The Malaysian Kitchen

December 5, 2016
Arokiasamy, a Malaysian native, professional chef, and cooking instructor, showcases a flavorful array of Malaysian dishes in this enticing and accessible collection. Heavily influenced by the country’s main ethnic groups—Malay, Indian, Chinese, Nyonya, and Portuguese—this cuisine often borrows ingredients from other cultures to provide an endless variety of flavors, as Arokiasamy’s welcoming dishes and flavors show. She includes a crash course in Malaysian history, highlights key items for a well-stocked pantry, and includes a useful and detailed spice chart that describes taste, aroma, health benefits, and uses for numerous spices. Dishes are grouped by flavor foundations, which include sambals and pastes, soups and salads, rice and noodles, and street food. The vibrant and exciting recipes include stir-fried bok choy with bacon and garlic; village fried rice with chicken and spinach; and pineapple sambal prawns. Desserts are plentiful and appealing, including chocolate cinnamon cheesecake and coconut-banana sponge cake. Arokiasamy also offers guidance on a variety of related topics including using a mortar and pestle, rice in Asian diets, and cooking with a wok. A mouthwatering introduction to Malaysian cooking, this book offers home cooks a wealth of delicious everyday meals sure to delight.

January 1, 2017

Arokiasamy, a former chef at Four Seasons resorts in Thailand and Bali, teaches Southeast Asian cooking classes throughout the Pacific Northwest and has served as the official Malaysian food ambassador to the United States. Drawing on her extensive experience as an educator and advocate, she delivers an exciting debut that invites cooks to discover aromatic dishes such as rice noodle salad with shrimp and coconut, salmon in creamy tikka masala, pork spareribs in cinnamon nutmeg sauce, and lychee strawberry sorbet. Approachable but not oversimplified, these recipes will expose home cooks to an impressive range of spices and Asian ingredients as well as multiple techniques for making spice pastes and condiments. VERDICT This standout introduction to Malaysian cooking will call to adventurous eaters and armchair travelers.

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