Essential Ingredients

Daun Pandan
Fragrant Screwpine

Pandan leaves are from the ‘Screwpine Tree’, and are widely used in South East Asian cooking. Their distinctive, slightly nutty aroma adds a delicate scent to rice and added flavour to curries. In Malaysia, their extracted juice is a natural green colouring used for desserts. Tied in a knot, a leaf can also be used to brush oil on a pan.

Santan
Coconut Milk

There are many brands available in the UK, but the best brand in my opinion is Chaokoh, produced in Thailand. It’s very creamy and not watery compared to other brands you might pick up in a British supermarket. In Malaysia you can buy fresh coconut milk, which is even better.

Gula Melaka
Dark Coconut Block Sugar

This type of sugar comes in blocks or discs, but is different from palm sugar which is widely available in oriental shops in the UK. The sweetness is more intense compared to granulated white sugar. Malaysians use a lot of coconut block sugar for their desserts. I also choose to use it in my beef rendang (page 112 for recipe) as it gives extra darkness to the gravy.

Rempah Tumis
Whole Mixed Herbs

Whole mixed herbs and seeds are available in many South Asian grocery stores here in Manchester. They come in a packet containing a mixture of black mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek and cumin seeds. I use them in my Kari Ikan (fish curry) recipe on page 84. In Malaysia I love getting these from the specialist spice stall at the local market.

Sos Cili Manis
Sweet Chilli Sauce

The best sweet chilli sauce brand I have come across is the Thai Mae Ploy label. The sauce has less vinegar in it and more garlic. It is nice to have with spring rolls, samosas and also murtabak (page 75 for recipe). In Manchester I get this from oriental stores or the world foods aisle of major supermarkets.

Kicap Manis
Sweet Soy Sauce

The brand I normally go for is Malaysian Habhal’s Kicap Kipas Udang. There are two types available: sweet, with a red label; and salty, with a green label. Many of my recipes use the sweet type.

Belacan
Shrimp Paste

Belacan is popular throughout South East Asia, made from fermented ground shrimps which are then sun-dried and formed into slabs like cheese or pâte. These days you can widely buy it in jars. Malaysians use the paste to enhance the flavour, though the smell can really put some Western people off.

Bawang Goreng
Crispy Fried Shallots

You can buy these ready-made in plastic jars or packets. They are widely used in Malaysia to garnish curries – just sprinkle them over. Curiously enough, Scandinavians enjoy them too. You can even buy them in the food shop of a certain well-known Swedish furniture store.