Hi. Today's topic is about Indian food. Indian influence in Malaysia cuisine started in the 19th century. Indian cuisine can be divided into two mainstreams, Northern and Southern Indian cuisine.
North Indian cuisine boasts of a diet rich in meat and uses spices and ingredients such as yogurt and ghee in dishes that are elaborate without being overly spicy. Here, bread and chapatti replaces rice, which is the center of most South Indian meals. Coconut milk, mustard seeds, and chillies are also widely used in the Southern Province.
Spices
are the heart and soul of Indian cooking. But the quantity and proportions vary
with the geographical boundaries. Curry powder is almost never used. Spices are
freshly grounded and added in many different combinations. Spices commonly used
are coriander, turmeric, cumin, chillies, fennel, and fenugreek. Other fragrant
spices added are cardamom, clove, cinnamon and star aniseed. Before the
meal it is customary to wash hands as cutlery is often not used while eating,
with the exception of a serving spoon for each respective dish. This cuisine
consists of curries which used a lot of spices, coconut milk,and curry leaves. Some of the most popular curries included chicken curry, fish curru, squid curry and vegetables curry.
Here is a video of
Indian vegetables curry. Let’s watch it!
Other than that,
there are more of Indian foods that available in Malaysia for examples:
§ Chapatti is a type of bread
originated from Punjab. It is made from a dough of atta flour (whole grain
durum wheat), water and salt by rolling the dough out into discs of
approximately twelve centimetres in diameter and browning the discs on both
sides on a very hot, dry tava or frying pan (preferably not one coated with
Teflon or other nonstick material). Chapatis are usually eaten with vegetable
curry dishes, and pieces of the chapati are used to wrap around and pick up
each bite of the cooked dish.
§ Fish head curry- a dish where the head of a fish (usually ikan merah, or
literally "red fish"), is semi-stewed in a thick curry with assorted
vegetables such as okra and brinjals.
§ Thosai (in Johor
Bharu spelt Dosai) is a batter made from lentils and rice blended with water
and left to ferment overnight. The batter is spread into a thin, circular disc
on a flat, preheated pan, where it is fried with a dash of edible oil or ghee
until the dose reaches a golden brown colour. Then the thosai may optionally be
turned over on the pan, and partially fried. The end product is neatly folded
and served. Thosai is served with sambar (vegetable curry) and coconut chutney.
§ Idli is made from
lentils (specifically black lentils) and rice — into patties, usually two to
three inches in diameter, using a mold and steamed. Most often eaten at
breakfast or as a snack, idli are usually served in pairs with chutney, sambar,
or other accompaniments.
§ Naan bread is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread. It is usually eaten
with an array of sauces such as Chutney and curries such as Dhal curry. Some
examples of Naan bread include Garlic Naan, Butter Naan, Garlic Butter Naan,
Cheese Naan, and Garlic Cheese Naan.
§ Payasam is a popular dessert, payasam is an integral part of
traditional South Indian culture.
§ Pongal is a rice boiled with milk and jiggery, it also shares the same
name as the harvest festival which is celebrated every January. The name itself
is derived from the fact that pongal (the dish) is cooked in the morning and
offered to the gods, thanking them for the harvest.
§ Putu Mayam (String
hoppers/ Idiyappam) is a sweet dish of rice noodles with coconut and jiggery as
main ingredients. It is served with grated coconut and jigger , or,
unrefined block sugar. In some areas, gula melaka (coconut
palm sugar) is the favourite sweetener. Putu piring is a version of putu mayam
in which the rice flour dough is used to form a small cake around a filling of
coconut and brown sugar. The homemade version in Malaysian Indian homes tend to
be eaten as a savoury accompaniment to curried dishes or dal.
§ Roti canai is a thin
bread with a flaky crust, fried on a skillet and served with condiments. It is
sometimes referred to as roti kosong. In Singapore, it is referred to as
prahta. Roti telur is a roti canai with egg in it. Telur means
egg.
§ Murtabak is a dish of savoury stuffed roti, usually including minced
mutton, garlic, onion, and folded with an omelette, and is eaten with curry
sauce.
§ Nasi Beriani is a rice dish made from a mixture of spices, basmati rice,
meat/vegetables and yogurt. The ingredients are ideally cooked together in the
final phase and are time-consuming to prepare. Pre-mixed biryani spices from
different commercial names are easily available in markets these days, which reduce
the preparation time though the taste differs considerably.
§ Teh Tarik literally meaning "pulled tea", is a well-loved drink
amongst Malaysians. Tea is sweetened using condensed milk, and is prepared
using out-stretched hands to pour piping hot tea from a mug into a waiting
glass, repetitively. The higher the "pull", the thicker the froth.
The "pulling" of tea also has the effect of cooling down the tea. Teh
tarik is an art form in itself and watching the tea streaming back and forth
into the containers can be quite captivating.
Most of the food is very familiar with Malay
culture and most Malay prefers to eat some of Indian food. As for me, I also
like to eat Indian food especially roti canai and teh tarik as my breakfast. I
think that’s all for this post. Thank you for reading.
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