Malaysian cuisine recipes: Hainanese Chicken Rice , Singapore Laksa, Nyonya Chicken Soup & Pork Dumpling

The last country I visited was Malaysia. My husband and I really loved the food. Everytime we visited the fastfood area of the mall, it was often crowded. In general, I find the cuisines of Malaysia quite spicy. One can differentiate the Malay cuisine from the Chinese cuisine as the Chinese cuisine will be milder in taste, whereas the Malay cuisine will be spicy and very hot. I first got introduced to Malaysian Cuisine in the Singapore Food Festival cooking demo of Nyonya dishes. Malay food is best characterized by its extensive use of chilli and/or coconut milk and frying method. It is quite similar to our Pinoy dishes. Basically, having a Malay meal consists of a one-time serving of rice and various types of dishes served in bowls and plates just as we do it in the Philippines.

A recent demo on Malaysian Cuisine by Heritage Hotel Executive Chef Alexander Chong at the Maya Kitchen featured well loved dishes like Hainanese Chicken Rice , Singapore Laksa plus Grilled Prawn with Healthy Coriander Curry Sauce and Carabao Mango Mint Salad and the New Version Nyonya Chicken Soup & Pork Dumpling. Dessert is the simple yet fully satisfying Onde Onde.

Try these recipes at home.

APPETIZER
Grilled Prawn with Healthy Coriander Curry Sauce
and Carabao Mango Mint Salad

Ingredients – Serves 4

4 pcs Prawns
30g Onion – chopped finely
30g Garlic- chopped finely
30g Ginger – chopped finely
½ cup Chicken stock
1 ½ tbsp Red curry powder
½ cup Natural yogurt
1 ½ tbsp Coriander leaf
40g Mint leaf
1 lemon juice
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 ½ tbsp Corn oil
100g Butter
2 Carabao mango – cut into cubes

Method
Grilled Prawn

Season the prawn and heat butter in grill pan, grill the king prawn for about 5 minutes with butter. (Depending on the size)

Healthy Coriander Curry Sauce

Heat corn oil in saucepan and add garlic, onion & ginger and fry until golden brown. Add red curry powder, fry for one minute and add the chicken stock. Simmer uncovered until lightly thickened, seasoning with salt & pepper and add in the coriander leave & yogurt and 50g butter. Transfer into a blender and blend until smooth.

Carabao Mango Mint Salad

Add the mango cubes & mint leaf in the mixing bowl, mix with the lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Assembly

Place the prawn on serving plate and ladle a little of the curry sauce over the king prawn. Side with the mango mint salad and serve.

SOUP
New Version Nyonya Chicken Soup & Pork Dumpling

Ingredients – Serves 4

Pork Dumpling

150g Minced pork
25g Onion
25g Water chestnuts
20g Garlic
20g Ginger
1 Egg white
1 ½ tbsp Corn flour
1tbsp Sesame oil

Chicken Soup

½ tsp Coriander powder
1tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Corn oil
30g Garlic
30g Ginger
2 Lemon grass – cut into stick
2 Candle nuts
4 cups Chicken stock
20g Rice noodles-dry
Juice of 1 lemon
40g Bean sprouts-cooked
2 Hard boiled eggs- sliced into half

Method
Minced Pork

In a bowl, combine mince pork, onions, water chestnuts, egg white, ginger, garlic and sesame oil, corn flour and mix until well combined. Season to taste. Spoon the minced pork into medium sized dumpling shape by using 2 spoons and add to the boiling water. Cook the dumpling for at least 3 minutes or until done.

Chicken Soup

Put the ginger, garlic and candle nuts with corn oil into blender and blend until it becomes a smooth paste. Heat oil in pan and fry the paste & lemon grass until fragrant. Add the chicken stock, boil for 5 minutes and add the turmeric powder and coriander powder, season to taste. Heat oil in wok or pan over medium-high heat, deep fry the rice noodles until crispy and transfer to kitchen towels to drain & ready to serve.

Assembly

Place the bean sprouts & half hard boiled egg in bowl or soup plate, place the pork dumpling beside the bean sprouts and pour soup over the dumpling, sprinkle the lemon juice over the soup and garnish with crispy noodles.

