Stir-Fried Luncheon Meat Recipe: Korean Style

Luncheon meat stir-fry, also known as Spam stir-fry, is a mouthwatering Korean-inspired dish. Crispy outside, tender inside, coated in a thick sticky, sweet, spicy and mildly salty sauce, with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds and the aroma of spring onions.

 

Truly irresistible Stir-fried luncheon meat. A pantry staple, luncheon meat (or Spam) is the go-to in-case ingredient always worth stocking up. Both are somewhat similar, but what still, what are the differences between luncheon meat and spam?

Chicken Noodle Soup: Malaysian Style Soto Ayam

Aromatic spices and tender chicken come together in this homemade chicken noodle soup, garnished with daun sop (Chinese celery/soup leaves), spring onions, and crispy fried shallots. Wholesome, satisfying, and comforting, this is not your usual chicken noodle soup. Instead, it’s a Malay chicken soup made with aromatic spices and chicken bones to extract maximum taste.

Known as Soto Ayam, it’s a beloved Malaysian noodle soup (SAYUR LODEH/COCONUT MILK STEW), though there is also an Indonesian Soto Ayam version.

A Day Trip To Sekinchan, Selangor

Paddy fields obviously dominate Sekinchan, a town in the Sabak Bernam District of Selangor, Malaysia. The town is known for rice cultivation. Its Sekinchan rice fields stretch across the land, shifting from vibrant green in early growth to golden at harvest. Sekinchan began as a small fishing village in the 1920s around the Bagan area (WHAT TO DO IN BENTONG, PAHANG).

 

Its flat coastal land and abundant water made it ideal for rice farming. The name ‘Sekinchan’ even means “village suitable for plantation.”

Crispy Potato Cutlet Recipe: Aloo Tikki

Mention potato cutlet, and what comes to mind is piping hot, straight from the wok, crispy on the outside and soft, melting-in-the-mouth potatoes. Alongside potato cutlets, Aloo Tikki also often pops up. Indian-style potato cutlets stand out from other types of cutlets.

 

Whether as vegetarian cutlets or adapted versions, the same mashed potato mixture can be transformed into fish cutlet, lamb cutlet, or beef cutlet by adding minced fish, lamb, or beef.

Easy Instant Bak Kut Teh Recipe

Pork Ribs Soup, Pork Bone Tea, or Chinese Herbal Pork Soup are the different recipe names for Bak Kut Teh. A nourishing Chinese herbs soup, often cooked at home as a comforting meal (EGG FRIED RICE). Prepared with pork, chicken (known as Chic Kut Teh), or even as a Vegetarian Bak Kut Teh, the foundation always comes from the herbs.

At Chinese medical halls, you can buy pre-packed Chinese herbs or ask for a customised mix, recommended by the shopkeeper or TCM doctor (sinseh).

Butterfly Pea Flower - Blue Pea (Bunga Telang)

Also known as Asian Pigeonwings, Blue Vine, and Blue Butterfly Pea, and scientifically called Clitoria ternatea, the butterfly pea flower is a beautiful and versatile plant. While white varieties exist, the most common butterfly pea flowers have blue and purple hues. The blue variety is probably the most popular, but regardless of color, these flowers are easy to grow. In fact, they can be considered hardy herbs (HOW TO MAKE HERBED RICE) and, botanically, flowering vines.

They are also a pretty sight, providing natural mental health and mind therapy. After all, nature (THINGS TO DO IN KUALA KUBU BHARU) has long been said to be the best for mental health. Beyond their striking color therapy, butterfly pea flowers offer numerous health benefits and versatile uses.

Vegetable Stew in Coconut Milk (Sayur Lodeh)

Creamy, naturally sweet from coconut milk, and filled with tender vegetables, Vegetable Stew with Coconut Milk is a popular dish across Kerala, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Malaysia. There are two versions. The yellow stew made with turmeric powder (TURMERIC EGGS) and the plain white stew without turmeric.

In Indonesia and Malaysia, it is called Masak Lodeh or Sayur Lodeh, while in Malaysia it is also known as Masak Lemak. The white version, cooked without turmeric fresh turmeric, is called Sayur Lodeh Putih or Masak Lodeh Putih - white coconut milk stew.

Spicy Pumpkin Recipe

Spiciness, sweetness, sourness, and aroma all come together with tender pumpkin in this Spicy Pumpkin Recipe, cooked Indian-style. A blend of spices and chilli powder creates a thick masala base, also known in parts of India as Kaddu ki Sabzi or Pumpkin Sabji.

