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Flavors of Malaysia:
A Journey through Time, Tastes, and Traditions
Sample Recipes:
Chapter 11:
Udang Manis Berempeh - Spicy Sweet Shrimp
Chapter 1:
Umai - a Malaysian style fish ceviche
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Flavors of Malaysia
Chapter 11
Udang Manis Berempeh - Spicy Sweet Shrimp
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Spicy Sweet Shrimp
Udang Manis Berempeh
For Chinese New Year, generations of a family get together and celebrate for two weeks. Seafood dishes are important, as they are symbolic of prosperity and good luck. Serving fish (yee) symbolizes always having extra money in your hands, shrimp (ha) symbolizes happiness and laughter, and oysters (ho) bring good business.
During one Chinese New Year, at the home of one of my schoolmates, Adeline, I had wonderful spicy, sweet, and almost pinkish jumbo shrimps with shells on. Many a Chinese New Year I would visit her home, but through the years of studying and living overseas, I lost touch with her. My memory of her and our mutual friends at Bukit Nanas Convent School in Kuala Lumpur has not faded, as I still treasure those wonderful times together. I created this shrimp dish that reminds me of Adeline’s open house Chinese New Year celebrations and the wonderful times with my friends.
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INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic cloves
1 heaping tablespoon chopped
fresh ginger
Heaping ¼ cup sliced or diced
shallots or onions
1 fresh red chile (Fresno, jalapeno,
cayenne, Thai, or cherry), sliced
3 tablespoons tomato puree, or 2
tablespoons tomato paste, or 6
tablespoons tomato sauce
½ to 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon cooking wine
1 pound (about 2 heaping cups)
shelled and deveined shrimp,
with tails intact
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2
tablespoons water
Garnish
2 tablespoons sliced spring onions
or Chinese chives (kuchai)
| DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oil in a skillet or wok and sauté garlic and ginger for about ½ to 1 minute; add
shallots or onions and sauté another 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add chile and sauté ½ minute, then add 1 cup water, tomato puree, paste, or sauce,
sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and cooking wine, and stir for about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add shrimp and sauté for 3 minutes, till cooked.
4. Add sesame oil, stir for ½ minute, then add cornstarch paste and blend well for
about 1 minute.
5. Garnish with spring onions or Chinese chives.
Serve with cooked white or brown rice, fried rice (page 123), yellow rice (page 118), or
spiced rice (page 120); and stir-fried mixed vegetables (page 224), stir-fried kailan (page
222), stir-fried bean sprouts (page 229), or stir-fried Chinese greens (page 227).
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Flavors of Malaysia
Chapter One
Snacks and Appetizers: Spicy Bites
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I first tasted umai, a much-loved, spicy pickled fish, when my family was vacationing in Sarawak, East Malaysia. It reminded me of Latin American ceviche. Umai is generally prepared with mackerel, fresh tuna, carp, ikan piring, swordfish, or trout (all high in omega 3 fatty acids). The local Melanau fishermen prepare umai for their meals at sea using fresh raw slices of white fish they catch (usually pomfret known locally as duai), and they eat it with sago. They marinate the umai with a local very sour fruit called asam paya, also referred to as asam kelubi, a fig-shaped wild palm fruit with a scaly reddish-brown skin found growing in the swampy areas of Sarawak. And then they season it with shallots, green peppercorns, and chilies. Most umai recipes at food establishments call for the juice of musk limes, a local Malaysian lime (also called kalamansi, or limau kasturi), fiery cili padi (bird peppers), ginger, garlic, and turmeric. You can use Key lime (limau nipis), regular Persian lime, or bottled lemon or lime juice, or even vinegar. Serve umai over fresh greens or with cooked white rice. You can also use shrimp instead of fish. I use slightly more turmeric to give a beautiful color to the umai.
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| Umai |
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INGREDIENTS
10 ounces fresh tuna fillet, sliced into 1-inch cubes
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed or bottled lime juice
Spice Paste
½ cup sliced shallots or onions
1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic cloves
2 teaspoons sliced fresh ginger
1 fresh green chile pepper
(jalapeno, Serrano, cayenne, Thai, or bird pepper), sliced
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 heaping teaspoon dried shrimp paste (belacan), toasted at 400°F for about 15 minutes (see page 335 )
2½ tablespoons freshly squeezed or
bottled lime juice
Garnish
About 1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots or red onions
2 heaping teaspoons finely sliced
fresh ginger
1 heaping tablespoon thinly sliced lime or lemon rind
1 fresh red chile (cayenne, Fresno, jalapeno, Serrano, Thai, or bird pepper), thinly sliced lengthwise
¾ teaspoon salt
| DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour lime juice over fish and coat well. Refrigerate.
2. Process Spice Paste ingredients to a smooth paste, adding 2 to 4 tablespoons water as needed.
3. Coat marinated fish with the Spice Paste. Chill.
4. Before serving, toss with garnish and blend.
Serve with cooked white or brown rice, or yellow rice. (Flavors of Malaysia p. 118) Or place over salad greens. You can also serve as a spread on crusty slices of toast for a spicy tangy Malaysian-style bruschetta.
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