By Christine Salins.
To my mind, Penang is one of the world’s great food destinations. To my eternal regret, the last time I went there, on a visit specifically to explore the local cuisine, I was suffering so badly from food poisoning – not acquired there, I hasten to add – I was unable to eat a thing.
Any chance of returning has disappeared for who knows how long, thanks to Covid, so I will have to content myself with this mouth-watering book, Penang Local, published by Smith Street Books, $39.99. Authors Aim Aris & Ahmad Salim, under their brand Scintilla, have created upscale Malaysian pop-up restaurants in Australia, Indonesia and Japan.
In this, their first book, they celebrate the island where Malay, Chinese, Peranakan, Indian and other dishes and traditions feature harmoniously alongside each other, culminating in what is now called Penang cuisine. Peranakans are the people descended from marriages between Chinese or Indian men and local Malay or Indonesian women.
Peranakan (otherwise known as “Nonya”) food is a blend of Chinese and Malay traditions. The Nyonya-style fried chicken here was created by the Hainanese cooks for Peranakan and English households during British colonial rule. It is marinated in spices and coconut milk to give more depth of flavour than Malaysian-style fried chicken, and the Worcestershire sauce in the dipping sauce clearly shows the English influence.
The book captures a day in the life of bustling, intoxicating Penang, where the historic laneways of state capital George Town are alive with the fragrances of laksa: coriander and cumin (the foundation of Malay curries), lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, cardamom, star anise and fenugreek.
As well as having some excellent restaurants and cafés, many of them with modern interiors in gorgeous heritage buildings, Penang has day and night markets and hawker stalls in abundance. It is, without a doubt, the street food capital of Malaysia, with a different night market somewhere on the island every night of the week.
Penang Local has recipes for many of the dishes you’ll find on the street, like char kuey teow and mee goreng mamak, lacy pancakes (roti jala), laksa tangy with tamarind, crispy beef samosas, prawn fritters, and golden fragrant crab. Emphasising the importance of a balance of spicy, sweet, sour, salty and umami flavours, the authors make it easy to recreate the magic of Penang at home.
They’ve also confirmed my belief that while Kuala Lumpur might be the nation’s official capital, Penang is undoubtedly Malaysia’s food capital.
Nyonya-style fried chicken
Serves 4
8 chicken drumsticks
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Spice paste:
2 red shallots, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground fennel
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2½ tablespoons coconut milk
Worcestershire dipping sauce
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
½ teaspoon light soy sauce
1 red chilli, finely sliced
- To make the spice paste, place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz to a smooth paste.
- Place the chicken in a glass or ceramic bowl, add the spice paste and turn to coat well. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight if time permits.
- To make the dipping sauce, whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Heat the oil for deep-frying in a wok or heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until hot and a little smoky. Add the marinated chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked and lightly golden in colour. Remove and drain on paper towel.
- When you are ready to serve, reheat the oil over medium-high heat and deep-fry the chicken for another 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel, then serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
Recipe and image from Penang Local by Aim Aris and Salim Ahmad, published by Smith Street Books, RRP $39.99.
