp salt ½ cup Jicama (julienned) 1/3 tsp turmeric powder 1/3 tsp baking soda Water as needed Method: Garnishing: 1. Mix all the ingredients with enough water to make a Spring onion (chopped) thick pancake batter consistency. Red chilies (sliced) 2. Allow to rest for 5 min. Fried shallots 3. Deep fry in dollops; remove, cool, and cut into cubes.

Assemble noodles and all the condiments and vegetable fritters. Top with peanut sauce and garnish with spring onion, red chillies and fried shallots; serve.

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 20 RECIPES SANG HAR MEEN CRISPY NOODLES WITH SHELLFISH By Jackie M.

Serves 1 Prep time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 200g fresh noodles 1 cup Choy Sum, cut into 3-inch lengths 2 cups prawn stock, chicken stock, or water ½ Tbsp chicken powder ½ Tbsp 1 tsp ½ tsp white pepper 1 tsp potato starch or tapioca starch + 2 Tbsps water 1 tsp minced garlic 1 egg 4 Large prawns, crayfish or similar, halved 1 Tbsp cornstarch Oil for deep-frying

Method:

1. Heat oil to 180°C; drop batches of noodles into the oil to fry until they puff up and the bub- bles begin to dissipate.

2. Remove and allow to cool, then arrange on serving plate. 3. Toss prawns with cornstarch, flash fry in oil for a few seconds, remove and drain. 4. Remove all except 1/2 Tbsp oil. 5. Heat oil, add garlic and saute until aromatic; add prawns followed by oyster sauce and choy sum. 6. Add stock/water, chicken powder, pepper and fish sauce. 7. Bring to a low simmer, then thicken with potato starch + water mix. 8. Turn off the heat, crack egg into sauce and stir in one direction. 9. Pour hot sauce over noodles to serve.

21 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs RECIPES MEE KICAP SEAFOOD NOODLES IN SOY SAUCE Recipe by Chef Norman Musa cooked by MOMC At Heart’s Liam Ghani

Serves 2-3 Ingredients: 1 TBSP vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 2.5cm fresh ginger (finely chopped) 100g raw mussels (in shell) 100g raw king prawns (peeled) 100g squid (scored and cut into small pieces 2 TBSP sweet soy sauce 1 TBSP dark soy sauce 1 TBSP oyster sauce 100g dried anchovies (soaked in water for 5 minutes & pounded) (optional) 200g egg noodles, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes 50g pak choy 50g beansprouts ½ tsp ground white pepper ½ tsp

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the mussels, prawns and squid, discarding any mussels that are open and do not close when tapped. Cook for 2 minutes, then scoop the prawns and squid but not the mussels) into a bowl and set aside. This is to prevent the seafood getting overcooked.

2. Add both soy sauces, the oyster sauce and the anchovies, along with 200ml of water, and simmer the mussels on a low heat for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce. Add the egg noodles, pak choy, beansprouts, white pepper and sesame oil and cook for 2 minutes, then put back the prawns and squid. Remove and discard any unopened mussels. Give another stir and turn the heat off, then transfer to small bowls and serve straight away.

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 22 RECIPES MEE SOTO BERGEDEL NOODLE SOUP WITH TURKEY MEATBALLS By Nora Haron

Soto Paste 1 stalk fresh lemongrass (bruised) 3 makrut lime leaves, fresh 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 ½ TBSP coriander seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 3 shallots, peeled and halved 2 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tsp fresh turmeric ( finely minced), or 2 TBSP ginger (finely minced) 3 TBSP cooking oil 4-6 cups chicken stock 4 oz. or noodles of choice 2 TBSP cilantro (chopped)

