Sambal is also versatile, and it can be used as the base for stir-fried vegetables, noodles, fried rice, so on and so forth, making it a common foundation in Malaysian spicy recipes (SPICY PRAWN WITH BEANS).
Friday, December 26, 2025
Spicy Fish Recipe: Sambal Ikan/Fish Sambal
Saturday, December 20, 2025
Top Local Foods in Malacca
Street food in Malacca is especially tempting, ideal for snacking while sightseeing. Even restaurants, whether in stylish settings or casual spots, are affordable and often comparable to street food (CAMBODIAN FOOD GUIDE).
Monday, December 15, 2025
Turmeric Milk Recipe: Golden Milk
Turmeric milk, or golden milk, is a traditional Indian drink known for its wellness benefits.
Fresh turmeric is peeled and dried in the sun. Then pounded or ground using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, whichever is preferred.
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Things to Do in Malacca, Malaysia
Malacca, one of Malaysia’s historical cities, is renowned for its legendary history and cultural heritage. Called Melaka by locals, its origins trace back to the founding of the Malacca Sultanate around 1400. Its location along the Straits of Malacca attracted Chinese traders for ceramics, silk, and other goods, as well as Indian and Arab merchants for spices, textiles, and other commodities.
In 1511, the Portuguese became the first European power to capture Malacca, followed by the Dutch in 1641 and the British in 1824. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008, Malacca’s history is reflected in its top attractions and heritage sites.
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Eggplant Curry
The spices used in this curry come with many health benefits. Chilli powder, for example, has been linked to supporting weight management. From ancient times, spices have been regarded as natural “food for health,” with most carrying unique benefits (CREAMED SPINACH CURRY).
Friday, November 28, 2025
Top Urban Gardening Benefits
Soil, butterflies, and birds create pockets of nature under the blue sky, turning unused corners into lively green spots that add color and life to urban surroundings (HOW TO GROW SAWTOOTH CORIANDER).
Saturday, November 22, 2025
Burgers Around the World
As global brands expanded, burgers travelled across borders and entered different food cultures. In many Asian countries, the idea of a burger felt new and exciting, especially among younger generations who were open to trying something Western and trendy. Soon enough, burgers became more than just a foreign food. They became part of everyday city life (WHAT TO EAT IN VIETNAM).
Monday, November 17, 2025
Famous Temples in Thailand
Even Bangkok’s main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, carries a touch of spirituality. The name Suvarnabhumi comes from Sanskrit, where “Suvarna” means gold and “Bhumi” means land, together meaning “Golden Land.” The name holds deep meaning for Thailand, reflecting its culture, tradition, and spiritual faith
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Vegetarian Tom Yum Soup Recipe
It carries extra layers of flavor from torch ginger, spring onions, and coriander leaves with the roots. To keep it kid-friendly, chili is optional and can be added on top as preferred. These classic Thai ingredients come together to give this vegetarian soup Thai style its signature, quintessential tastes.
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Getting on the E-Commerce Train as an Entrepreneur
E-commerce has changed how a lot of businesses
operate, and for entrepreneurs aiming to break into it it offers a lot of
opportunities and challenges. Starting an online store gives you not only
lucrative returns, but also allows you to reach a global market at minimal
overhead costs. But doing it right requires a deep understanding of its
dynamics, planning and an unfailing drive towards innovation.
Friday, October 31, 2025
Sawtooth Coriander: Culantro or Ketumbar Jawa
Why is it called Ketumbar Jawa? In Malay and Indonesian, the word ketumbar means coriander, while Jawa refers to Java, the Indonesian island. Locals began calling it Ketumbar Jawa, meaning “Javanese coriander,” because its aroma and taste resemble coriander and it was commonly found and used in the Java region (GROWING BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER)
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Chair Yoga
In the 21st century, supplements and mindful eating are often emphasized as keys to good health. Yet the reality tells a different story. It is no surprise that maintaining health can be a struggle, and nothing compares to yoga as a natural remedy and therapy. It is affordable, effective, and requires only a commitment to regular practice. (YOGA FOR STRESS RELIEF & INNER CALM).
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Homemade Lemonade
The ingredients for this homemade drink are also available in other parts of the world, as Asian grocers are now common. For home gardeners, lemons and mint leaves are grown fresh at home, while basil seeds come from simply removing the seeds from basil leaves and drying them.
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia -Things to Do
Some travelers prefer a back-to-back schedule, visiting multiple attractions each day, while others take a slower, free-and-easy approach, allowing time to relax and explore each location (BEST THINGS TO DO IN PENANG).
