Meet Susheela Raghavan - food scientist, culinary educator, cooking instructor, cookbook author and master spice developer and food writer in New York City. I recently took her cooking class, Flavors of Malaysia, at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City because I was intrigued by the cuisine and eager to learn some international cooking techniques and about the spices and ingredients they use in this unique ethnic cuisine.
After taking Susheela’s class, I had the opportunity to meet with her for an in-depth interview over a cup of coffee. She was open and inviting in our meeting, and I came to the conclusion that she has truly mastered the blend of art and science – not only in her recipes, but in her handcrafted spice blends, creative cooking techniques, and colorful storytelling of her past, present and future. Susheela is a master flavor and spice blend developer, food scientist, culinary professional and Adjunct Professor in the Food Studies, Nutrition and Public Health Department of New York University.
Her Taste of Malacca line of spice blends includes Malaysian, Southeast Asian and Indian Spice Blends; and Noodle, Pasta and Rice Spice Blends. Her spice blends are carried at Whole Foods Market in New York City, Westchester, Connecticut and Long Island, at Amazon.com and www.TasteofMalacca.com. Susheela does culinary demos at the Whole Foods Market Culinary Center, Bowery, Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), French Culinary Institute, continuing education classes and conducts cooking classes in her home. She has also published a spice reference book, Handbook of Spices, Seasonings and Other Flavorings, CRC Press, 2007, 2nd ed for industry, food service and academic food and nutrition professionals; and a multitude of culinary and food related articles for industry and food service publications.
Susheela just released her cookbook, Flavors of Malaysia, A Journey through Time, Taste and Traditions, Hippocrene Books in October 2010,which features a variety of Malaysian recipes and a detailed introduction to the history and cultures of Malaysia. Flavors of Malaysia includes colorful and appetizing food photographs that show off the variety of Malaysian cultures, foods and ingredients. You will smell and taste the aromatic curries, sizzling satays, flavorful stir-fries, fragrant noodle and rice dishes and the signature hot and spicy condiments of a truly flavorful cuisine.
The cookbook outlines her personal stories and history of her family and how she developed a passion for Malaysian cooking from her mom and growing up in Malaysia. Her book goes on to explain the history of Malaysia and how the Indian, Chinese, Thai, Arab, Indonesian, Portuguese, Dutch settlers and the indigenous cultures influenced the cuisine to develop what is Malaysian cuisine.
Susheela’s website, www.TasteofMalacca.com offers a variety of Malaysian spice blends including Curry Malaysia, which has Indian and Chinese influences; Kajang Satay, Aromatic Rendang (a slow-simmered braised preparation), Spicy Sambal from the Malays; Mamak Mee Goreng (stir-fried spicy noodles) and Kari Mee (curried noodles) which are common street preparations; and Portuguese-influenced Kristang Vindaloo and Fragrant Kurma.
Taste of Malacca also has a line of Southeast Asian spice blends such as Balinese Rendang, Laotian Chicken, Vietnamese Stir-Fry, Indonesian Satay, Thai Green Curry, and Singapore Curry; Indian Spice which include Tikka Masala, Bombay Masala, Kerala Peppercorn and Madras Curry; a variety of rice and noodle blends - Mandalay Marinara pasta Chinese Sesame Ginger Noodles, Pad Thai and Singapore Curry Mee.
Below are two recipes from Susheela’s cookbook, Flavors of Malaysia: Malay style Stir-fried Shrimp Sambal (tomato and chile based sauce) and Shrimp Indian Muslim Stir fried Spicy Noodles. Enjoy!
Stir-Fried Sambal Shrimp (Sambal Tumis Udang)
Yield: Serves 3-4
1 pound (about 2 heaping cups) shelled and deveined shrimp, tails intact
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ cup cooking oil
1 cup (6 ounces) chopped and pureed tomatoes, or ½ cup tomato paste, or 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate or tamarind juice extracted from pulp
3 to 4 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Spice Paste:
2 tablespoons sliced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon sliced fresh ginger
2 cups sliced shallots or onions
6 to 12 whole dried red chilies (depending on desired heat), steeped in hot water for 5 to 8 minutes, slit and deseeded; or 1 ½ to 3 tablespoons ciliboh or ¾ to 1-½ tablespoons bottled sambal olek
4 to 6 fresh milder red chilies (Fresno, cayenne or cherry), deseeded and sliced
1 lemongrass stalk, sliced into ¼ to ½ inch pieces
Optional: 1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste (belacan), toasted at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes
¼ cup water
Spice Blend:
2 teaspoons coarsely pounded or ground fennel seeds
1 star anise
1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
Garnish:
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) or Kaffir lime leaves
- Rub shrimp with turmeric. Set aside.
