Remembering how to be Malaysian

The other weekend, we were invited to Sunday lunch by some Malaysian friends who have a lovely flat in North London. They had studied in Australia and then stayed on there to work before coming to the UK 18 months ago. In very many ways they are global Anglicized Asians - like me - speaking fluent English and comfortable working and socialising in a Western environment. And yet, when we arrived at their place, I was struck by how much they were still connected to their Eastern roots - and making me realise how much I myself have recently forgotten my Malaysian side.

The first thing was that they invited us to take off our shoes, just like you would in any household you would visit in Asia. In my own home, I may sometimes go barefoot or wear home slippers but I often wander around with my outside shoes on - and I gave up many years ago asking my English visitors - and eventually all my visitors - to take their shoes off. The only people who automatically offer to de-shoe are my parents when they come to visit from Malaysia and I would then tell them, laughingly, “No, no need-lah. We’re like dirty English people now!” So it was a with a “back home” feeling that I slipped my shoes off in my friends’ flat and padded around their pale carpets and flooring.

My friends had cooked a wonderful Malaysian spread for us for lunch. The core base was nasi lemak, the Malaysian national dish of coconut rice, sambal belacan (prawn-based chili condiment), ikan bilis (fried anchovies), boiled egg and peanuts, served on a banana leaf. They had managed to find banana leaves in Chinatown so the whole look was delightfully authentic! For the sambal, my friends had lavished out on big, succulent prawns and to accompany the core dish, we were also treated to beef rendang (dry curry), chicken rendang, fried aubergine and chilli squid. One of the other guests had also brought a huge dish of Chinese barbecued spare ribs!

Needless to say, we were utterly stuffed by the end of the afternoon.

I had forgotten how delicious the taste of home cooked Malaysian food is. Normally, at home, we tend to cook Western-style or simplified versions of Malaysian recipes because that’s quicker. I like to put things in the oven and walk away whereas genuine Asian curries and other Malaysian dishes involve a lot of stove cooking where you have to be there at all times, stirring and interacting in some way with chopping boards or sauces.

We had such a relaxing Malaysian time, laughing and chatting in that loud, sing-song way that I can only do with other Malaysians that when we left, I felt a shock to step out into the cold London evening instead of a warm, tropical setting!

I may still be “dirty” and wear shoes in the house, Western-style but inspired by my friends’ fantastic home cooking, I am now resolved to dig out my old recipes that my Mum wrote down for me years ago and have a go again at cooking my favourite Malaysian meals. I’m thinking of turmeric chicken, sesame fried chicken, soy sauce belly pork, five spice pork… mmmm.

I’ll try and remember to blog about my attempts, with pictures, and you can tell me what you think…