Among the tourist spots in Langkawi, certain attractions stand out, you’ll see why once you visit. Whether it’s a short trip or a longer stay, planning your Langkawi itinerary carefully will help you make the most of your visit and discover the top things to do in Langkawi.
Sunday, October 12, 2025
Indonesian Desserts
Indonesian desserts are part of this tradition and are available across Southeast Asia and other parts of the world. Still, nothing compares to having desserts in Indonesia itself. Fresh local produce, authentic Indonesian cooking styles, and traditional preparation methods give desserts in Indonesia a distinctive character. When in Indonesia, trying these local Indonesian desserts is certainly worthwhile (SURAKARTA TOP THINGS TO DO).
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Coconut Milk Dessert - Bubur Cha-Cha
One
of the well-known Malaysian sweet desserts is Bubur Cha-Cha. It is made with
boiled or steamed sweet potatoes and yam cooked in coconut milk, flavored with
pandan leaves. This simple dessert requires only a few ingredients that are
common and affordable in Southeast Asian cooking (PUMPKIN BARLEY DESSERT).
Bubur Cha-Cha originates from the Nyonya community, created by the Peranakan Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore. It is a part of Nyonya cuisine and has become popular as both a Chinese-style and Malay dessert. Today, it remains a staple in Malaysian dessert culture (DURIAN SWEET DESSERT).
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Best Street Food in Sri Lanka
Street
food is everywhere in Sri Lanka, tempting locals and travelers alike. Made
fresh from readily available, affordable ingredients, it’s often referred to as
hawker food.
Typical ingredients include spices,
coconut, and the famous Sri Lankan palm sugar (kithul treacle). Coconut appears
in various forms - from grated coconut and coconut milk to coconut oil, fresh
sap (kithul sap), and even pol kallu (fermented sap, also known as toddy).
Fresh local fish is another staple, especially in curries. Common varieties include tuna, mackerel (balaya), sardines, and seer fish (thora). A touch of tamarind (puli) adds subtle sourness. Together, these ingredients create the sweet, sour, spicy, and creamy flavors that define Sri Lankan street food.
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Easy Vegetarian Lotus Root Soup
This
vegetarian lotus root soup is easy to make, using ingredients that are
affordable and easy to find at any grocery store. Lotus root, tofu, black
fungus, and leek cook together in a light, healthy broth. The soup is high in
fiber, easy to digest, and a good choice for anyone looking for a simple,
plant-based, vegan, healthy soup (PUMPKIN SOUP).
Unlike versions made with pork bones, this recipe is completely meatless. It can be served on its own as a light meal or with rice for a wholesome, filling dish. Family- and kid-friendly, it works well for any time of the day, including breakfast.
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Langkawi Island: Ultimate Travel Guide - Kedah, Malaysia
Langkawi History
Langkawi and Mahsuri’s story are closely linked. Over 200 years ago, Mahsuri, a young woman wrongfully accused of an affair, was sentenced to death. Before she died, she placed a seven-generation curse on the island.
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Yoga for Stress Relief and Inner Calm
While discussions about mental well-being are more common than ever, there may be those who quietly struggle under daily pressures. Yoga offers a natural and accessible way to restore balance, cultivate inner calm, and improve focus, helping anyone navigate life’s challenges with greater ease (5 TOP MINDFULNESS TIPS).
Saturday, September 20, 2025
What to Eat in Indonesia
What to eat in Indonesia isn’t complicated. The
country offers food for everyone, depending on your preferences. Vegetarians,
vegans, and those who need gluten-free options will find choices available (SURAKARTA TRAVEL GUIDE).
Dish names are usually listed on menus or visible at street stalls, but
ingredients aren’t always clear.
In such instances, it’s best to ask whether a dish contains animal products, dairy, or ingredients that may cause allergies.
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Papaya Salad Recipe
Crunchy,
fresh, crisp, spicy, and tangy papaya salad. Truly an appetizing dish that
wakes up your taste buds instantly. Whether as a healthy salad for nibbling or
paired with rice as an Asian meal, this green papaya salad is versatile. Known
as Som Tum in Thailand, Bok Lahong in Cambodia (ANGKOR WAT CAMBODIA), Kerabu Betik in Malaysia, and Gỏi
đu đủ in Vietnam, it can be made with unripe or semi-ripe papaya.
The best thing about this no-cook papaya salad recipe is there’s nothing to heat on the stove. While traditional preparation may involve pounding ingredients, thinly sliced or chopped papaya work just as well.
