AS Malaysians tighten their belts due to these worrying times, it makes sense to find ways to cut our food bills.
Simple garden herbs, planted in the backyard, are not only loaded with nutrients but can save you some money during the next trip to the supermarket.
INTI International College Subang's (INTI) School of Hospitality, senior lecturer and chef, Tan Kean Buan says "ulam" or native edible leaves, herbs, vegetables, or fruits are often served raw or lightly cooked and are typically used in Malay cuisine.
Many types of ulam can be used as cheaper alternatives to other everyday ingredients.
"Tenggek burung", or melicope ptelefolia for example, is a type of plant that belongs to the rutaceae family and can be commonly found growing wild in Malaysia.
Its name tenggek, which means "to perch on", is believed to have been derived from small birds which tend to perch on the branches of these trees when collecting nectar or building nests.
Tan explains that tenggek burung leaves are naturally a little bitter and resemble the taste of kailan or kale.
"In Malay cuisine, its leaves are commonly served with rice and sambal belacan or sambal udang kering (dried shrimp sambal) and is typically consumed raw or dipped in the sambal."
Due to having similar taste properties, it can be an alternative to kailan or kale and if cooked, is most suited for moist methods of cooking such as braising.
Daun selom or water parsley is another good option.
It can be an alternative to Italian parsley in meals since it has a similar mildly bitter and tangy taste when eaten raw or cooked.
"Daun selom is often used as a condiment in kerabu dishes, laksa Kedah or even urap-urap, which is a salad consisting of steamed vegetables and seasoning. Some have also used daun selom as an ingredient to make kimchi," explains Tan.
Just like Italian parsley, daun selom also adds a zesty flavour to dishes such as soups, curries, sauce-based dishes, or grilled or roasted poultry.
Tan, who is currently studying the nutritional benefits and ethnic history of ulam for his post graduate degree, adds that nutritionally, daun selom shares similar benefits to lettuce since it mostly consists of water, growing as it is along rivers, streams, swamps or on the edge of ponds.
Belimbing buluh is another common traditional Asian kitchen ingredient.
It is also known as belimbing asam or averrhoa bilimbi and is a small tropical tree native to Malaysia whose fruit is elongated and green on the outside.
Tan says it is a viable substitute for cherry tomatoes or tamarind since its fruit gives a sour or acidic flavouring to food, and can be eaten raw, pickled, lightly blanched, boiled, or dipped in dressing.
"If you are willing to try something different and are adventurous, belimbing buluh can also be made into a rather sweet jam when the fruit is ripe."
Tan adds that there are over 100 different varieties of edible ulam.
Many are easy to plant or affordable to buy, costing as little as RM2 a stalk at local markets.
"Since many of us are feeling the pinch due to the current economic situation, it pays to be mindful of our spending and ulam is both affordable and a delicious alternative to include in daily cooking."