FINAL TERM - MALAYSIAN CUISINE

SANTAM

Fresh coconut milk extracted by squeezing grated coconut; widely used in Malaysian curries and desserts.

KERISIK

Toasted grated coconut ground into a paste or powder; adds nutty flavor and thickness to dishes.

GULA MELAKA

Unrefined palm sugar made from coconut flower sap; a traditional Malaysian sweetener with a deep caramel flavor.

DARK SOY SAUCE

A thicker, less salty soy sauce with added sweetness; used to give dishes a darker color and richer taste.

MASAK KECAP

A braising style that uses a blend of soy sauces (often including dark soy sauce), producing rich, savory dishes.

KUNYIT

malaysian turmeric, a yellow spice root used for flavor, aroma, and natural coloring in Malaysian cooking.

ASAM JAWA

malaysian for tamarind, A sour fruit pulp used to add tartness and balance flavors in curries, soups, and sauces.

BUAH KERAS

malaysian for candlenuts, Nuts similar in appearance to macadamia; ground to thicken sauces and add richness.

IKAN BILIS

Small dried anchovies; commonly used for umami flavor and as toppings or side ingredients.

BELACAN

Fermented shrimp paste pressed into blocks and sun-dried; a key ingredient adding strong savory depth.

LUP CHEONG

Chinese dried sausage made from pork and spices; sweet and savory, sliced thinly for added flavor and texture.

NASI KOSONG

Plain steamed white rice.

NASI KUNYIT

Turmeric-flavored rice, often yellow in color; commonly served during ceremonies or special occasions.

NASI MINYAK

Rice cooked with ghee (clarified butter) and spices; aromatic and rich.

NASI DAGANG

Rice cooked with coconut milk and fenugreek seeds; traditionally served with fish curry, fried coconut, eggs, and pickles.

NASI ULAM

A steamed rice salad with a variety of thinly sliced herbs and greens, as well as pounded dried shrimp, kerisik, and chopped shallots.

NASI KERABU

Similar to nasi ulam, but the rice is tinted bright blue from the petals of flowers called bunga telang.

NASI LEMAK

A rice dish steamed with coconut milk and pandan, served with ikan bilis, peanuts, sliced cucumber, hard-boiled eggs, and sambal.

KAYA TOAST / ROTI BAKAR

Popular breakfast or snack in Malaysia and Singapore made with buttered toast, coconut or pandan spread, soft-boiled eggs, and dark soy sauce. / Toasted bread spread with kaya, a sweet spread made from coconut milk, eggs, and sugar.

ASAM PEDAS

A sour and spicy stew of usually cooked fish, with core ingredients including tamarind and chili. Depending on the region, tomatoes, lady’s fingers, shredded torch ginger bud, and Vietnamese coriander (daun kesum) may also be added.

AYAM GORENG

A generic term for deep-fried chicken, typically marinated in a base of turmeric and other seasonings before cooking.

AYAM MASAK MERAH

Literally “red-cooked chicken.” Pieces of chicken are first fried to a golden brown, then slowly braised in a spicy tomato sauce. Sometimes peas are added, and it is garnished with shredded kaffir lime leaves or coriander. Often served with nasi tomato.

MASAK LEMAK

A style of cooking which employs liberal amounts of turmeric-seasoned coconut milk. Sources of protein paired with fruits and vegetables are often cooked this way.

ROTI JALA

Lacy bread derived from roti (bread) and jala (net). It is usually eaten as an accompaniment to a curried dish, or served as a dessert with a sweet dipping sauce.

ROTI JOHN

A spiced meat omelette sandwich, popularly eaten for breakfast or as a snack.

SAMBAL UDANG

Prawns cooked in Sambal paste.

SAMBAL SOTONG

Squid cooked in Sambal and Belachan (shrimp paste).

IKAN PARI BAKAR

BBQ Stingray or Skate Wing.

BAK KUT TEH (TEOCHEW)

Literally translates as "meat bone tea," consists of meaty pork ribs simmered in a complex broth of herbs and spices.

YOUTIAO

Fried dough crullers. Similar to those served in other Chinese cuisines around the world.

BAKCANG

Savory rice dumplings, usually pork (bak) filled alongside mushrooms and salted egg yolk, steamed in bamboo leaves.

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

Flavorful steamed/poached chicken served with rice, soup, ginger and chili sauce, and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce).

O-CHIAN

Fried special rice-flour-and-egg mixture with oysters.

CHAI TOW KWAY

Steamed rice flour, water, and shredded white daikon, then stir-fried with eggs, preserved radish, and other seasonings.

