Malaysia Street Food- Fried Banana

You can have it as a dessert.
You can have it with your evening tea.
Some dip it in chili sauce and some in hot soy sauce.
But you have to eat it while its still hot.
There's this local saying "Macam Pisang Goreng Panas" ( Like a hot fried banana ) which means something is popular only when it is still fresh and hot.

Fried Banana: pisang goreng has been around for generations and nothing has changed much.
The recipes varies from one stall to another but not much.
Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 100 g rice flour
• 30 g plain flour
• 1 level tbsp sugar
• ¼ level tsp salt
• 1 ½ tbsp sesame seeds
• 150 ml water
• 1 bunch cooking bananas.
  Oil for deep frying

Method:
In a small mixing bowl combine the rice and plain flours, sugar, salt and sesame seeds. Stir in the water to make smooth batter.

Peel bananas and cut into halves lengthwise. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan over medium heat. (Oil should be about 4 cm deep.) When hot, dip the bananas into the batter and slip them into the hot oil. Fry a few pieces at a time until golden brown on one side and then turn over to brown the other.

Carefully remove from the oil as they cook and drain on absorbent paper. Serve warm.
As any other street food, it is simple and fast to cook.
Perhaps the most popular street food in Malaysia.
Only when its hot!




Pic: Typical Fried Banana Stall

Malaysia Street Food- Night Market

One place that you can be sure you'll find a varieties of Malaysia Street Food would be at the Pasar Malam ( which literally means Night Market).Perhaps due to the hot humid weather during the day that Night Market becomes very popular.Most of the food are pre-cooked and only to be sold as takeaways.Below are images that i've collected over the net to give you some idea how it looks like.

The pictures are downloaded from various sites. Should any of the pictures is yours and it has issues with copyright, please kindly let me know and i will remove it immediately. Thanks

Malaysia Street Food- Spices

I will from time to time try to post some infos on spices and herbs that are popular and important in Malaysian cooking.

There are four ( Rempah Empat Beradik- "The Four Brothers Spice) main spices:

1. Cloves

There are more about cloves to learned here that as decoration for the buttons of your ginger breadman cookies. Cloves are the dried, unopened, nail-shaped flower buds of the evergreen Syzygium aromaticum. They are reddish-brown in color and have a strong, aromatic flavor and aroma.

Cloves are an important ingredient in the spice blends of Sri Lanka and North India. They are used in garam masala, briyanis, and pickles.

Clove is a key flavor contributor to ketchup and Worchestershire sauce seasoning blends. Chinese and German seasonings also depend on cloves to flavor meats and cookies.

2. Cardamon

Cardamom pods are generally green but are also available in bleached white pod form.

They are dried in the sun or bleached with sulphur fumes.

In Malaysia, the bleached version is more common and I was a bit surprised to see the green variety when I was living in England. Malay cooks use the pods whole instead of powder form.

3. Cinnamon

The flavor of true cinnamon is more subtle and delicate compared to the stronger, spicier cassia.

The light, intricate flavor of Ceylon cinnamon makes it the cinnamon of choice for dishes which do not have a lot of conflicting flavors competing. It will star in such dishes as custard, cinnamon ice cream, Dutch pears, stewed rhubarb, steamed puddings, dessert syrups, or mixed into whipped cream.

4. Star Anise

The spice is the almost ripe, dried, star-shaped multiple fruit of the tree Illicium verum, which is a member of the magnolia family (Magnoliaceae). The small, red-brown, star-shaped fruits contain 6-8 unevenly sized, boat-shaped individual fruits 12-17 mm in length, each containing a glossy brown, egg-shaped seed. The fruits contain the same essential oil as aniseeds.
This spice has the strong taste of liquorice. As it imparts intense flavor, you do not eat the fruit itself, it is discarded because the taste is bitter.

Malaysia Street Food Recipe- Fried Mee Hoon

Ingredients :

1 packet of rice vermecilli
8 cups chicken stock - refer to Preparing Stock below
150g medium size prawn - washed, do not shell
120g lean meat
1/4 teaspoon monosodim glutamate - optional
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
100g bean sprouts
1 stalk spring onion - chopped
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon crispy shallots - fry sliced small onions in oil until golden brown.

Preparing Stock :

Boil some fresh chicken bones in water over low heat for about 1 1/2 hours.

Add some sliced ginger, cloves and shallots. Strain through muslin cloth to obtain a clear stock.

Method :

Add washed prawn into 8 cups of stock and bring to boil. Remove prawn and keep stick.. Shell prawns, cut lengthwise into half.

Boil lean meat in the same stock. Add salt to taste. When cooked, removed meat and slice thinly. Keep stock.

Blanch bean sprouts and drain.

Boil stock with soy sauce and pepper.

Clean vermicelli and pour in boiling water. Loosen it with chopstick. Drain well.

To serve, put some bean sprouts in an individual bowl followed by noodle.

