Time-squeezed home cooks owe a debt of gratitude to Mandy Yin, for in this, her new book, she takes such care to give us recipes for Malaysian and Malaysian-inspired food that are accessible, vibrant and richly rewarding. The thing is, she really understands the constraints of a normal kitchen and everyday life, and always finds a way to make them work without exhausting, extensive shopping or too much palaver. She says when a specialist ingredient is needed, and how to substitute with what you might have more easily to hand.
“This book”, she writes in the introduction, “encapsulates how I cook daily in my home kitchen, with as few ingredients, as little preparation, mess and washing-up, and as quickly as possible.” An authority on Malaysian food, owner of Sambal Shiok restaurant and author of the book of the same name, Yin knows exactly how to bring the flavours of the food she loves in an approachable, streamlined fashion. I have tried, accordingly, to streamline my enthusiasm by bringing you a restrained shortlist of the recipes that just sang to me: Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Rice; Creamed Spinach with Dried Shrimp; Sambal Tenderstem Broccoli; Aubergines in Spicy Yellow Bean Sauce; Omelette with Onions, Chillies and Soy; Soy and Garlic Lamb Chops; Braised Pork Belly with Ginger, Vinegar and Soy; and her darkly gleaming Black Beef Stew.
And it is my particular pleasure to tell you that the recipe I’m sharing with you today is the Savoury Egg Custard with Soy and Sesame, which includes her wonderful Shallot Oil, that will add a touch of joy to much else you might be cooking, too.
Simply Malaysian by Mandy Yin (Quadrille, £27).
Photography © Louise Hagger.