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Pandan Leaves: Screwpine Leaves
Sweet, grassy, slightly nutty with a hint of
coconut, that’s the essence of pandan leaves, also known as screwpine leaves or
pandanus leaves. Comparable to vanilla beans or vanilla essence, pandan leaves
are long, vibrant green, and naturally sharp along the edges. Recognized as a
top Southeast Asian culinary and medicinal herb, pandan leaves are a source of
pride across the region (TORCH GINGER/BUNGA KANTAN).
In Western countries, fresh pandan leaves are often expensive and hard to source, with substitutes like pandan extract or pandan flavoring used instead. In contrast, they grow effortlessly in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and can also be found in Sri Lanka and parts of southern India, though they are not widely used there.
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Vietnamese Noodles: Lamb Pho
Following the traditional pho style from Vietnamese street stalls, the dish features an aromatic and flavorful lamb bone soup, poured over blanched rice noodles or bee hoon. The broth is simmered with essential spices, as in Vietnamese pho - cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and coriander seeds, which are also common in Indian cooking.
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Indonesian Street Food
When in Indonesia, it’s impossible to ignore the street stalls. From lone roadside carts to clusters of vendors, they appear everywhere as you start walking. These stalls serve traditional and authentic Indonesian street food. Similar dishes can also be found in simple, unassuming eateries (INDONESIA FOOD GUIDE).
The ambiance is nothing fancy - long tables with chairs or benches. Menus may be a single laminated sheet or a wall listing in unassuming eateries, while at street stalls, menus are usually displayed somewhere on the cart.
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
5 Top Mindfulness Tips
Yet, despite its popularity and countless conversations, mindfulness practice remains a challenge - more a concept than a consistent habit.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Galangal (Lengkuas)
Unlike ginger, galangal has a sharper, citrusy, pine-like flavor that makes it a unique spice in soups, curries, and sauces. In its raw form, it gives off a bright aroma with citrus and woody notes, stronger and spicier than ginger.
Saturday, August 23, 2025
Mee Siam Goreng Recipe
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Simple Yoga Poses for Relaxation
Today’s lifestyle is about rushing and juggling multiple tasks, leaving people constantly trying to keep up. Several factors contribute to this fast-paced environment.
Saturday, August 16, 2025
How to Make Jelly: Natural Green Jelly Recipe
Green Cincau Jelly (Cincau Hijau) is a
two ingredient homemade jelly that is soft, wobbly, and naturally cooling. In
its natural form, this no-cook jelly carries a fresh, grassy, and lightly
earthy flavor with a hint of bitterness. It’s an acquired taste, and not
everyone can digest it easily.
But sure,
as a sweet dessert, as an Asian dessert, it can be anything more than coconut
milk and palm sugar/Gula Melaka syrup. Or, to convert to a Western style
dessert, honey, a scoop of ice cream, or even pancake.
A top notch healthy dessert, Green Cincau made from Cencau Perdu leaves (Premna oblongifolia or Cyclea barbata), is valued for its chlorophyll, natural cooling effect, gentle digestion, hydration, and antioxidants.
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
How To Grow Calamansi Lime
Calamansi lime has a unique tangy-sweet flavour, somewhat like a cross between lime and mandarin orange. Compared to the regular green lime commonly used in Asian cooking (HOW TO GROW TORCH GINGER/BUNGA KANTAN), which is sharper and more acidic, calamansi is milder and slightly sweeter.
Saturday, August 9, 2025
How to Make Easy Overnight Oats
You can prep overnight oats 2 to 3 days in advance, but food safety is key, a healthy (PUMPKIN BARLEY DESSERT) breakfast shouldn't cause an upset stomach. Follow these simple hygiene tips to keep your oats fresh.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Penang Food: Indian-Muslim Food (Seberang Perai)
The Indian-Muslim community came to Penang during the spice trade era as traders, cooks, and labourers. They settled, built communities, and opened eateries that blended Indian spices with Malay and local Penang influences, becoming a food segment of Malaysian food.
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Easy Chicken Curry Recipe: Indian Style
Easy,
quick, and made with pantry-friendly ingredients, this spicy and delicious
chicken curry is a must-try. These days, for an easy chicken curry or instant
chicken curry, store-bought curry paste, or even dry spice blends, can do the
job (CHICKEN CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK).
Still, nothing beats this homemade chicken curry, made with aromatic spices, curry leaves, and store-bought chili powder.
Monday, July 28, 2025
Spicy Prawn with Beans Recipe: Sambal Petai Udang
Healthy,
spicy superfood. Petai Sambal with prawns, or stink beans cooked in a Malay
spicy gravy, is a classic Malaysian seafood recipe. Petai is an acquired taste,
not for the faint-hearted due to its strong smell, but beloved by Malaysians (SARDINE SAMBAL/SAMBAL SARDIN).
