Malaysian Indian cuisine ,
or the cooking of the ethnic Indian communities
in Malaysia consists of adaptations of authentic
dishes from India, as well as original creations
inspired by the diverse food culture of Malaysia.
Because the vast majority of Malaysia’s Indian
community are of South Indian descent, and
are mostly ethnic Tamils who are descendants
of immigrants from a historical region which
consists of the modern Indian state of Tamil Nadu
and Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, much of
Malaysian Indian cuisine is predominantly South
Indian inspired in character and taste. A typical
Malaysian Indian dish is likely to be redolent with
curry leaves, whole and powdered spice, and
contains fresh coconut in various forms. Ghee is
still widely used for cooking, although vegetable
oils and refined palm oils are now commonplace
in home kitchens. Before a meal it is customary
to wash hands as cutlery is often not used while
eating, with the exception of a serving spoon
for each respective dish. Malaysia’s Indian
community are of South Indian descent.
Rojak
(Malaysian and Singaporean spelling) or
Rujak (Indonesian spelling) is a traditional fruit
and vegetable salad dish commonly found
in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.Other
than referring to this fruit salad dish,the term
rojak also means “mixture” or “eclectic mix” in
colloquial Malay
Fish head curry
is a dish in Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine
with Indian and Chinese origins.The head of a
red snapper is semi-stewed in a Kerala-style
curry with assorted vegetables such as okra
and eggplants. It is usually served with either
rice or bread, or as a shared dish.
10