Sambal Shiok: The Malaysian Cookbook

by Mandy Yin

Shortlisted for the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards (2022)
Guild of Food Writer’s Awards, Highly Commended in ‘First Book’ category (2022)
André Simon Awards shortlisted (2022)

"Beautiful, inspiring, but above all authoritative. Mandy Yin holds all the secrets to exquisite Malaysian cooking... It is a rare treat that she's chosen to share them." – Grace Dent, restaurant critic for the Guardian

A soulful tribute to Malaysian cuisine, from snacks, soups and salads, to rice and noodle dishes, curries and sweet things.

Sambal Shiok is a brilliant collection of over 90 accessible recipes that were handed down from Mandy Yin’s mother as well as those that she has developed for her critically acclaimed, award-winning London restaurant. The recipes – such as her signature curry laksa, Penang assam laksa, Malaysian fried chicken, prawn fritters, spiral curry puffs, flaky roti canai, beef rendang, KL golden fragrant clams, sambal mapo tofu, and the perfect steamed rice – can be made for a weekday family meal, a dinner party or celebration.

Malaysian food results from the unique merger over centuries of indigenous Malay ingredients with Indian spices and Chinese techniques. Every dish delicately balances sweet, sour, salty with chilli heat and a hint of bitter. With Mandy’s evocative look at Malaysian food culture, her recipes, and the basics of a Malaysian pantry (shrimp paste, lemongrass, tamarind and coconut milk), you can easily enjoy the most delicious Malaysian meals at home.aysian meals at home.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Food and Drink

256 pages, Hardcover

Published November 2, 2021

Reviews

[Ed Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic recipes, easy to follow, authentic flavours, and supported by interesting stories to bring each recipe alive. Love each part of this book, including the travel tips for next time you visit Malaysia.

[Charles Eldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sambal Shiok is a triumph. It is what I wish most cookbooks could be: wonderful storytelling and insight into the author and cuisine while providing accessible and well presented recipes that make the readers mouth water.

I borrowed this book from my local library and instantly went out and purchased it after reading.

The recipes are well laid out by category. This will definitely be my go to cookbook this winter. The chilis and spices of Malaysia are quite warming.

I had my first encounter with the variety of Malaysian cuisine on a trip to San Francisco at the award winning Analiza’s. I am glad a Malaysian cookbook like this exisits to explain and entice the food of the various cultures of Malaysia.

[Lin Harink · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the flavours in this book (garlic, chilli, ginger, lemongrass, peanuts), but I struggled with the many ingredients and many steps for each recipie.
"To cook this dish, first make the spice paste on page 50"...ok, I've now done that, so then 20/30 minutes later I could start making this recipie.
Also many things like the flatbread needed hours to prepare, or had to be done overnight, which is fine, if you are reading the book in advance and planning your meals, but it wasn't really a book you could just grab off the shelf and use for that evening's dinner.

[Sym · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tried Mandy's laksa dish and it tasted amazing. Her recipes are easy to follow and have definitely been tested. She is incredibly transparent about what brands she uses in her restaurant and why, how she does things and why and what she recommends. I felt that this was a new, inventive and fresh approach to a recipe book which I really loved. This book will not only inspire you to cook but to visit Malaysia. Wow!

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

can't wait to try some of these