Indian cuisine in Malaysia is said to be different to that found in the sub-continent. During the rubber boom of Colonial Malaya, various ethnic Indian groups came in droves such as the Tamils, Malayalees, Punjabis, Bengalis and Sri Lankans among others, who each added their own characteristic cooking styles to the melting pot that the country was already creating.
Today, Indian food can be found at hawker stalls and restaurants all over the country. The preparation of one ubiquitous favourite is not to be missed by any visitor. This is of course the roti canai and teh tarik spectacle. Prepared dough for the roti canai is slapped upon the counter and spread out. This is then lifted and twirled up high above the cook’s head and brought down back again with flourish. This is done over and over again until the cook is satisfied with the consistency. The bread is then grilled with oil and served hot with lentils. Preparing Teh tarik is similarly a sight to behold – sweetened tea with condensed milk is poured or pulled from one glass to another and with each pull the distance gets even longer without spilling a single drop!
While many gourmets go for Indian food because of its spiciness, many attest to the highly pungent and almost narcotic effect of the addition of kas kas, which are poppy seeds added for thickening the gravy.
The basis of all Indian food, however, is a blend of spices known as garam masala which is a mixture of spices which include black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and coriander seeds which are toasted and blended finely. These are then added to a wet base of shallots, ginger, garlic and any amount of fresh chillies.
The three main types of Indian food found in Malaysia are North Indian, South Indian and Indian Muslim.South Indian food is both hot and spicy and traditionally served on banana leaves. A typical banana leaf meal will be rice served with a variety of condiments and vegetables. There is no limit to the rice one can have. You can have the choice of meat or fish and the traditional way to eat the entire meal is by using your fingers.
North Indian food is characterized by its rich creamy sauces, and perhaps its most notable dish – tandoori chicken cooked in a clay oven. A typical curry is one that is cooked in yogurt and to which dried fruit and nuts are added. Bread is often served instead of rice and there are many different types of bread which are baked in a clay oven or pan grilled, including naan and chapatti. North Indian fine dining is now popular in many parts of the country.
Indian Muslim food is a mix of Indian and Malay cooking. There are sweet and spicy dishes such as rojak, hot and spicy dishes such as mee rebus. Roti canai mentioned above is also defined as a Indian Muslim speciality. So popular is this creation, it is even frozen and exported to Western countries where some like it with strawberries and cream. The tosai is another unique creation of flour with coconut milk and pan fried on a hot plate. This is served with chutney and lentils. Other unique Indian Muslim creations are murtabak which is minced meat folded into dough and again, pan fried.
Having an Indian meal is a unique experience in Malaysia in the sense that some of the cuisines are not indigenous to India and can’t be found anywhere else in the world either.
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