In Malaysia, a similar dish is simply called Spicy Pumpkin. 100% plant-based, vegetarian, and vegan, it uses familiar Indian ingredients like garlic paste, ginger paste, and shallots. For fragrance, dried fenugreek leaves can be used as a handy substitute for curry leaves, giving this pumpkin masala a delicious aroma (VEGETARIAN NASI LEMAK).

Fish Head Curry

Fish Head Curry. One of the most popular Malaysian foods. Whether made as Indian fish head curry, Malay style (NASI KERABU/HERBS RICE) kari kepala ikan, Nyonya fish curry, or even the version served in Chinese restaurants, it remains a beloved dish.

Malaysian fish head curry generally features spices, sometimes ground into a rempah or spice paste, but store-bought curry powder works just as well. Other ready-made spice powders can also be added.

Egg Fried Rice

The ever classic egg fried rice. The always humble and simple fried rice. Called as the poor peoples food back then, but still remaining atop the list of fried rice. It’s a Chinese style fried rice, made with leftover cooked rice. 

There is nothing to say in terms of the ingredients, except rice, eggs (BITTER GOURD WITH EGGS), chopped garlic and some spring onions definitely will elevate the deliciousness further.

Fried Chicken: Ayam Goreng Berempah

Fragrant, crispy, crunchy, herb-scented, and spicy fried chicken. A popular fried chicken amongst the many types of fried chicken. One of the must-have dishes for Nasi Lemak, Nasi Kukus, and even Malay mix rice. The ultimate (PENGAT DURIAN) Malay fried chicken, known as Ayam Goreng Berempah.

This recipe features Southeast Asian herbs such as lemongrass, galangal, and fried turmeric. Variations exist depending on where it is made.  Selangor, Kelantan, Melaka, or Penang, with each state adding its own mix of herbs,

Things to Do in Kuala Kubu Bharu

Over the years, city folks have been heading to Kuala Kubu Bharu not just for its lush nature, but also for the luxury villas and resorts tucked amid greenery. Yet a short and meaningful break in this town, located in Selangor at the foothills of the Titiwangsa Range (WHAT TO DO IN RAUB), does not have to cost much.

With simple spending on food and budget stays, a day trip or an overnight stay in nature is still possible. As the pressures of fast-paced city life have grown, Kuala Kubu Bharu has become one of Malaysia’s top getaways - a place where time seems to stand still (FRASERS HILL PAHANG). Wandering through the town feels like stepping back into Malaysia’s heritage, beautifully preserved.

Thai Fried Rice

Fried rice - the anytime food of the day. Also, a popular food throughout the world which can regarded as one pot dish or one wok dish. One of the best fried rice should be mentioned as Thai Fried Rice. Spicy, fragrant and grainy rice, and what can be better than a Tom Yum Fried Rice (COCONUT MILK TOM YUM SOUP).

A no-fuss, quick Thai food, and with store bought tom yum paste, its truly a quick fried rice, ready within most to most 15 minutes, including for the versions like chicken fried rice, or seafood rice or just prawns.

Crispy Tofu

Crispy on the outside, soft bite inside tofu. Vegan, made from soybeans, dairy-free: safe for lactose-intolerant individuals, vegetarian, and plant-based. Why tofu is one of the top superfoods. Even more powerful when cooked with two other superfood ingredients. Turmeric powder and curry leaves, for truly healthy cooking and healthy recipe (SOY SAUCE TOFU). 

There’s nothing much required except these three superfoods, along with ghee, a keto ingredient, for what can also be recognized as grilled tofu. There are many styles of crispy tofu, yet simple tofu recipes are always the winners. Even with these basic ingredients and other kitchen staples, variations like turmeric tofu are possible (TOFU STIR FRY). 

Sri Annamalai Unavagam: Sekyen 15, Shah Alam

Our visit to Sri Annamalai Unavagam was entirely unplanned, driven by a spontaneous decision about where to have lunch while we were just five minutes away from Shah Alam’s Seksyen 15. This humble stall had previously caught my attention on TikTok, known for its much-talked-about vegetarian set meal, priced at RM6.99 - a clever psychological pricing strategy just under RM7.

Vegetarian Spicy Sour Noodle Soup: Asam Laksa

Asam Laksa is one of Malaysia’s most popular noodle dishes, known for its spicy and sour soup. Traditionally, it’s made with a fish-based broth using ikan kembung (mackerel) or sardines. This recipe, however, is a vegetarian, and even vegan version, made entirely from vegetables and herbs, without any meat, dairy, or animal products.

This meatless Asam Laksa delivers all the key tastes of the original: bold, spicy, sour, and fragrant - true to the classic Southeast Asian and Malaysian flavors (VEGETARIAN NASI LEMAK).