Malaysian Indian Cuisine

Malaysian Indian Cuisine

OriginThe Malayan Peninsula with it's small kingdoms and chiefdoms had a long history of trade with merchants from India.

However it was not until the 19th century, after the Portuguese and Dutch colonists were eclipsed by the British, who took control of the Malayan Peninsula that mass Indian migration took place. Despite the mass exodus of Indians returning to India after Malaysia's independence from the British in 1957, many stayed on and today Indians constitute the third largest ethnic group, making up 8% of Malaysia's population of 27 million.

Rubber seedlings from Brazil were found to grow successfully in this equatorial land, and much needed manpower were recruited from British East India for the burgeoning rubber industry. Road, waterworks as well asrailway infrastructure were also breaking new ground in this equatorial jungle nation. 80% of Indians were Tamils from South India employed in the rubber industry, while Sri Lankan Tamils and Malayalees were employed in supervisory and clerical positions. Of the North Indians, the Punjabis were employed in the police force while the Gujaratis and Sindhis were in business, mainly textiles. 2Indian food is now not only very Malaysian; unique and new versions of Indian food, not found in India, have ultimately been created. Indian cuisine can be divided into two mainstreams, North Indian and South Indian cuisine.

Famous Malaysian Indian DishTandoori Chicken with Naan

Tandoori chicken gets its name from the bell-shaped tandoor clay oven which is also used to make naan, or Indian flatbread. Skinless legs and thighs are marinated in a tenderizing mixture of yogurt, lemon juice, and spices and is skewed on to the skewer and cooked in heated Tandoor.

There are varieties of naan to accompany along with chicken tikka, for eg. Plain naan, butter naan, garlic naan, or cheese naan which are cooked in the same tandoor along side the chicken.

4Some famous Local Indian DishesPaneer Tikka Masala Paneer Tikka Masala is, in a way, a vegetarian version of chicken tikka masala, where paneer is marinated with curd and spices, grilled and cooked in a gravy. It is accompanied by naan, roti or rice.

Chicken Butter MasalaButter Chicken masala is a Chicken curry in a tomato based gravy and extremely popular in India, a common delicacy at roadside dhabas from Punjab to West Bengal.

Vada PavOf Maharashtrian origin, the vada pav is a very popular Indian street food snack, consisting of spiced, deep-fried potato (vada) garnished with various chutneys in a bun (pav).

Pav Bhaji Pav bhaji is a fast food dish from India, consisting of a vegetable curry served with a soft bread roll.

Bhel PuriBhelpuri is a savoury Indian snack, and is also a type of chaat. It is made out of puffed rice, vegetables and a tangy tamarind sauce.

Pav Bhaji literally means Bread and Vegetables. It doesn't sound all too exciting when you put it this way but the 15 million Bombayites who relish it off the hawkers on the pavement have their taste-buds in the right place.

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