The Malaysian Kitchen: 150 Recipes for Simple Home Cooking

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. (Mar.)