Next Stop: Malaysia

This week we’ll be journeying to Malaysia via the Rasa Malaysian Café (http://rasa.com.au/)


Malaysian cuisine reflects the multi racial aspects of Malaysia, and although the various ethnic groups within Malaysia have their own specific dishes, much of Malaysia’s cuisine is derived from multiple ethnic influences. For instance, Malaysians of Chinese descent have adapted the Indian curry, and made it more dilute and less spicy to suit their taste. Chinese noodles have been crossed with Indian and Malay tastes and thus Malay fried noodles and Indian fried noodles were born.

Malay food is best characterized by its extensive use of chilli and/or coconut milk and frying method. In a traditional Malay meal there is usually a few servings of meat and/or fish dishes (cooked in varying methods), accompanied by a few servings of vegetables. The meal will also have a serving of ulam, consisting of raw or steamed vegetables or leaves, which are dipped into sambal belacan, made from belacan (shrimp paste) blended with fresh chillies (the hotter the better) and/or with some anchovies and tamarind juice. Methods for preparing sambal belacan may differ from one household to another, but when asked, most Malays would say that having ulam and sambal belacan is a must if they were to have an authentic Malay meal.

Ramly burger is a favourite among those who love burgers the Malaysian way! The Ramly Burger, also known as the Burger Ramly, is a Malaysian hamburger created by Ramly Moknin popular in Malaysia and Singapore. Despite its popularity among Singaporeans, the Ramly Burger is banned in Singapore, along with all other Malaysian beef products. However, several stalls have smuggled the burger, albeit illegally, into the country.

The Ramly Burger is distinctive from most other hamburgers due to the unique way in which the ingredients are served. Rather than the usual method of stacking the ingredients within the bun, the patty in the Ramly Burger is first covered with the desired condiments, then wrapped in a thin layer of egg. The end result is packet-like and enhances the texture of the burger while simultaneously reducing mess from the condiments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_cuisine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramly_Burger