Malaysian cuisine consists of cooking traditions and practices found in Malaysia,and reflects the multi-ethnic makeup of its population. The vast majority of Malaysia's population can roughly be divided among three major ethnic groups:Malays,Chinese and Indians. The remainder consists of the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia,the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia,the Peranakan and Eurasian creole communities,as well as a significant number of foreign workers and expatriates.
Malay cuisine is the traditional food of the ethnic Malays of Southeast Asia,residing in modern-day Malaysia,Indonesia,Singapore,Brunei,Southern Thailand and the Philippines as well as Cocos Islands,Christmas Island,Sri Lanka and South Africa.
Chinese noodles vary widely according to the region of production,ingredients,shape or width,and manner of preparation. Noodles were invented in China,and are an essential ingredient and staple in Chinese cuisine. They are an important part of most regional cuisines within China,and other countries with sizable overseas Chinese populations.
Cellophane noodles,or fensi,sometimes called glass noodles,are a type of transparent noodle made from starch and water. A stabilizer such as chitosan may also be used.
Singaporean cuisine is derived from several ethnic groups in Singapore and has developed through centuries of political,economic,and social changes in the cosmopolitan city-state.
Banmian or pan mee is a popular Chinese noodle dish,consisting of handmade noodles served in soup. Other types of handmade noodles include youmian,or mee hoon kueh.
Penang cuisine is the cuisine of the multicultural society of Penang,Malaysia. Most of these cuisine are sold at road-side stalls,known as "hawker food" and colloquially as "muckan carts". Local Penangites typically find these hawker fares cheaper and easier to eat out at due to the ubiquitousness of the hawker stalls and that they are open for much of the day and night. Penang island. On February 22,2013,Penang was ranked by CNN Travel as one of the top ten street food cities in Asia. Penang has also been voted by Lonely Planet as the top culinary destination in 2014.
Noodle soup refers to a variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth. Noodle soup is a common dish across East Asia,Southeast Asia and the Himalayan states of South Asia. Various types of noodles are used,such as rice noodles,wheat noodles and egg noodles.
Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as "rice noodles" or "rice sticks",but should not be confused with cellophane noodles,a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rather than rice grains themselves.
Fried noodles are common throughout East Asia,Southeast Asia and South Asia. Many varieties,cooking styles,and ingredients exist.
Rice noodles are noodles made with rice flour and water as the principal ingredients. Sometimes ingredients such as tapioca or corn starch are added in order to improve the transparency or increase the gelatinous and chewy texture of the noodles. Rice noodles are most common in the cuisines of China,India and Southeast Asia. They are available fresh,frozen,or dried,in various shapes,thicknesses and textures. Fresh noodles are also highly perishable;their shelf life may be just several days.
Javanese cuisine is the cuisine of Javanese people,a major ethnic group in Indonesia,more precisely the province of Central Java,Yogyakarta and East Java.
Malaysian Indian cuisine,or the cooking of the ethnic Indian communities in Malaysia,consists of adaptations of authentic dishes from India,as well as original creations inspired by the diverse food culture of Malaysia. Because the vast majority of Malaysia's Indian community are of South Indian descent,and are mostly ethnic Tamils who are descendants of immigrants from a historical region which consists of the modern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka's Northern Province,much of Malaysian Indian cuisine is predominantly South Indian inspired in character and taste. A typical Malaysian Indian dish is likely to be redolent with curry leaves,whole and powdered spice,and contains fresh coconut in various forms. Ghee is still widely used for cooking,although vegetable oils and refined palm oils are now commonplace in home kitchens. Before a meal it is customary to wash hands as cutlery is often not used while eating,with the exception of a serving spoon for each respective dish.
Betawi cuisine is rich,diverse and eclectic,in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of regional immigrants that came from various places in the Indonesian archipelago,as well as Chinese,Indian,Arab,and European traders,visitors and immigrants that were attracted to the port city of Batavia since centuries ago.
Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of cooked dough,often wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread,wheat or other flours,or potatoes,and it may be filled with meat,fish,tofu,cheese,vegetables,or a combination. Dumplings may be prepared using a variety of cooking methods and are found in many world cuisines.
Wonton noodles is a noodle dish of Cantonese origin. Wonton noodles were given their name,húntún,in the Tang Dynasty. The dish is popular in Southern China,Hong Kong,Indonesia,Malaysia,Singapore,Vietnam and Thailand. The dish usually consists of egg noodles served in a hot broth,garnished with leafy vegetables and wonton dumplings. The types of leafy vegetables used are usually gai-lan,also known as Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale. Another type of dumpling known as shui jiao (水餃) is sometimes served in place of wonton. Shrimp wonton are mostly known as Hong Kong dumplings. The wontons contain prawns,chicken or pork,and spring onions,with some chefs adding mushroom and black fungus. In Indonesia especially in North Sumatra,West Kalimantan and South Sulawesi,wonton noodles are called mie pangsit.
Indonesian noodles are a significant aspect of Indonesian cuisine which is itself very diverse. Indonesian cuisine recognizes many types of noodles,with each region of the country often developing its own distinct recipes.
