Culinary experts in Malaysia share their special Christmas dishes and specialities, including traditions that they keep every year

By NATASHA JOIBI

Malaysian cuisine is known for its diverse and vibrant flavours, which reflect the rich cultural tapestry of the nation. And this is especially seen during the various festive seasons, when families and friends of different backgrounds come together to prepare and enjoy meals.

So, with Christmas peeking around the corner, we sought out several Malaysian chefs to discover what they think about the unifying power of food as well as the holiday traditions that they hold dear.

And most importantly, how do they make their Yuletide meals uniquely Malaysian?

Connecting cultures through Christmas food

Born to a Chinese-English mother and Malay-Sri Lankan father, food entrepreneur and celebrity chef Ili Sulaiman says she connects with her roots and extended family via food.

And it is the special dishes during festivals like Christmas that have always taken centerstage during festivities.

The No.1 staple on their Christmas table? Roast chicken with her own stuffing recipe.

Yes, there are other dishes too, like roast lamb. But Ili says that everything is secondary to the chicken.

"The stuffing is THE thing in our family! It's made up of random ingredients such as liver, stale bread, one or two shiitake mushrooms, halves of onions, a lone piece of garlic, salt and pepper, dried fruits... it's really a mash-up of different things," she shares.

And what is extra unique about her family's Christmas traditions, Ili says, is how they turn the leftovers from Christmas dinner into soto (soup) and begedil (potato cakes), for breakfast the next day.

"I associate Christmas with family time, as well as a way of connecting with my British and European roots. We live so far away from our relatives in England. So, Christmas is the one time I get to indulge in this part of my cultural heritage and history. It's also when we would get together with my mum's side of the family, whom we don't get to meet often."

Creating dishes through innovation and love

For culinary innovator Navin Karu, who lived in Germany and the United Kingdom before moving back to Malaysia with his family at age 12, it is always biryani that serves as the centrepiece during festivities, including at Christmas.

"I have the highest level of connection with this dish. We would make biryani when we were celebrating something, or when hosting Malaysians in Germany and the UK. This made me fond of biryani, a dish that gave us comfort when the weather was cold and chilly," he reminisces.

"We'd also have mango chutney, mint sauce and onion raita. Sometimes we'd add avocado into the onion raita, making for an interesting fusion topping," Navin says.

Restaurateur Reuben Devanesan, too, has fond memories of the holiday season. And for him, it started with helping his aunts prepare two Christmas classics — whole roast chicken and salad.

From there, he started experimenting and adding Malaysian flavours and ingredients to traditional offerings.

"I have tried a few interesting things that were initially scorned, like adding my mother's tomato chutney to English roast beef sandwiches or a sweet soy sauce lime leaf marinade to a salad. There have been both hits and misses ... but if you don't try you'll never know," he says.

And a favourite of Reuben’s for this time of year? Grilled chicken with mango relish.

Preserving culinary diversity in Christmas food

For celebrity chef Melba Nunis, meanwhile, Christmas invokes memories of cooking Eurasian food with her mother. And it is for that reason that Melba's holiday menu comprises dishes such as semur (beef stew with potatoes, onions and black pepper) and seybak (a salad of sorts).

One thing that the chef and award-winning author of A Kristang Family Cookbook does differently, though, is add sambal belacan (a chilli condiment) to complement every dish. As for her go-to Christmas dish. Well, it's none other than the festive Kristang dish curry debal (or devil curry, a spicy curry that's flavoured with candlenuts, galangal and vinegar).

"I enjoy cooking this. It's also nice to eat it with rice and pickle," she says, adding that it was important to preserve the Kristang gastronomic ways, which may be time-consuming but well worth the effort.

"I want to promote Kristang food the best way I can. The recipes are basic, and I learnt them from my mum. But I'm happy to just share them with everyone," she says.

Ethnic Sarawak Night chef-host Karen Yap also knows about the importance of showcasing Malaysia's culinary diversity.

Having grown up in a longhouse near Marudi, Sarawak, she is accustomed to celebrating festivities such as Gawai Dayak (an annual festival celebrated by the Dayak people in Sarawak), and Christmas with big barbecues and communal eating. And it is ayam pansoh (chicken cooked in green bamboo over an open fire) that is a key meal during festivities in the Dayak community.

"The cooking process can be quite tedious, but it is communal. From sourcing the meat to lighting and maintaining the fire, everyone has a role to play," she says.

But what is truly interesting about all of this, Karen notes, is how regardless of the festival, in Malaysia, it is always food and feasting that brings people together.

"Malaysia is made up of diverse ethnic groups. And it's amazing how this amalgamation of different cultural legacies takes place during the festive season," she says.

"Getting to know each other through food is a very Malaysian thing."

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