vegetables rice & noodles · this is mostly used in kuih, sticky rice dumplings, baos and...

4 | Pearly’s Nyonya Pantry

MEAT pgToo Kar Chor 22Mua Eu Kay 24Too Thor Th’ng 26Pork Cincalok 34Braised Lamb 42Buah Keluak Kay 46Cashew Nut Chicken 54Khong Assam 86Too Kwa Kean 94Hainanese Pork Satay 100

RICE & NOODLES pgBlue Rice 48 Nasi Kunyit 48Laksa Lemak 78

VEGETABLES pgPnee Hu Char 32Lengkuas Belachan 60Sambal Belachan 60Kerabu Kacang Botol 62Sambal Bunga Kantan 62Kerabu Jantung Pisang 63Sambal Sayur Rumi 64Or Kueh 70Kaduk Omelette 76

DRINKS & DESSERTS pgPengat 68Bee Koe Moy 104Ais Tingkap 106“932” 106Nutmeg Cordial 108Blue Flower & 108 Coconut Water

SEAFOOD pgChar Siput 16Lemak Perut Ikan 36Sambal Hae Bee 38Assam Pedas Belimbing 88Fish Head Curry 96

CONDIMENTS pgCincalok 32Lengkuas Belachan 60Sambal Belachan 61Satay Sauces 101

Pearly’s Nyonya Pantry | 19

These bottled items don’t need to be refrigerated and are best tucked away in your pantry away from direct sunlight.



welcome visitors. When I was young I was always teased that I would grow up to marry a soy sauce man as I loved adding it to everything I ate (I still do!).

For me, an unflavoured soy sauce is perfect for Nyonya and Chinese cooking. Many premium brands do add certain flavours such as mushroom or oyster flavour to their soy sauces but I don’t feel that this is necessary. Do choose a Chinese soy sauce as Japanese soy sauce tends to have more sugar in it, which will affect your cooking.

DARK SOy SAuCE (Or tau eu)Dark soy sauce is made by adding palm sugar or molasses to light soy sauce. This second process makes the sauce sweet and thick and it is an essential in Tau Eu Bak (pork in dark soy sauce). The “burnt” flavour of the sauce really helps to add more kick and depth to stews.

BLACK VINEGAR (Or chOr)When opening the bottle, it really smells so pungent that you don’t look forward to using it. But believe me, after cooking it has a sweet flavour. Black vinegar is usually used for meat stews or in dipping sauces for baos and wantons. When cooking stews we tend to add in half or a full bottle.

SESAME OIL (Mua eu)Sesame oil is a typical Penang flavour, and its unmistakable aroma is really noticeable as you walk down certain roads in Penang where hawker food is being cooked. Whenever I’ve been away, its aroma reminds me how much I’ve missed home.

Sesame oil is a crucial ingredient for Chinese confinement recipes – when you see people buying plenty of bottles in one shot it means that there’s just been a new birth in the family! The oil is full of anti-bacterial properties and helps to expel wind. Most importantly, the oil is very “heaty” which helps new mothers to return warmth to their bodies and to replenish the energy lost during pregnancy and childbirth.

Most Chinese confinement food for new mothers includes sesame oil and ginger. Some lovely dishes include, Mua Eu Kay (ginger chicken with sesame oil, see pg 24), Mua Eu Chien Chuan Hu (fried fish with sesame oil) and Mua Eu Nui (omelette with sesame oil). For daily use, add a teaspoon or so when steaming fish or meat, for extra flavour, as well as to chicken rice sauce and claypot fried rice.

LIGhT SOy SAuCE (tau eu)If you are ever in Penang, a visit to a soy sauce factory is a must as there are still a few that


LyE wATER (Air Abu sodA/Kee chui) This is mostly used in kuih, sticky rice dumplings, baos and noodles as it helps to give food a chewy texture. Very little gets added to recipes – about a teaspoon or less - so a small bottle should last you a long time.

whITE pEppER (PeK hOr cheOw)Malaysians and Nyonyas love white pepper and my preference is white pepper from Sarawak in east Malaysia. Whether it’s freshly ground or pounded into coarse bits, a dash of white pepper on rice and noodle dishes can make a world of difference. This is mostly used in seasonings and meat rubs.

BEAN pASTE (tau cheOng)Bean paste is made from the “leftovers” from making light and dark soy sauce. These matured and softened soy beans are then packed into jars for sale. There are two varieties of bean paste, the coarse version which still has bits of soy beans and the fully ground fine version. I use both and love to add these to gravies for fish, omelettes and stir fried vegetables. This needs to be stored in a cool pantry or in the fridge.


Spicy fish stomach in coconut sauce

LEMAK pERuT IKAN

This is a yummy traditional Nyonya dessert that is usually eaten on the final day of Chinese New Year.

