Last Updated on December 16, 2020 by Chef Mireille
Blogging Marathon #25
Theme: Cooking with Alphabets – S, G, N
Malaysian food and culture was celebrated with great fanfare a few days ago in New York City’s Bryant Park. For two days, people headed out with temperatures hovering around 30 F to a tent in the middle of the park to watch food demonstrations, try food samples from several local Malaysian restaurants and enjoy the multi-cultural Malaysian dancers with their fusion of Indian, Chinese and Malay dance.
Here’s some video I took of a Malaysian chef making Roti Canai. It really is an art form.
I was planning on making this dish anyway for my BM theme this week for the letter N, but after enjoying a container of Mee Laksa (a spicy soup of noodles and shrimp), I felt especially inspired to continue the Malysian theme of the week.
Nyonya is the name of the local people of Malaysia. This is a popular vegetable dish cooked in coconut milk. It can be made with any variety of vegetables and usually includes tofu, however since tofu and I don’t like each other, there is none in my version here.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1 fresh bamboo shoot, peeled and sliced (approximately 1 cup) (you can use canned bamboo shoot, if you don’t have access to fresh)
- 4 oz. green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
- 6 oz. jicama peeled and cut into french fry size pieces
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut approximately the same size as the jicama
- 2 cups firmly packed Napa cabbage, sliced
- 13 oz.. pumpkin, cut into large dice
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
- 13.5 oz. water
- 3 candlenuts, aka as Kemiri nuts
- 1 tablespoon dried shrimp, reconstituted in boiling water for 5 minutes (omit if you are Vegetarian)
- 2 red bird’s eye chiles
- 5 shallots, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste/ belachan (substitute fermented tofu if you are Vegetarian)
- salt, to taste
Using a food processor, grind the candlenuts, dried shrimp, chiles, shallots, turmeric and belachan together to a paste consistency.
Heat oil. Add spice paste and fry for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the coconut milk. Fill the can with water and add that to the pot also. Bring to a boil.
Add pumpkin. Reduce heat to medium and cook on a high simmer for 8 minutes.
Add carrots and green beans. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add cabbage, bamboo shoot and jicama. Stir for 1-2 minutes, until cabbage starts to wilt. Bring back up to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook on a high simmer for 5 minutes.
Add salt, to taste.
Serve with Jasmine Rice.
…linking to Favorite Recipes: non-Indian food hosted by CookCookandCook, Cook Like a Celebrity Chef & Muhibbah Malaysian Monday
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Chef Mireille
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Ohhh I have read so much about the cuisine that I kicked the poor husband for not getting the awesome spice mixes and pastes for me when he was at Malaysia for a week. The Lemak looks stunning Mer 🙂
Delectable gravy and your narration is very easy to follow Mireille..
very flavourful recipes from malay cuisine
look absolutely tempting !! Gorgeous
It was only when I saw the onion and chili in the food processor click, that I felt at home with this recipe. Else right from the name of the dish, it sounded too complicated 😀
@Rajani, It really is a just a spice paste sauteed and then a bunch of veggies cooked in coconut milk. Maybe all the different veggie seemed overwhelming. You can use less if you prefer.
Looks very colorful.
Very new recipe and the ingredients also look very new to me. Must have tasted very rich with coconut milk…
Nice and a all together recipe new recipe for me.
Malaysian cuisine are new to me. Any thing with coconut milk taste good to me.
Very healthy curry with loads of veges.
What an aromatic curry and love the video. Amazed at the ease with which the chef is making it.
Can guess how flavourful this curry will be, inviting..
Curry looks colorful with lot of veggies,a healthy option…
I love Malaysian dishes, spices they use are very similar to Indian dishes. This dish looks amazing. Will definitely try it out. Nice clicks.
@Mireille. Yes, it looked overwhelming at firsrt. Now when I go through the recipe again, it looks do-able 🙂
And again, if we keep on cooking only our comfort foods, how can we challenge ourselves – rt :)?
I have just started cooking all Thai, Malaysian dishes Mireille and this one seems just right for my next weekend's Lunch. Would def try it soon..
Following you now, cant believe I was not doing it until today .. 🙂
I love such food fests.And we have a Malaysian restaurant nearby and I love their food.
When veggies are cooked with spices in coconut milk, it is bound to be delicious.Nice one Mir…
so delicious… gravy looks so silky
Sowmya
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