Packed with health benefits, it contains a list of nutrients. Petai can also be eaten raw as a salad or ulam, dipped in sambal belacan, and paired with fresh vegetables like cucumber and salad leaves.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Sanur Festival: Celebrate Bali’s Coastal Culture in Style
Sanur isn’t just about sunrise walks and calm
beaches (though I love those too, don’t get me wrong). This chill seaside town
knows how to throw a good party while keeping things breezy, and the upcoming Sanur festival lineup proves it. If
you’re looking for fun, color, and a peek into the actual local culture, here’s
your cheat sheet for what’s coming next. Mark your calendar, gather your
friends, and get ready to swap your Bintang for coconut water (or hey, have both)
because these events in Bali will keep your Sanur days anything but boring!
Pica Fest (24 –
27 July 2025) at Lapangan Niti Mandala, Denpasar
Monday, July 21, 2025
Indian Food Review: Annapurna Restaurant (Rimbayu)
(Watch the full Indian dining experience at Annapurna Restaurant Rimbayu in Selangor on our YouTube channel)
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Travelling as a Path to Mental Well-Being and Joy of Life

Nourishing Your
Brain
Psychologists have long noticed that travel stimulates blissful emotions and
has a beneficial effect on the human psyche. When we venture to a spot we have
never been before, or even just change the environment, our brains are supposed
to adapt to novel conditions.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Indonesia Food
If not all, some common ingredients shine promisingly for Indonesian foods. These ingredients are not pricey or exclusive. Yet their presence in Indonesian cooking is simply marvellous. It’s striking how such simple ingredients make a profound impact. Nothing is over-done. Whether in Indonesia or in Indonesian eateries abroad, it all begins right at home (SURAKARTA INDONESIA TOP SITES).
Call these foods humble and simple. They are daily meals in households of average income. Yet when served even in high-end Indonesian restaurants, they sweep the food heart without words. Street stalls reflect the same reality. Local, affordable ingredients create flavors that leave one yearning for more (WHAT TO EAT IN SOUTH AFRICA).
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Stir-Fried Winged Beans: Kacang Botol Goreng Belacan
Stir-fried
in a spicy, umami belacan paste, these winged beans stay crunchy and full of
taste. This dish is a classic Malay-style stir-fried vegetable (KERABU BENDI/OKRA SALAD). It is known as Kacang
Botol Goreng Belacan. The key ingredient is shrimp paste (belacan), a staple in
Malaysian sambals, spicy gravies, and sauces.
Winged beans, also called four-angled beans or kacang botol in Malaysia, are nutritious and affordable. They can be replaced with French beans or long beans. Kangkung Belacan (water spinach stir-fry) is cooked the same way but softer for easier chewing.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Yoga for your pre-wedding planning process: Why is it a great way to manage the stress of this period and be Zen?
A wedding is among the most important days in your
life, and particularly because of its significance, this event can bring
considerable stress. This is why you must look for other ways that can help you
alleviate some of the anxiety and stress of this period. It can be easy to get
caught up in your wedding planning, but this process can also leave you feeling
exhausted. This occurs because you have a long list of tasks to accomplish, and
among the most important ones are finding your bride's dress,
organizing the guest list, selecting the right venue, and searching for
suitable vendors, among others.
So, when you want to be Zen and alleviate some of the stress, you can try yoga, which is one of the best ways to relax, spend time focusing on yourself, and also keep you in great shape. In this article, we will explore why incorporating yoga into your pre-wedding planning is a great idea. Keep reading to learn more.
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Vietnamese Food
One does not have to travel far to dive into Vietnamese food. Its influence has spread worldwide through Vietnamese migrants, restaurants, and even street stalls. In Malaysia, Vietnamese food stalls exist, but in Vietnam, it is a completely different food story (HANOI VIETNAM THINGS TO DO).
Traditional dishes are prepared as they were decades ago, using local ingredients and time-honored methods. For first-timers, sticking to the familiar is safe, but for adventurous foodies, much more awaits. Forget the usual dishes for a moment. Vietnam is a country where creativity and inventiveness shine in every meal.
Saturday, July 5, 2025
Sun Protection: Biore UV Perfect Protect Milk Review
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Indian Food Near Me: Restaurant Dhiyaz Curry House
Walking in, we noticed three customers having their meals. The ambiance was welcoming - clean, brightly lit with yellow walls, and accented with a touch of Indian décor. No menu was handed out. Instead, we walked to the food counter and, from the decent spread available at that hour, we opted for two side dishes to go with our South Indian banana leaf lunch (RM11.90 each).
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