I’ve also included the recipe for tapioca flour jelly which is really simple to make. Although the jelly isn’t usually included in traditional Pengat recipes I think it adds a nice texture to the dessert.

pENGAT


A typical Malay or Nyonya meal includes a plate of Ulam or fresh leaves and herbs gathered from the garden. These can simply be eaten raw or dipped into Sambal Belachan and Kicap Manis (sweet, thick soy sauce). Nyonyas believe that eating fresh green herbs and leaves helps to dispel wind from the body. Fresh herbs are packed with healing properties.



SKuNK VINE OR ChICKEN pOO LEAF (dAun sekuntut)Before I start my cooking classes I always give guests a little tour of my garden as I love showing off the herbs we use in Malaysian cooking. Chicken poo leaf is a real favourite of mine for its flavour, it really smells of chicken poo when you crush the leaf. It is a timely reminder that not all flavour-packed herbs are pleasantly fragrant.

You should see my guests’ expressions after they come face to face with the leaf. They just can’t believe that something so foul smelling can make Nasi Ulam taste so good. Believe me, add these finely sliced leaves to your Nasi Ulam and there won’t be any left over.

The leaves are also thought to prevent hair greying. The leaves are dried in the sun and then baked before being immersed in hot water. The leaf-infused water is then rubbed on to the person’s head and left to naturally dry.

If you do decide to grow this in your garden keep an eye on it as it can grow wild in no time wrapping itself around tree trunks and other plants, and then your garden will really smell!

STINK BEANS (PetAi)These are called stink beans for a reason and after you eat them you will soon discover why. Having said that, the taste is heavenly especially when fried with Sambal Belachan. If you add aubergine into the mix it miraculously removes the smelly effects of the petai. Amazing!

I once watched an elderly Malay makcik pounding Sambal Belachan while sitting on the cement floor of her kitchen. She held a petai pod under one foot and while still pounding, she expertly peeled out a petai bean, scooped it into the fresh Sambal Belachan and then popped it straight into her mouth. Absolute bliss.

Petai is a good source of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins A, B1, B2 and C.

COSMOS CAuDATuS (king of the sAlAd leAves/ulAm rAjA)Ulam raja has a pleasant sweet smell and is also a great addition to sandwiches and burgers.

MINTFresh mint is excellent for freshening up the kitchen, I keep a pot of mint near my work


area to get rid of the smell of fish and prawns. As a garnish, it adds zest to any dish from salads to curries and it perks up hot and cold tea too.

To store mint, I first wash it, shake off any excess water and pat it dry. Then I spread it out on damp clean tissues before rolling it up in newspapers and putting it in the fridge. The newspaper absorbs all the humidity and keeps the mint fresh.

ThAI BASIL (dAun selisih)I love to eat raw basil leaves with hot rice and Sambal Belachan - simple and delicious! Thai basil grows so easily in Malaysia and is a tropical sweetheart, preferred to many other fresh herbs. It has a real ‘chameleon’ flavour - when used fresh, it has traces of aniseed and some dried spice. When dried, it has tinges of cinnamon and clove.

Munching on a few fresh basil leaves helps with nausea and indigestion.

wILD pEppER LEAVES (dAun kAduk)Daun kaduk can be found all over Malaysia growing by the roadside, in gardens, in the jungle. As children, we are always told to go to the riverside to pluck these for old-time favourites such as, Perut Ikan and Otak Otak. We were told to pluck young leaves for ulam (salad) and the older leaves for cooking.

The leaf is a main component of the Thai snack, Miang Kam, the fresh leaf is folded into a cone and filled up with lots of toasted, crispy and crunchy ingredients like dried shrimp, grated coconut and peanuts.

Daun kaduk has plenty of medicinal properties when eaten raw or cooked. In the old days people chewed the roots to treat toothaches and boiled the roots to treat coughs, flu, lumbago and rheumatism.

The leaves look very similar to betel leaf or daun sireh, the easiest way to tell these apart is to feel the leaf – wild pepper leaves are much thinner than sireh leaves.

LAKSA LEAF (vietnAmese mint/dAun kesom/chien hOng)Laksa leaf has a peppery and spicy taste, its lovely floral essence is perfect for almost any tamarind based soup or curry, especially Assam Laksa. Just drop some fresh leaves into curries, rice and hot soups for some spicy zing.

This herb is incredibly easy to grow, just go to the market and pick up a handful, pluck off most of the leaves leaving only a few at the top, then stick the 5-6 inch stems into the ground and water these every morning. It grows fast and soon you’ll be giving it away to your friends.

vegetables rice & noodles · this is mostly used in kuih, sticky rice dumplings, baos and...

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