Have you ever wondered what happens when you take inspiration from Malay, Indian and Chinese cuisines and create a dish? You get a melange of rustic, fresh and aromatic flavours.
Malaysia’s close proximity to the Indian subcontinent makes its cuisine similar to ours but what takes Malaysian food to a whole new level is the use of bright colours and whole spices to get the right concoctions.
Sounds interesting? If yes, head straight to Malay Food Festival being held at Hyatt Pune, Kalyaninagar. Chef Zulkiffli, who has flown down from Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, has curated the menu to create the most authentic delicacies so that you can indulge in the local flavours of Malaysia right here in the heart of Pune.
SOUPS AND SALADS
To begin with, Malaysians take their soups very seriously. The authentic Malaysian Curry Laksa is a mildly spiced coconut soup and also packs in the goodness of turmeric. The soup can be a whole meal for those with a small appetite. The curried noodle soup with beans, tofu and diced carrot not only tastes good because of the right balance of flavours but is wholesome too with all the fresh vegetables in it.
Malaysians seem to have a way with salads, especially their Rojak Buah-Buahan, which is a mixed fruit salad. When we Indians think of a mixed fruit salad we think dessert. But Rojak Buah-Buahan has fresh fruits such as apples, pineapples and guavas tossed in a sticky sweet, tangy and spicy sauce, which lifts the flavour of the fruits and takes you back to summer.
If you are someone who likes a bit of protein in your salad, try the Kerabu Chicken. The finely cut white cabbage, toasted dry coconut, shredded chicken — all lightly spiced with chillies — make this salad super delicious. The toasted dry coconut goes well with the flavour of the chicken and the cabbage makes the salad really light and enjoyable. You can also have the salad with one of the many Malaysian sauces or pastes.
STARTERS AND MAINS
Malaysia is famous for its street food. In terms of flavours and the innovative ways in which they serve their street food, it is hard to match. Be it at a street-side stall or an upbeat restaurant selling street food, they do take their appetisers seriously.
So at Hyatt Pune, don’t miss out on Satay Chicken Kuah Kacang — tender chicken strips marinated with a hint of turmeric and served on skewers with a combination of peanut sauce and chilli sauce. This dish will create memories for a lifetime. The heavenly peanut sauce, which is both sweet and sour, can pretty much be drizzled on anything or can be relished with the rice cake cubes that are served with the dish.
If you are a fan of Sambal and seafood, don’t miss out on Sambal Udang. This particular side dish, which is fiery and spicy, is kickass when it comes to flavours because of the tasty Sambal which just jazzes up the meal. Though the dish is called Sambal Udang, the champion or the star of the dish is not the king prawn but the Sambal, and once you taste it you will know why.
Yes, it was indeed a task coming to the main course after all that amount of food, but if you are brave enough just the way we were, don’t miss out on the Curry, made with pumpkin, long beans and coconut. The Yellow Curry is not only light in flavour but extremely delightful when had with steamed turmeric rice called Nasi Kuning or Roti Jala which are net pancakes.
Meat lovers will enjoy Lamb Rendang, which is almost like Sukka Mutton of Maharashtra and is made with fragrant spices, lemon grass and kaffir lime with a hint of coconut and is spicy like its Indian cousin.
DESSERT WITH A DIFFERENCE
A meal is incomplete without a hearty dessert. Indulging in the goodness of Bubur Cha-Cha, which is a special Malay cold coconut milk served with fresh fruits, yams and beans, and Pisang Goreng, which are banana fritters with cinnamon dusted over the fried batter, we completed our Malaysian culinary sojourn with a lot of good memories and a happy stomach.
ST READER SERVICE
Baan Tao, Hyatt Pune, Kalyaninagar, is organising the Malay Food Festival till December 9 from 12.30-3 pm and 7-11.30 pm
