Celebrate National Day with family, friends and some great Malaysian food, writes Intan Maizura Ahmad Kamal
LET’S face it. We don’t need an excuse to eat. It’s a national past-time. And unlike with a lot of things, we’re actually champions at it. Whether it’s engaging in deep and meaningful conversation on life and love, or bemoaning the things that irk us so, nothing fuels the conversation better than good old food.
With mere days away to Merdeka, it’s time for celebrations. And more food. We ask some people what their idea of the perfect Merdeka dish is.
ROJAK RULES
“My pick of the perfect Merdeka dish to serve on Merdeka day is definitely rojak,” says the lovely Shobha Janardanan, a concept writer at a TV broadcasting company and singer. “I pick rojak because various ingredients are thrown in to create one harmoniously appetising dish.
“In what way does this dish reflect Malaysia or Merdeka? Well, harmony is experienced by the palate despite the ingredients of varied colour, flavour and texture. What better way to explain a harmonious existence among our people than with a dish that would not have been a success if not for it being a cocktail of so many delightfully different components.”
The best rojak she has ever tasted, says the 40-something KL-ite, is from Lucky Garden in Bangsar, KL, with a variety of fruits and vegetables smothered in a glistening black sauce, peppered with crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. “Rojak is also dad’s favourite dish,” says Shobha. “We used to travel to rojak stalls all over the Klang Valley during my childhood.”
Rojak, she continues enthusiastically, is a great dish because each bite is not the same. “If one bite offers you a bit of tangy pineapple and crunchy watercress, the next bite springs a surprise with succulent cucumber and fresh papaya. With so much variety in one dish, it keeps you engaged from the first bite to the very last.”
Shobha believes that the secret to a good rojak lies in its sauce — which binds all the ingredients together. “Much like how our people connect with each other from the heart no matter how different we all are. I know that a dash of lime zaps my taste buds and gets my mouth watering all the time,” she says.
Eating out is a huge national pastime, concludes Shobha. “So I will not underestimate its role in bringing people together across cultures. I have seen how the festival of one community is well attended by all other communities, in which food is often the central attraction. And during non-festive seasons, this wish to reconnect resumes at, say, a favourite banana leaf restaurant or chicken rice place. Without food between us at the table, it’s hard to imagine how many conversations and catch-up sessions may have felt, well, a little bland!”
MEMORIES OF NASI LEMAK
Tucking into a hearty dinner of Chinese-style nasi goreng and various other accompanying dishes that include sotong telur masin (squid with salted egg), kailan and chicken in soya sauce, Joshua Aruselvan, or Joe, as he’s fondly known, recalls with much nostalgia the beginnings of his love affair with the perennial favourite, nasi lemak.
“My earliest memories of food is of the nasi lemak,” confides Joe, eyes lighting up at the recollection. “As a schoolboy, those packets containing everything you’d want in a complete meal always caused a scramble at the canteen during recess. Adding, he says: I grew up in Seremban and our house was flanked by Malay neighbours. My friends’ families served nasi lemak all the time. And I’d happily tuck into this dish. Mum used to make a pretty good version too. No doubt she learnt from one of the Malay aunties.”
Suffice to say, posed with the question of what he thinks constitutes the perfect Merdeka dish, Joe, who’s in the finance industry, is swift to reply: “Nasi lemak!” And he goes one step further. While nasi lemak will hold court in the centre of the table, he’ll make sure guests at his house gets the full works as far as the Merdeka experience is concerned.
Chuckling, the jovial 55-year-old adds: “I’d decorate the dining table with hibiscus. I will have a cake with the Malaysian flag atop it. And nasi lemak! It will come with the traditional condiments of sambal, cucumber, anchovies, fried onions and boiled eggs. Along with that, I’d serve shredded meat floss (serunding), squid, fried chicken and rendang. And we’ll have sirap bandung to drink!”
Does he have any particular quirks when it comes to this favourite fare? “Well, my way of eating this dish is a little different. I like to mix my nasi with the sambal, anchovies and break the egg into small pieces and then mix them all up. If it doesn’t bind well, I’d pour more sambal over it!” he concludes, eyes twinkling mischievously.
HOT AND SPICY
Versatile singer and celebrity all-rounder Adibah Noor, who’s currently working on a duet album, also cites nasi lemak as the perfect dish for Merdeka. Especially when it’s made with lots of love.
“And when one is fed a good portion of rice, peanuts and most importantly, sambal... one feels love and calm,” she says, enthusiastically.
And the best nasi lemak? “My mum’s!” replies Adibah, without pausing to ponder. “Whether she makes it with sambal ikan bilis or sotong, her sambal is just awesome. I really think that a good nasi lemak is down to how good the sambal is.”
Her mother, adds the self-confessed spicy food addict, knows exactly how much chilli, salt, sugar and spices to use. “My first experience with chilli and sambal was when I was in Standard One. I fell in love with chilli ever since and can’t live without it! The kind of sambal that I love is the type that makes me sweat.”
Nasi lemak, concludes Adibah, is loved by Malaysians because it’s made up of a combination of wonderful stuff. “And everything in one nice, compact, lovely banana-leaf scented packet. It’s complete meal that can be eaten at any time.”
CULINARY TREASURE
For Ken Chin, 37, of the undisputed food haven of Penang, nasi lemak is also king. On Merdeka day and every day. He says: “Nasi lemak represents Malaysia. It’s a dish that we think of and miss when we are abroad. It’s a dish enjoyed by all the races. Even foreigners are familiar with nasi lemak. The best thing about this dish is that it’s a complete meal and you can eat it at any time of the day.”
The bubbly marketing executive, who’s also a self-confessed foodie, concurs with many Malaysians that the secret to a good nasi lemak is the sambal.
“It can make or break the dish! I like mine spicy. And the dish must be served with all the traditional condiments like anchovies, egg and cucumber. Otherwise, it’s not nasi lemak!”
SALIVATING OVER SATAY
For Kuching-born food hygiene lecturer, Syazlin Zoeanne Abdullah, a good satay spread reflects Merdeka Day. “It’s very Malaysian,” says the affable mother of three. “That bite-sized chicken, beef or veal dipped in rich and thick peanut sauce — lovely. There are a lot of really nice small shops in my hometown of Kuching that do nice satay, complete with the fatty parts of beef and chicken!”
The secret to a good satay spread, she says, lies in the peanut sauce. “It mustn’t be too sweet or bland. And the consistency also has to be right, not too watery and not too lumpy. And there’s got to be lots of peanuts!”
Malaysians, says Syazlin, are truly bonded by food and the activity of eating. “Every time we meet, it’s always over food. And a good cup of teh tarik. Conversation flows and you can see how we bond over such a simple activity.”
HAPPY MIX
“It has to be asam laksa. It’s a superb Malaysian dish,” replies the genial Datuk Norliza Rofli, when asked what her pick of the perfect Merdeka dish would be. The director general of the Department of Culture and Arts concedes that asam laksa happens to be a personal favourite dish too.
Enthusiastically, the 50-something mother-of-one from Pahang continues: “The gravy represents our country. The condiments represent the various aspects or elements that make a happy nation. I love the fact that you decide for yourself how much of each condiment to put in to satisfy your taste buds.”