Turkey Bergedel

• 1 TBSP cooking oil • 100 g of ground Turkey Method: • 1 TBSP of Soto • 300 g butternut squash (cubed and 1. Combine peppercorns, coriander seeds and cumin deep-fried) seeds in a small food processor. Pulse until ground. • Salt and Pepper Add shallots, garlic, turmeric and ginger and pulse to • 1 egg Ingredients (C): for garnish a thick paste. (Add a little oil if needed.) 2. Remove 1 Tablespoon of Spice Paste and put aside Method: 1 cup bean sprouts (washed) for Bergedel. 3 nos hard boiled egg (peeled-cut half) 3. Heat cooking oil in a medium saucepan over high 1. Mix the ground Turkey with the 180 gm Chinese kale/ chard / (blanched) heat. When very hot, add spice paste and cook, stir- Soto paste and season with salt 2 nos fresh red chili (sliced rings) ring until paste is cooked and beginning to separate and pepper. 35 gm crispy fried shallot from the oil, about 5 minutes. 2. Sauté the ground Turkey in the 4. Add chicken stock to cooked spice. Bring to a simmer cooking oil until fully cooked. and cook 10 minutes. 3. Cool the cooked Turkey. 5. Cook noodles according to package directions. 4. Immediately after removing the 6. Turn off heat and stir in lime juice. Add salt to taste. from the fryer, mash the butternut squash until you get the consisten- 7. Serve with Bergedel, Cilantro and Fried Shallots. cy of mashed potatoes. 5. Add the cooked Turkey and mix well. Season again with salt and pepper. Give a taste. 6. Using both hands, form a large ball to make a Bergedel. (Optional, you can add a boiled egg inside the Bergedel). 7. Coat the Bergedel with lightly beaten egg and pan fry until all sides of the ball are browned.

8. Serve with Mee Soto.

23 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs RECIPES MEE UDANG NOODLES IN GRAVY WITH PRAWNS Chef Rene Juefri Serves 4-5 This is my favourite noodle dish close to my heart. A dish that brings me back to my childhood. Ingredients (A): 500 gm fresh yellow egg noodle (blanched in hot water before serving) 500 gm tiger prawns (peeled-heads and tail on) 1 L prawn stock/ ( prepared using the shell peeled from the tiger prawns)

Ingredients (B): blended ingredients/paste 10 pieces boiled dry red chilli 5 pieces fresh red chilli (deseeded) 50 gm dry 5 nos medium red onion/large shallot (peeled -sliced) 2 cloves garlic 1 inch ginger 2 stick lemongrass 5 nos medium size ripe tomato 80 m corn oil/ 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp brown sugar

Ingredients (C): for garnish 1 cup bean sprouts (washed) 3 nos hard boiled egg (peeled-cut half) 180 gm Chinese kale/ chard / bok choy (blanched) 2 nos fresh red chili (sliced rings) 35 gm crispy fried shallot

Method:

1. In a pot, heat some oil and sweat Ingredient (B). Allow the paste to cook on medium heat for around 10-15 minutes or until the oil starts to split and paste starts to reduce and thicken. 2. Once the oil starts to split from the paste, pour in the prawn stock/broth into the pot and bring the heat up allowing it to boil. Continue to simmer the gravy for another 10 minutes and re- duced by 1/3. Taste the seasoning and add if required. 3. Then add the peeled prawns into the gravy and reduce the heat, allow to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Again, taste seasoning and add if required. *do not add the prawns if serving for the next day or planning to chill or freeze the gravy for later use, only add prawns if gravy is to be served immediately. 4. To assemble, in a serving bowl spoon 90-100gm of blanched noodle in the middle of the bowl, then top the noodle with the hot gravy till it covers 3/4 of the noodle, and arrange 3-4 pieces of prawns on the top. Garnish the top with bean sprouts, red chilli, crispy shallots and boiled egg to finish.

*optional: serve with half a on top.

NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs 24 RECIPES MEE CALONG EGG NOODLE SOUP WITH FISHBALLS By Zaleha Olpin

Serves 3-4 Mee Calong is a very popular dish in my hometown! Since we are near to the coast, there is an abundance of seafood, so we tend to make everything from scratch such as the Malay-style fish balls that is featured in this dish. Ingredients 2 large shallots, peeled and coarsely chop- ped 4 garlic cloves 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 pack of wheat yellow noodles or rice noo- dles, blanched to packaging instructions Few stalks of Bok Choy - blanched 5 to 6 tofu puffs 1 fish stock cube 1 litre of water