Ladle hot soup and garnish with prawns, meat slices, spring onion and crispy shallots.

Fried Mee Hoon is one of Malaysia's most popular Street Food.

Malaysia Street Food: Roti Canai

What is roti canai?

Ingredients:
1. 1 egg  2. 1 cup warm water                            3. 1 tsp salt  4. 3 tbsps ghee or butter
5. 600 gms flour
6. Sugar to taste

Direction:

Mix together flour, water, sugar and egg. Knead until a soft dough is formed.

Form into small balls and keep overnight.

When you are ready to make the roti canai, spread the ghee on the balls and flatten.

Heat an iron griddle and fry the rotis individually until cooked.

Serve hot with a curry or dhall.

Malaysia Street Food Free Recipes - Chinese Fried Rice

Ingredients

4 cups cooked rice
3 garlics (mashed)
1 big onions (sliced)
5 bird's chillis (sliced)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cooking oil
8-10 medium size prawns (peeled the skins)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (ground)
1 teaspoon ginger (minded)
a little bit soy sauce
a pinch of salt
a pinch of sugar
2 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1 tablespoon of spring onions (sliced)
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon of dried anchovies (mashed)
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables (thawed)
1/2 cups of oyster mushrooms
1-2 eggs

Directions

Mixed the egg with the rice.
Heat the wok with oils and butter together.
Fry the garlics, minced gingers and onions until soft.
Then, add the prawns, anchovies and oyster sauce
Mix it with rice, mixed vegetables and bird chillis.
Lastly add in the spring onions and season with enough salt, sugar and pepper of your liking.

Malaysia Street Food Free Recipes - Malaysia Oxtail Soup

Ingredients

1 oxtail (2 to 2-1/2 pounds), cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, halved, peel left on
4 cloves garlic, lightly bruised and peeled
3 fresh cilantro sprigs, roots and stems lightly crushed
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches long)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 dried red chilly
4 cups beef broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons finely slivered peeled fresh ginger, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon finely slivered garlic
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Place the oxtail, onion, garlic, cilantro sprigs, cinnamon stick, cumin, coriander, and chilly in a heavy soup pot. Add the broth and water to cover the ingredients by 1-1/2 inches.

Bring to just a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer covered for 1-1/4 hours, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Season with salt and pepper and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes. The oxtail should be very tender. (If you substitute short ribs of beef, the cooking time will be about 30 minutes longer.) Remove from the heat. Remove the oxtail and shred the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and any fat. Cover the meat and set aside.

Strain the broth twice through a very fine strainer. Cool for at least 1 hour so that the fat rises to the top. Skim off all the fat and discard. (The recipe can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Refrigerate the broth overnight and skim the fat from the surface before proceeding with the recipe. Refrigerate the meat as well.)

Return the broth to the soup pot. Add the ginger and slivered garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Return the shredded meat to the broth and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and cook 1 minute longer.
Serve immediately.

Malaysia Street Food Recipe- Indian Fried Noodles

Ingredients:

300g fresh yellow noodles 75g mustard greens (sawi), cut into 5-6cm lengths 75g bean sprouts 1 tomato, cut into six equal wedges 1 piece hard taukwa (hard bean curd), sliced thinly 1 small piece fish cake, sliced thinly 1 potato, boiled till cooked, skinned, then cut into thin slices Sauce ingredients: 2 tbsp tomato sauce 2 tbsp light soy sauce 3-4 tbsp prepared chilli paste 1/4 tsp pepper A little dark soy sauce (for colour) 1/2 tsp sugar or to taste Garnish: 2 small local limes, halved 1 tbsp shallot crisps (get the ready-made type from the market) 1 tbsp chopped spring onions and coriander leaves Chilli paste (combine): 5 shallots, ground 2 cloves garlic, ground 1/2 tsp belacan stock granules 2 tbsp cili boh 1 tsp ikan bilis stock granules 2-3 tbsp water 3-4 tbsp oil Seasoning: 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar Method Heat oil in wok and fry the hard bean curd slices and fishcake. Add sauce ingredients and noodles and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add bean sprouts and mustard greens and stir-fry well to combine. Add potato and tomato and toss well. Dish out noodles on to individual serving plates. Garnish with a squeeze of lime juice and add a sprinkling of shallot crisps, chopped spring onion and coriander leaves. Heat 3-4 tbsp oil in a wok, fry the combined chilli paste ingredients until fragrant and oil rises. Add water and seasoning and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Dish out and serve with noodles.

