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Malaysian magic

Food is a passion for Chef Chin, who is presenting a Malaysian Food Festival at GRT Grand

PHOTO: R. SHIVAJI RAO

NATURAL FLAVOURS, HER FORTE Chef Chin displaying some of the delicacies

Someone please find Chef Chin an edible blue flower in the city. She is frantically looking for a natural colouring agent for her Kuih Muih, the traditional Malaysian desserts. Because this chef does not compromise, and make do with artificial colouring or essences.

The canary yellow is from fresh melons, the green from leaves that had to be sourced from Kerala, the little lemons, she's brought them along from back home. The Malaysian desserts that she whips up are just "amazing, yuuuummmm," says her cousin Bibi, unravelling little green parcels. Steamed in green padang leaves, these dumplings are stuffed with palm sugar and coconut. They have the most interesting sticky-chewy texture that would not have been possible with the rice flour available here, better still they taste super delicious. Since Chin was flying in with her family, she managed to get them all to help her carry bags of glutinous rice flour. And since the leaves are found in India, Bibi, who has been living in Chennai, is also very excited.The two cousins are obviously passionate about food, and the rest of the family has to live with that though they are probably not complaining. "My sister," says Chin, introducing us to the lady who is busy clicking pictures of the aromatic food arranged on the table, "is also my most honest and best taster." We are also told that the rest of the family is helping out in all the crushing, mixi-ing, cutting and even shopping for fresh melons and what not. Because for Chin, who is presenting a Malaysian Food Festival at GRT Grand, it all has to come together perfectly.

Street food

Chef Chin is focussing on street food, or the "hawker's delight". Don't confuse Malay with Malaysian cuisine, that's just one of the many cultures that enriches the rich palate of the country. This offering brings you more of the Chinese and Malaysian influences, and not the Indo-Muslim cuisine that the city is already familiar with. There are a lot of dim sums, Kuih Muihs and slowly stirred traditional Chinese soups.

"I like everything to be fresh, and have the best natural flavour possible," says the Chef who learned cooking hanging around her grandma's kitchen. Today when she's not thinking about recipes or cooking, she's teaching others how to do it.

The menu is a charming example of their passion for cooking. Assam Fish with Okra is described as `Tangy tomato and zesty slice bekti cooked in mud pot with Chennai famous queen of vegetables ladies finger.' `Serunding daging' promises to have `good aroma of coconut and spice' while Young Tow-foo with minced pork is `amazing in taste'.

You can enjoy Chef Chin's cuisine every evening, 7.30 onwards at the Oriental Pearl, GRT Grand, Pondy Bazaar, Ph: 28150500 till August 27.

MEERA MOHANTY

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