LOR MEE

A bowl of thick yellow noodles served in a thickened gravy made from eggs, starch and pork stock.

CHAR KWAY TEOW

Stir-fried thick, flat rice flour (kuay teow) noodles with bean sprouts, cockles, lardons, prawns, eggs, chives and thin slices of preserved Chinese sausages.

POPIAH

Crepe stuffed and rolled up with cooked shredded tofu and vegetables. The Peranakan version contains julienned bengkuang (jicama) and bamboo shoots, and the filling is seasoned with tauchu (fermented soybean paste) and meat stock.

PERANAKAN / NYONYA

Cuisine developed from the fusion of Hokkien and Malay cuisine.

ASAM LAKSA

Considered one of Penang's three signature dishes, it consists of al dente rice noodles served in a spicy soup made of minced fish (usually mackerel), tamarind and daun kesum (laksa leaf). A dollop of sweet shrimp paste (petis udang or hae lor) is usually served on the side.

LAKSA LEMAK

A type of laksa served in a rich coconut gravy, served with prawns, cockles, lime and a dollop of sambal belacan (chili and shrimp paste).

ROTI CANAI

A thin unleavened bread with a flaky crust, fried on a skillet with oil and served with condiments. It is sometimes referred to as roti kosong. The ideal roti is flat, fluffy on the inside but crispy and flaky on the outside.

PARATHA

popular, unleavened, layered flatbread from the Indian subcontinent. It is known for its flaky, crispy exterior and soft interior, often enriched with ghee (clarified butter) or oil, and served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

MURTABAK

Roti stuffed with minced meat, garlic, egg, onion, and chili dipped in curry sauce.

FISH HEAD CURRY

A dish where the head of a fish (usually ikan merah, or literally "red fish"), is semi-stewed in a thick curry with assorted vegetables such as okra and brinjals (eggplant).

BRINJALS

malaysian for eggplant

ACAR

Pickled vegetables and/or fruits with dried chilli, peanuts, and spices.

ROTI TISSUE

A variant of roti canai made as thin as a piece of 40-50 cm round-shaped tissue in density. It is then carefully folded by the cook into a tall, conical shape and left to stand upright.

TEH TARIK

A frothy, pulled milk tea beverage.

CHAPATI

A type of thin, whole wheat flatbread.

INDIAN MUSLIMS

The community from which Mamak dishes have developed a distinctly Malaysian style.

MAGGI GORENG

A unique Mamak-style variant of mee goreng (fried noodles) using Maggi instant noodles. The noodles may be wok-tossed with bean sprouts, chilli, greens, eggs, tofu, and meat of choice. It is usually accompanied with a calamansi (a small citrus fruit).

NASI KANDAR

Originates from Penang. It is a meal of plain or mildly flavored steamed rice, and served with a variety of curries and side dishes. The rice is accompanied by side dishes such as fried chicken, gizzards, curried mutton, cubed beef, fried prawns or fried squid, and a vegetable dish.

AYAM PENYAT

Fried chicken smashed prior to serving served with sambal, cucumbers, fried tofu and tempeh (fermented soybean cake).

MIE REBUS

A "noodle soup" where noodles are drenched in a spicy aromatic sauce thickened with mashed tuber vegetables.

AIR BANDUNG

A cold pink milk drink flavored with rose cordial syrup. Bandung in this context refers to anything that comes in pairs or is mixed from many ingredients.

AGAR AGAR

The Malay word for a species of red algae. A natural vegetarian gelatin counterpart, agar-agar is used to make puddings and flavored jellies like almond tofu.

AIS KACANG

Also known as air batu campur or ABC, this dessert consists of shaved ice, colored syrup, and evaporated or condensed milk with a variety of toppings such as sweet corn kernels, red beans, kidney beans, cincau (grass jelly), cendol, buah atap (fruit of the nipa palm), soaked basil seeds, peanuts, and ice cream.

BUBUR CHA CHA

A Nyonya dessert of bananas, sweet potatoes, taro, black-eyed beans and sago pearls cooked in pandan-flavoured coconut milk. It may be served hot or cold.

BUBUR PULUT HITAM

Black glutinous rice porridge cooked with palm sugar and pandan leaves, served hot with coconut milk.

CENDOL

Smooth green-colored droplets made from mung bean or rice flour, usually served by itself in chilled coconut milk and gula melaka (palm sugar), or as a topping for ABC (shaved ice dessert). In Malacca, mashed durian is a popular topping.

SAGU GULA MELAKA

A dessert of cooked sago pearls, which may be served as a liquid dessert with coconut milk and palm sugar, or allowed to set as a pudding and drizzled with thickened coconut milk and gula melaka syrup.