Frying spice 3 pods Chilli Soya (Chilli Kicap) 1-star 5 bird eye chillies 3 cloves 1 of garlic, minced 1-inch 2 TBSP sweet soy sauce 1 TBSP vinegar For the fish balls 250 grams Spanish mackerel or Garnishing any fish filet (I used Basa filet) 1 red chilli, thinly sliced into rounds 1 tsp white pepper powder Handful chopped Chinese coriander leaves 2 TBSP cornflour Dried shallots 1 egg white Salt to taste

Method: Coarsely pound the shallots and garlic in the mortar and pestle. Set aside. Put the ingredients into a food processor and blitz it into a sticky mix. Transfer to a bowl place in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes. Heat 2 TBSP of oil in pot and saute the pounded shallots/garlic till fragrant. Add in the frying spice and stir again for 1 minute. Add water, salt and fish stock and bring to boil. Let simmer then you can either strain the stock to remove all the bits of leave it as it is. Stuff the tofu puffs with the . Set aside. Make little fish balls with the remaining fish paste. Bring the soup back to boil and add in the tofu and fish balls. Gently simmer till they float to the surface. Serve the calong with blanched noodles, bok choy and garnish with chillies, chop- ped Chinese coriander and dried shallots and the chilli kicap.

25 NOVEMBER 2020 MOMC eMAGAZINE #5 © malaysianchefs MEDIA RELEASE Tunku Azizah’s interest in cooking pairs with 9 NOVEMBER 2020 her interest in traditional craft, in particular Tenun Pahang (Pahang Weave). MOMC Chefs Share The Queen’s Recipes With The World The plates of food in her book are all placed on Tenun Pahang DiRaja, a handwoven textile Masters of Malaysian Cuisine (MOMC) will that was a dying art in Pahang until Tunku Azi- collaborate to cook dishes from the cook- zah travelled throughout the state to preserve books published by Malaysia’s Queen, Raja it. She gathered the remaining handful of old Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah weavers, documented all the techniques into Maimunah Iskandariah, throughout the a curriculum, and set up a Training Institute in month of December 2020: Pahang to train a new generation of weavers in this craft. Air Tangan Tengku Puan Pahang — Masakan Tradi- sional Pahang (traditional dishes of Pahang) and Air Her Majesty also designs, teaches and pro- Tangan Tengku Puan Pahang — Manisan Tradisional duces pieces of Royal Pahang Tenun for her Pahang (traditional sweets of Pahang) enterprise named Che Minah Sayang.

MOMC’s online cooking demonstrations are MOMC founder Jackie M says, “Our chefs are broadcast Live on Mondays and they feature honoured and thrilled to be entrusted with the some of the top Malaysian cuisine experts recipes from Her Majesty’s collection. We can’t around the world who first came together wait to share them with the rest of the world during the Covid-19 lockdown to share their on this scale for the first time ever.” cooking knowledge with a global audience. Co-founder, Chef Norman Musa, adds, “ We MOMC’s live demonstrations are concurrently hope that through our cooking demos, we can streamed across multiple online channels, in- do our part to put a global spotlight on Malay- cluding on their website, MalaysianChefs.com. sia’s rich culinary and craft traditions.” Apart from showcasing Malaysia’s diverse cuisine, the chefs engage with the MOMC Series 7 showcasing recipes from audience by answering any cooking questions Tunku Azizah’s cookbooks runs on Mondays during the broadcasts. through the month of December, starting on Monday the 7th. Her Majesty Tunku Azizah’s two cookbooks are compilations of vintage recipes from her A special New Year’s Eve session will air at 7pm homestate of Pahang which were in danger of KL time on Thursday 31 December, to wrap up being lost to future generations. They repre- the series. sent the diversity of Malaysia, with contribu- tions from various communities including the To get notified when the chefs go Live, sign up Malays, the Chinese, the Indians and even the at MalaysianChefs.com/JoinToday natives, or the Orang Asli, deep in the jungles of Pahang. Ends

The entire production of the books was fun- For more information or interviews with ded by the legacy left by Her Majesty’s late Jackie M and the Masters of Malaysian Cui- father, Sultan Iskandar of , and all pro- sine chefs contact: ceeds from their sales go to TUNKU AZIZAH FERTILITY FOUNDATION, a Foundation she set Jackie M| M: +61 (0) 425 797 718 | up over 15 years ago, which funds IVF treat- E: [email protected] ment for couples.

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