Happy Merdeka Malaysia!

Gulai Pisang Muda
(Young Banana in Turmeric flavoured Coconut Milk)

2 unripe bananas

1 can Coconut Milk

2 fresh chillies

1 cm turmeric

1 stalk lemon grass

1 piece of asam gelugor or som khaek (thai) to lend acidity - can be replaced with juice from half a lemon

1 cup water

1 cup tamarind juice


Method:

Wash and clean bananas by peeling skin and slice flesh thinly. Do not discard skin.
Soak in tamarind juice to prevent discolouration. Meanwhile, pound chillies and turmeric in mortar and pestle until fine. Roughly pound the lemon grass. Add chillies & turmeric paste and lemon grass into a pot filled with the coconut milk.

Add bananas. Over medium heat, bring to a boil stirring constantly, to prevent the coconut milk from curdling. Dish is cooked when the surface of the gravy is shiny from the oil separating from the milk.

Turn off heat and add lemon juice.




Warm memories of my childhood in Malaysia comes flooding in whenever I tuck into food that my Mum used to prepare.

Feeling blessed with the bountiful resources that was and still is available (but has somewhat been depleted in the last few decades)in Malaysia with its lush tropical trees & fruits, abundant seafood from the seas,rivers,& lakes.

So I send this message to all Malaysians, to preserve our inheritance, so the future generations can enjoy the same sort of childhood we were lucky enough to experience when we were growing up.

Maybe being away from home makes me appreciate Malaysia even more. I miss its beautiful beaches and of course its lovely food. Malaysians have a lot to be thankful for its bounty & beauty.

Sadly, in the name of development, a lot of Malaysia's greens have been bulldozed and replaced with a "concrete jungle". Rivers, lakes and waterways have been overfished and inundated with rubbish. Why are we doing this to our beloved country, our own abode, our own backyard, our haven? The Lord has blessed us with His bounty but we are now neglecting his gift to us. Shameless aren't we?

We are Malaysians, true & through, we produce cars, we produce beautiful batiks, we cook the best food so be proud of who we are and do take better care of our Mother Earth....Selamat Hari Merdeka!