KUANTAN: Zaleha Kadir Olpin is a picture of poise and control when met in Kuantan, Pahang, recently, for a cooking session with British High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vicki Treadell.
She seems to have got over her MasterChef UK elimination in April, famed for the remark by judges Greg Wallace and John Torode that her rendang, a side dish for her nasi lemak, was not “crispy” enough.
“I was sad when it happened. In fact, I cried for days.
“Many of my family and friends called to express their support when the episode was aired.
“I was also flooded with text messages from people far and near, who reminded me that they were with me all the way.
“Even my favourite chef, Datuk Redzuawan Ismail (Chef Wan), offered words of encouragement.
“I was honoured and amazed to receive such support from so many people from all over the world, which helped me to get over my disappointment,” said the resident of Bristol in southwest England.
According to her, participating in the cooking competition has been a stepping stone for her to the culinary industry, where she can now become more involved in promoting Malaysian food to the world.
Cooking on ‘MasterChef UK’
She says it is not a mean feat taking part in a prestigious cooking competition such as MasterChef UK.
“Participating in the MasterChef kitchen was one of the hardest things I had ever done.
“You had to go through a few preliminary stages before you could secure a place in the competition.
“I had to undergo a phone interview, in which the organisers checked my knowledge of food.
“It is not just about cooking. You need to know the difference between braising, frying and roasting. It was tough to get into the early stages.
“Once you were in, you would go through different sets of obstacles.”
Throughout the competition, she says each participant would stand next to his or her table with ingredients prepared for the day’s challenge.
She would feel an adrenaline rush at the start of each round of a challenge.
“The judges would announce that each participant had 75 minutes to prepare eight plates of food.
“It was nerve-racking when the judges started making their rounds, observing and checking on the progress of each participant as we tried to create the best dish for them to evaluate.
“Looking back, it was intense and got me wondering: how did I manage to pull through?
“Having said that, taking part in MasterChef UK was the most amazing and satisfying experience of my life. I am thankful to the BBC and the MasterChef team for giving me the opportunity to come on board.”
According to Zaleha, her most unforgettable moment on MasterChef UK was during the second round of the competition when she cooked her mother’s favourite dishes — Gulai Pahang and fish cutlets.
“It was unnerving at first as I was late by seven minutes to serve my food. But when one of the judges said he was willing to queue for an hour for my dishes, I was flattered.
“Torode, who was sweating after tasting the dishes, said: ‘This is the sweat of satisfaction.’ I was grinning from ear to ear when he said that.”
She says the contestants would sometimes help each other by lending their ingredients.
“MasterChef is more than a competition.
“It’s a platform for bonding, for forging new friendships.”
Growing up with food
Zaleha’s interest in cooking started early in life. Her father quit his job as a contractor to start a catering business.
“I remember coming home to pots full of food and tipping their tops to see how they were cooked.
“My mother would tell us to come and see her cook.
“Every time we asked her for the exact measurement of the ingredients, she would say ‘agak-agak’, but each time, she cooked perfectly.”
She says her passion for cooking grew when she went abroad.
She would crave Malaysian food.
“I guess missing local dishes compelled me to learn how to cook.
“I would try out many recipes to improve my skills.
“Sometimes, I would invite my friends over to evaluate my dishes.”
On the fusion of Western and Malaysian food, she applauds chefs who are creative in reinventing food.
However, she prefers originality.
“Malaysian food is best on its own and I want people to appreciate this.”
On her favourite Malaysian food, she says it has to be curry laksa and roast beef marinated with her own spices and chillies recipe.
On her future plans
She says she has many plans for the future, but her goal is to focus on writing her first cookbook.
“There are many traditional Pahang dishes that can be reintroduced to food enthusiasts.
“With this cookbook, I hope to help more people appreciate dishes from the state and also learn to prepare them using recipes that had been passed down by our grandparents.
“I would love to have more collaborations with other chefs.
“However, at the moment, I haven’t decided on any name yet.”
She says she will continue to support the Malaysian Kitchen Supper Club with her two friends — Dr Fatimah Zainuddin and Dr Nafeesa Akma — in Bristol, while continuing to offer cooking lessons to those who want to learn how to prepare authentic Malaysian food.
“I want to enjoy my passion for cooking to the fullest.”