The Science of Spice

Southeast Asia 51

LOCAL SPICE BLEND

Malaysian fish curry paste

Layering a fresh base of galangal, garlic, and

shallots with an Indian-style dry spice masala, this

classic fusion paste can be used to make a quick

fish curry by mixing it with coconut milk and

simmering with chunks of any firm white fish.

Prawn summer

rolls for dipping in

nuoc cham, see p212.

SPICE

PALETTE

2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp black peppercorns

4 medium-sized

dried chillies

½ tsp turmeric

thumb-sized piece

of galangal, peeled and

roughly chopped

3 fat garlic cloves,

roughly chopped

50g (1¾oz) shallots,

roughly chopped

Lightly toast the whole dry spices in a frying pan, leave to

cool, then grind to a powder along with the turmeric. In a food

processor or using a hand blender, blitz together the galangal,

garlic, and shallots with a splash of water to form a purée. Mix

the dry masala with the fresh purée to form the curry paste.

Bird’s eye chillies

are popular in

Vietnam and were

probably introduced

in the 16th century

by the Portuguese.

The southern Malay port of Melaka was ideally

placed to become a major trading hub, both for ships

plying the Indo-Chinese seas, and those bound for

more distant destinations on the spice route. As a

result, throughout Malaysia and Singapore, significant

Chinese, Indian, and Muslim communities endure

to this day, and the regional cuisine is distinguished

by a willingness to embrace such varied cultural

influences and experiment with new flavours.

The concept of fusion food, as we know it, was

arguably born in Melaka, where Chinese, Indian,

Arabic, and European ingredients often find

themselves in the same cooking pot.

MALAYSIA AND

SINGAPORE

Complex | Rich | Fusion

Signature

Ginger, garlic, chilli

The classic Southeast

Asian flavour trilogy forms

the base of most savoury

recipes in Malaysia and

Singapore, but the three are

rarely used on their own.

Supporting

Cardamom, turmeric, dried chilli,

black pepper, clove, coriander

seed and root, cumin, cinnamon,

curry leaf, lemongrass, galangal,

tamarind, pandan leaf, lime leaf

Dried spice mixes add warm,

earthy base notes to support

the fresh aromatics of the

likes of lemongrass, makrut

lime, and curry leaves.

Supplementary

Fennel, anise, star anise,

dried ginger, cassia, Sichuan

pepper, sesame

Malay cooks were

enthusiastic adopters of

most new arrivals along

the Spice Route, creating

richly flavoured dishes

with multi-layered spicing.

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050-051_Vietnam_Malaysia.indd 51 04/06/2018 15:46