Have you ever heard of pasembur? It’s sometimes called Malay rojak, Indian rojak, rojak mamak (meaning Malay-Indian), or even Penang rojak – a dish with many names but one common trait: deliciousness! Rojak means “mixed” in Malay, and this salad dish is certainly an eclectic mixture: raw cucumber and turnip, blanched bean sprouts, boiled potatoes…
The Malay Peninsula is known for its beaches, so it makes sense that seafood features in Malaysia’s menus. A must-try seafood dish is Mee Sotong Mamak, a Penang-style noodle dish that’s a favourite with locals and tourists alike. Mee sotong mamak is based on thick yellow noodles (mee), drenched with chilli paste gravy and mixed…
Ikan Bakar requires little explanation: in Malay, “ikan” means fish and “bakar” means to grill. Yet there’s more to it than throwing a fish onto a barbecue! There are ikan bakar stalls throughout the Malaysian archipelago, each with its own seafood specialties and signature marinades. The customer has their choice of fish marinated in a…
Have you ever heard of asam pedas? Meaning “sour-spicy,” it’s a fish soup originating in the Malay area of Sumatra and found all over Malaysia, especially in areas with a high concentration of Malay and Minangkabau populations. Asam pedas is seasoned with chilli, tamarind paste and other spices to create a distinctive sour and spicy…
