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How often do you cook? Ordering a takeaway quinoa bowl doesn’t count, even if you choose every ingredient. We’re talking kitchen, flames, ovens, and perhaps even an electric mixer. We’re guessing the answer is…not that much. But cooking and baking are important parts of our heritage here in Malaysia. It’s the way we celebrate holidays, and a reason to gather the family together. It’s the reason we love returning for a nice home-cooked meal — even if we won’t stop complaining about the extra kilos we’re packing, thanks to mum’s second and third servings!
So on that note, let’s take a look at some of the most iconic local dishes, and some recipes that give them a fun twist courtesy of Love Wholesome. Whip up these babies for weekday dinners, weekend lunches, or family gatherings, and you’re sure to impress, without any of the stress (or mess!).
Rendang
This all-time favorite is a staple across our region, as if you didn’t already know. You probably don’t think of rendang as something “crispy” or “baked” but this dish is both of those, and oh so much more. Crispy Rendang Chicken Roulade takes the warm and spicy flavors of rendang and gives the dish a new life. Roll it, slice it, and top it with spicy pickled veggies. The chicken should be marinated and chilled overnight though, so give yourself time to prepare this recipe. The results will be well worth it!
An Impressive Seafood Dish
Every good host or home cook in Malaysia has a go-to seafood dish up their sleeve. Whether it’s fish, squid, or prawns, home-cooked seafood is sure to impress your guests. Next time try Ghee Roasted Prawns with Toasted Curry Leaves. It’s an excellent side dish that will end up stealing the show. We love how this recipe utilizes local ingredients like prawns and classic flavors like ginger, garlic, and masala. Plug in that KENWOOD Blend-X Fresh blender, and get to it!
Mee Siam And Nasi Biryani
These are two absolute classics, so why not combine them? This recipe for Mee Siam Biryani is a signature dish for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. It has all the bold flavors of biryani, combined with the satisfying mouthfeel of a bite of mee. We can’t think of a more celebratory dish. And the great thing is, it’s easy to make too. Adjust the spices to make the dish your own signature style. You could even substitute veggies like cauliflower for the chicken. Bonus: using the KENWOOD Multipro Home makes life (and this recipe) even easier.
Dumplings
Lemuni Crystal Skin Dumplings with Salted Fish and Bamboo Shoot Filling look fancy as heck, but you’d be surprised by how easier they are to make. Simply slice and dice the necessary ingredients, add them to your trusty KENWOOD Cooking Chef 6.7L, and voilà! No need for chilled, store-bought dumplings here. Making the dumpling skins yourself is just another couple of steps. In this recipe, the skin has the addition of lemuni, an herb used by the Malay community of Penang and Kedah. If it’s hard to get your hands on these leaves, you can replace them with your favorite herb to give the skins a touch of color, fragrance, and taste. Or omit the herb all together and be a minimalist — they’ll still be so tasty!
Curry Puffs
A Singapore-Styled Curry Puff is one of our most beloved snacks. You just can’t go wrong with chicken, potatoes, onions, and curry leaf, all wrapped in deep-fried doughy goodness. So if you want to eat curry puffs to your heart’s content without feeling guilty, make them yourself! Ok, so this recipe doesn’t have any unexpected twists or modern makeovers. (A puff might just be perfect the way it is, ok?) But once you’ve mastered the basics, put your own spin on it by substituting different meats, veggies, spices, and flavors.
A Festive Treat
Your mum will be so proud if you pull this one off! And you will, because it’s deceptively simple. Cempedak Cake Lapis is a must-eat during Aidilfitri celebrations. Although it comes in many variations, we like this recipe where ripe cempedak (similar to breadfruit or jackfruit) is blended into a puree and mixed into the batter. Bake the cake layer by glorious layer, adding more cempedak flesh in between. Yum! The Kenwood Chef XL Sense 6.7L makes this recipe preparation a breeze.
Kaya Toast
Now that we’ve activated your sweet tooth, let’s keep the sugary goodness flowing with this kaya toast-meets-chiffon cake confection. That’s right, the local favorite gets a makeover as a fluffy roll in this Pandan Kaya Swiss Roll recipe. Grab that Kenwood Chef XL Sense 6.7L and let’s get baking. This one’s so yummy, even the most traditional nenek will love it, trust us.
Wholesome Chicken Soup
One of the most classic recipes to have in your repertoire is a traditional chicken soup. It’s a universal crowd-pleaser that’s comforting and wholesome. But that doesn’t mean we’re not putting a local spin on it. Try ABC Soup with Radish Noodle. It’s as easy as A-B-C, and it’s packed with Vitamins A, B, and C — get it? This recipe replaces noodles with spiralized radish (time to bust out that KENWOOD Spiralizer) for a low-carb, high-fiber kick.
Head over to Love Wholesome for even more stress-free baking recipes and more. Once you’ve experienced the fun of baking, you’ll be hooked! It’s fun, easy, and so rewarding, especially when you’re tucking into that cake, or passing out those curry puffs to your friends.
KENWOOD kitchen appliances make baking (and all types of cooking) super easy. Whatever the task — mixing ingredients, kneading dough, whipping up cream — let KENWOOD be your sous chef. Plus, the appliances are very easy to clean, thanks to removable parts. So which recipe will you start with first?
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