MAIN COURSE
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Ingredients – Serves 4-6

Chicken

1 fresh chicken
6 slices fresh ginger

Chicken Stock

1kg chicken bones from 1 whole chicken
3 pieces ginger

Chicken Rice

2 ½ cups long grain rice
120g chicken fat
50g butter
50g ginger paste
50 g garlic paste
1-2 tsp salt to taste
3 ½ cups chicken stock (from the boiled chicken)
2 pandan leaves

Chilli Sauce

200g fresh red chillies, seeds removed
80g garlic
100 ginger
3 tsp chicken stock (from the boiled chicken)
200g Pineapple
½ cup Calamansi juice to taste
1 ½ tsp sugar
Salt to taste

Ginger Sauce for Dipping

75g ginger
2 tsp sesame oil
1tsp oyster sauce

Chicken Soya Sauce

3 ½tsp soya sauce
2 tsp chicken stock (from the boiled chicken)
1 ½ tsp sesame oil

Chicken Soup

Chicken stock (from the boiled chicken)
Seasoning with chicken stock (powder)
50g shredded cabbage
20g spring onion, chopped

Method:

1) Fill a pot large enough to fit the whole chicken with water and bring to boil with ginger. When the water boils, turn heat off and place the chicken into hot water and cover for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and place the chicken into ice water. Set aside chicken stock. Remove the chicken from the cold water, drain and de-bone the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces on serving plate.

2) For chicken rice, wash the rice and drain well. In a pot, fry chicken fat until oil is released. Add the butter then fry well with the ginger and garlic paste. Place the rice into a pot and add in chicken stock & pandan leaves then season with salt. Transfer rice into an electric rice cooker or pot. Cook the rice about 25 minutes or until done.

3) For chilli sauce, place the chilies, garlic and ginger, pineapple into blender and blend until it becomes a paste. Add chicken stock, calamansi juice, sugar and salt to taste. Note: The chili sauce in a covered container will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

4) For ginger sauce, place the ginger in the blender and blend until it becomes a paste. Add sesame oil, oyster sauce and salt to taste.

5) For Chicken Soya Sauce, mix together the soya sauce, chicken stock and sesame oil.

6) For Chicken Soup, you will need to boil the remaining chicken stock with the chicken bones for an hour; season with chicken powder. Add the shredded cabbage in the stock for a short while and lastly, add the spring onion before serving.

Singapore Laksa

Ingredients – Serves 4

Rempah

150g shallots
120g cloves garlic
2 tsp chili paste
½ cup dry shrimp – soaked
4 Lemongrass
100g galangal
2 tsp shrimp pate – belachan
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
4 cup chicken broth

Laksa Ingredients

2 pcs hard boiled eggs
100g prawn – cooked and cut income half
80g fish cake
40g bean sprouts
80g dry thick rice noodle
1 ½ cup fresh coconut milk

Method:

Place the rempah ingredients into a blender and blend until they become rempah paste. Fry paste in oil till fragrant. Add the chicken broth and bring the stock to boil. Lower the heat to simmer. Add the coconut milk, salt to taste. Keep the stock on simmer.

Soak the dry thick rice noodle with some warm water until soft, drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Top the noodle with prawn, fish cake, bean sprouts and hard boiled egg. Using a ladle, pour the laksa broth on top of the noodles.

DESSERT
Onde Onde

Ingredients – Serves 4

250 g glutinous rice flour
200 ml pandan juice (blend 10 Pandan leaves with 220 ml water)
150 g gula Melaka (palm sugar)
100 g grated coconut
Salt to taste

Method:

1) In a large bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour with Pandan juice and mix well. Pinch a small piece of the dough (about 35g) and drop it into boiling water. When the dough rises up remove it with a spoon and shake off the excess water. Mix it back into the main dough and knead well to form smooth dough. Cover the dough and set aside for about 15 minutes.

2) Steam the grated coconut for about 2 – 3 minutes, salt to taste and let it cool completely.

3) Bring a pot of water to boil. Make a small piece of dough (about 15 g each or depending on the size that you like) and flatten lightly. Fill the center of the dough with palm sugar. Enclose the palm sugar with the dough and roll until it becomes a smooth ball. Cook the glutinous rice balls in boiling water. When the rice balls float up, remove them with a spoon and shake off the excess water. Coat the rice balls with grated coconut and serve immediately.

For more information, log on to www.themayakitchen.com or e-mail [email protected] or visit The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center every Tuesday to Saturday at 8F Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road), Makati City or call 8921185 / 892-5011 local 108.


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