The Legacy of Ethnic Dishes Incorporated in Today's Modern Malaysian Cuisine

The population of Malaysia is quite diverse and made up of three major ethnic groupings i.e., Malays, Indians, and Chinese, but there are smaller and lesser known groups which are all part and parcel of Malaysia as we know it today.

Essential Staples

Some of the essential ingredients that make up the current Malaysian cuisine are rice, which is an essential daily staple; different types of chilli peppers, coconut, Belacan or shrimp paste; soy sauce; tofu, etc. Besides the above-mentioned cuisines, Malaysian cuisine has also benefited a lot from its colonial past which incorporated Dutch, English, and Portuguese inputs into their food habits. Even Malaysia's neighbours, Indonesia and Singapore have influenced various dishes that are now has its own Malaysian twist. This could be in terms of fruits and vegetables, flavours, flavourings, ingredients, or method of cooking. Some products have become an integral part of Malaysian cooking like coconuts from which we extract flesh, milk, and other products and used in various curries, including meat dishes like Rendang.

Immigrant Heritage

Typical herbs used in Malaysian cuisine include pandan leaf, lemongrass, turmeric, etc., while vegetables and fruits like bean sprouts, brinjal, cabbage, okra, turnip, sweet potato, to name a few, are all used in various dishes. Fruits like calamansi limes, honeydew melon, guavas, durian, jackfruit, longan, mango, rambutan, mangosteen, papaya, etc are all used quite regularly in Malaysian homes and cuisine. However, it is the Chinese that have made the biggest contributions to Malaysian cuisine as we know it today, with world-famous dishes like Cantonese fried noodles, chicken rice, Curry Mee, pork rib soup called Bak Kut Te, egg noodles with wonton dumplings, etc. The Indian immigrants brought in dishes like tandoori chicken, Mee goreng mamak a stir-fried yellow noodles along with stir-fried vegetables, fish head curry, tofu, and meat; breads like roti canai, poori, and chapatti which have all become household names.

Traditional Dishes

The influx of these ethnic groups also had the advantage of bringing in their own styles of cooking, ingredients, and traditions, accepted wholeheartedly by the local Malays, changed or incorporated ingredients to suit their taste, and became reborn as modern Malaysian cuisine. Traditional Malaysian cuisine includes such classics as the famous fried rice dish of Nasi goreng, Nasi Lemak, spicy beef curries like Rendang, specially made net-shaped bread called Roti jala, a spiced omelet meat sandwich called Roti John, the famous Malaysian Satay, etc. These dishes are known today as typical Malaysian creations, but they all join some of their heritage from the immigrants from China, India, Indonesia, and Singapore. The heart of a typical Malaysian meal is rice with all other dishes and relishes tagged as accompaniments or side dishes.

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