Cheap and satisfying meal with this hearty, fluffy and crispy Roti Canai. The roti canai makes for a common breakfast or supper food. Roti Canai is a popular flatbread sold by Indian Muslim vendors in Penang. Created as a cheap meal to serve the coolie class in the 19th century, the roti canai has since been embraced by all races. The name, thought to be Malay, is actually of Indian origin, as the word “roti” derives for most Indian languages… Read More »Roti Canai
Fusion Meatball Stew This is a simple dish that is a favourite for children and adults alike. It is comforting, delicious and easy to prepare. It is best served with fluffy white rice, it can even be eaten on its own. We are not sure of the origin of this dish but it is a traditional favourite in many ethnic Chinese households. The ingredients and flavours suggest that it has Western and Hainanese influences.
Spread with rich kaya (coconut jam) and margarine. Dipped in curry or simply eaten plain accompanied with a cup of hot black local coffee. Penang’s very own roti benggali, a fragrant loaf bread with its signature golden, crispy crust and soft, fluffy white crumb, has been a staple for many Penangites for decades. Contrary to popular belief that this much favoured bread was introduced by the Punjabis, (Punjabis were commonly referred to as Benggali by locals for decades due to… Read More »Benggali roti
If you come to Penang and order a plate of rojak, expect a mixture of fruits in a thick, sticky pungent sauce and a sprinkling of roasted nuts. Only in this northern state, the rojak mean the local version of a fruit salad. It also does not refer to the savoury dish of deep-fried prawn fritters and bean curd served with an orangey spicy sauce that is called pasembur here. The Penang rojak is a favourite snack that is easily… Read More »Penang Rojak
Mee goreng is literally translated as fried noodles from the Malay language. It is alternatively known as Mee Goreng Mamak or the Indian mee goreng where the hawker is usually an ethnic Indian and/or an Indian Muslim. Despite it being sold mostly by ethnic Indians and/or Indian Muslims, the mee goreng did not originate from India and this particular dish can’t be found there. Mee goreng is a very Malaysianised dish with a list of ingredients that is testament to… Read More »Mee Goreng
Stir-fried Kai Lan Kai lan is one of the staple vegetables most ethnic Chinese households and is easily found in most of the markets here. The dark green leafy vegetable is also known as Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale. Kai lan usually has a bitter taste so cooking it can be quite tricky. This is our take on how to use a variety of condiments to balance out the bitter taste.
A popular local delight with chunks of marinated dice-sized meats glided into skewers and grilled over a charcoal flame. As a sure sign indicator, if there is wispy smoke, you’re heading towards a satay stall. It’s nothing fancy, just bite-sized pieces of meat marinated in a mixture of spices and seasoning, skewered on bamboo sticks and then grilled over charcoal fire. The fat from the skewered meat will be dripping and sizzling in the fire and a strong smoky aroma… Read More »Satay
Malaysian food is often a result of cross cultures and the way different ethnic groups prepare the same kind of food in their own unique way. Take the Penang pasembur which is basically known as “Indian rojak”, spicy salad dish elsewhere in Malaysia. Yet, here, it is vastly different from those found outside of this state. In Penang, when we refer to rojak we mean the one made with fruits and a thick, black sweet sauce while the pasembur has… Read More »Penang Pasembur
