Healthy meals can be made by changing the method used to cook the ingredients.

For an everyday meal in Malay culture, we often associate cooking beef with many ingredients to prepare dishes such as beef curry or rendang.  

However, in the west, the same beef is marinated and grilled. For me, this version of cooking is simple, effortless and healthier. 

Therefore, in this story, through observation and experience, the combination of healthy meals from the west and east can be created.  

Rice 

Growing up in the Eastern culture, consuming rice is a norm for most of us.

Preparing it is effortless. 

The grain is washed and boiled to cook using a rice cooker. 

This is a simple and readily available carbohydrate for everyday work. 

Rice are versatile grain that can be paired with any kind of dish. 

I paired it with salad and grilled beef. 

As mentioned, a meal such as rendang in my culture uses spices as the main ingredients.

Grilled Beef

On a visit to Korean and Japanese restaurants, they used to marinate the sliced beef using sauces and cooked on a pan covered with aluminium foil. 

This method of cooking does not use any oil. 

Those experiences were an eye-opener and priceless moment for me. 

The same menu is recreated in the house using soy sauce, and black pepper sauce with chilli powder. Turn out the taste are similar! 

For salad

I often cooked the vegetables using the stir-fry method. The preference for raw salad somehow is new to me. 

Raw ingredients such as green cucumber, red tomatoes, white sesame seed, and maroon peanuts enhance the presentation of the salad. 

Use a teaspoon of olive oil. This gourmet meal can be created at home. 

Conclusion 

Preparing healthy meals is easy, by combining the different elements of cooking both from the east and west.

The fusion between these two cultures is extremely beneficial for me. Incorporate it with joy in cooking and a simple meal can be turned marvellous. 🙂