Lisa and friends Ryna Latiff and Jamilah "Jemm" Mohd Nor come from the southern Malaysian province of Johor. They all share the same musical Malay dialect, their new home of Shepparton and, of course, their cooking.
While Malays may be separated by geography, cultural influence and dialect, one thing they have in common is the meal being cooked today - asam pedas, which according to Lisa means "hot and sour".
Ryna said all Malays had their own interpretation of this popular dish, which is repeated with endless adaptations.
She said it could be eaten with rice, fish, chicken or beef, but the basis is the juice or sauce which is made from a variety of spices.
Jemm said in neighbouring Malaysian states people would use different techniques and quantities of spices to alter the flavour for local tastes.
“In Malacca they add more pepper. In the north, they just add chilli paste to water and then boil,” she said.
{image:865152842}
Today, Ryna is cooking a classic asam pedas using a recipe and method handed down from her grandmother. She uses beef brisket with onions, shallots, garlic, tomatoes, laksa leaves, fresh and dried chilli, ginger, also called galangal, lemongrass, turmeric and tamarind.
{image:865152844}
Ryna studied cooking and hospitality after leaving school in Johor and went on to run her own restaurant and catering business for nine years in Kuala Lumpur.
All three women arrived in Australia just over two years ago. Ryna and Lisa came to give their daughters a chance to improve their language and sporting skills, while Jemm left Malaysia for a fresh start.
Lisa said the big difference between Australian and Malaysian cooking was the use of spices - particularly chillies.
“We use a lot fresh and dried chillies, hot like jalapeño,” she said.
Ryna agreed.
“We use a lot of coconut milk too, as well as different spices. Western cooking is more basic with pre-prepared sauces like barbecue sauce,” Ryna said.
Lisa said while Malaysians still flavoured their dishes with fresh ingredients, there was a growing trend towards using pre-prepared pastes and just adding water.
Perhaps the biggest difference between Australian and Malaysian food is time and lifestyle.
“We love to eat, and we can take an hour to prepare a family meal,” Ryna said.
“We can also go out at 10 pm or even midnight to eat at a restaurant. A lot of places have 24-hour operation - even McDonald's and KFC, they run 24/7,” she said.
{image:865152843}
In the end, the beauty of Malaysian food is its adaptability. From a basic recipe, every dish can change with infinite variety from cook to cook, and family to family.
“Ryna has her own recipe for asam pedas, but when I cook it I will modify it a bit to a taste that I like. But the basic ingredients - chilli and tamarind sauce - are the same,” Lisa said.
20°C