Malaysia Street Food Recipe- Chinese Fried Noodles

Chinese Fried Noodles Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (3 ounce) packages Oriental flavored ramen noodles
• 3 eggs, beaten
• vegetable oil
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• soy sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil ramen noodles for 3 minutes, or until softened, without flavor packets. Reserve flavor packets. Drain noodles, and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet. Scramble eggs in a bowl. Cook and stir in hot oil until firm. Set aside.
3. In a separate skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Cook and stir green onions in oil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Transfer to a separate dish, and set aside. Heat another teaspoon of cooking oil in the same skillet. Cook and stir the the carrots, peas, and bell peppers separately in the same manner, setting each aside when done.
4. Combine 2 tablespoons sesame oil with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a separate skillet or wok. Fry noodles in oil for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat, turning regularly. Sprinkle soy sauce, sesame oil, and desired amount of reserved ramen seasoning packets over noodles, and toss to coat. Add vegetables, and continue cooking, turning frequently, for another 5 minutes.

Malaysia Street Food- Assam Laksa

Ingredients

1 kilo ordinary spaghetti-- cooked, drained and mixed with a little cooking oil (or any other laksa type noodles from asian shops)

3 large tins of tuna (or equivalent in fresh or frozen boneless fish)

2 tins of pineapple cubes in syrup (cut them up if they come in round slices)

One large onion diced; 1/2 to 1 cup of fish sauce (according to taste)

2 to 3 tablespoons of sambal olek chilli paste (or any other kind of chilli paste eg with blachan)

2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice

3 tablespoons of assam (tamarind)

3 sticks of lemon grass (serai, cut into strips)

2 tablespoons of cooking oil; sugar and salt to taste; laksa leaves (optional)

For garnishing

One large onion sliced finely, 250 gms of bean sprouts washed and drained.

One bunch of mint leaves

Black prawn paste (hay kol) (optional).

Method

Soak the assam in 1/2 litre of very warm water for 10 mins breaking up the assam with a spoon

Remove the assam seeds and keep the water. (if you cannot get assam then add lemon juice in 1/2 litre of water)

In a large pot, heat oil and add onion and sambal olek chilli paste and lemon grass

Stir fry and add the assam water, tuna (and /or fresh or frozen fish), fish sauce, and the pineapples including the syrup.

Add enough water to make a generous soup and bring to boil. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Season with sugar and salt (to taste) and add lemon juice and laksa leaves (optional) before serving.

Serve in large bowls by pouring the hot soup over spaghetti or noodles garnished with a little bean sprouts, raw chopped onion and mint leaves. You can add a little black prawn paste (hay kol) (optional) as they do for Penang Laksa.

You can also garnish with cooked prawns.

Nasi Lemak

Ingredients:-

1 cup rice 1 grated coconut 3 screwpine leaves Salt to taste Method: Clean the rice and drain. Squeeze out 2 cups of thick coconut milk from the grated coconut. Cook th rice in the coconut milk with screwpine leaves. Add in salt. If you desire, you can also add in some sliced shallots and ginger. Serve this rice with sliced hard-boiled eggs, cucumber and Sambal Ikan Bilis.

Char Koay Teow

Ingredients


• 450g fresh flat rice noodles
• 5 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp garlic (chopped rough)
• 4 cups bean sprouts (rinsed & trimmed)
• 225g fresh medium shrimps (shelled & deveined)
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 garlic clives (cut into 2 inches lenghts)
  
  Chili Paste
• 8 dried chillies (sliced, soaked & drained)
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (crumbled)
  
  Sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• Prepare garlic oil:
  • In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for sauce and set aside
  • To make the Chili Paste: process or grind the chillies and shrimp paste, add a bit of water if necessary
  • Heat 3 tbsp of oil in wok over low heat
  • Fry the Chili Paste till well cooked and the oil separates
  • Set aside the paste and clean the wok
  • Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry 1/2 the chopped garlic till brown
  • Add 1/2 Chili Paste and shrimp, frying over high heat till shrimps are seared
  • Add 1/2 noodles and sauce
  • Toss over high heat for a few mins. before spreading noodles out over the wok
  • Make a well down in the centre, then crack 2 eggs into it
  • Stir to scramble the eggs, then combine the noodles
  • Add 1/2 the bean sprouts and chives
  • Season with salt and ground pepper
  • Stir-fry over high heat just long enough to wilt the vegetables but retain the crispness (1 min)
  • Divide into 2 serving plates
  • Clean wok with paper towel and repeat the remaining ingredients

Chicken Satay

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken legs and thighs or 4 chicken breasts (deboned)

Spice Paste:

• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 2 stalks lemon grass
• 6 shallots (peeled)
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled)
• 4 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder (kunyit)
• 4 spoons of Kecap Manis (ABC brand from Indonesia recommended)
• 1 spoon of Oyster Sauce (Lee Kam Kee brand recommended)

Others:

• Bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 2 hours to avoid burning)
• 1 cucumber (skin peeled and cut into small pieces)

Method:

Cut the chicken meat into small cubes. Grind the Spice Paste in a food processor. Add in a little water if needed. Marinate the chicken pieces with the spice paste for 10-12 hours. Thread the meat on to bamboo skewers and grill for 2-3 minutes each side. Serve hot with fresh cucumber pieces.