- Process Spice Paste ingredients to a coarse or smooth paste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or skillet and sauté the Spice Blend ingredients for about ½ minute.
- Add remaining oil and the Spice Paste and cook, stirring, for about 8 to 10 minutes, till the oil seeps out. (This is when the spice paste gets to its optimum fragrance. But you can always add less oil and stir for less time and still achieve a wonderful flavor).
- Stir in the tomato puree, sauce, or paste (if using paste, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water), tamarind juice, sugar and salt and sauté for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the seasoned shrimp and stir for about 4 minutes, till shrimp are cooked and coated well with sauce.
- Garnish with coriander leaves or Kaffir lime leaves.
Spicy Indian Muslim Stir-Fried Noodles (Mee Gorenk Mamak)
Yield: Serves 5 to 6
2 to 4 tablespoons cooking oil
½ pound (about 1 cup) shelled and deveined shrimp
8 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) firm tofu (tauhu), cubed (1 inch by ¼ inch pieces) and deep-fried or pan-fried till light brown
6 to 8 ounces Chinese cabbage (bok choy), stalks separated from leaves and rinsed to remove stones and dirt
12 to 16 ounces fresh precooked yellow noodles, rinsed under cold water; or fresh uncooked noodles, cooked for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water, drained, rinsed in cold water and coated with oil; or thin wheat and egg dried noodles or thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
Optional: ½ pound (1 ½ cups) potatoes, peeled, boiled and sliced into 1 inch by 1 inch pieces
1 to 2 eggs, beaten
1 cup (3 ounces) bean sprouts, rinsed or blanched (scald in boiling water for 1 minute, drain and rinse with cold water)
Spice Paste 1
1 ½ tablespoons sliced garlic cloves
6 dried whole red chilies, steeped in hot water for 5 to 8 minutes and deseeded; or 1 ½ tablespoons ciliboh; or ¾ tablespoon bottled sambal oelek
Optional: 1 tablespoon fermented dried shrimp paste (krill), soaked in hot water for about 10 to 15 minutes to soften and then drained
Optional: ½ to ¾ cup shallots
¼ cup water
Spice Paste 2
2 tablespoons tomato paste, or 4 tablespoons tomato puree, or 6 tablespoons tomato sauce
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons double black, sweet, or thick soy sauce
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon finely ground white pepper
1 teaspoon sugar (lessen or omit if using sweet or thick soy sauce)
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional: ½ teaspoon chile powder
Garnish:
1 fresh red chile (Fresno jalapeno, Serrano, Cayenne, Thai, or cherry), sliced
1 kasturi lime, or ½ regular Persian lime
- Process Spice Paste 1 ingredients into a coarse paste.
- Combine Spice Paste 2 ingredients.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or skillet, add Spice Paste 1 and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes, adding more oil if needed. Stir in Spice Paste 2 and remaining oil and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes, till fragrant.
- Add uncooked chicken or shrimp and stir-fry until cooked. Add tofu and mustard green stalks, and cook 1 minute. Add noodles and potatoes, and stir with sauce.
- Add mustard green leaves, cover, and cook for another minute, until greens start to wilt. Uncover, mix well, make a space in center of pan and pour in the beaten egg. Let sit for about 1 to 2 minutes, then blend in with the noodles so the egg coats the noodles. Add bean sprouts and stir well for about a minute until egg is cooked. Do not let noodles get mushy.
- Garnish with red chilies. Squeeze lime juice over cooked mee goreng and serve hot.
Variation: You can use julienned carrots, beans and/or sliced cabbage and tofu for a vegetarian mee goreng. Serve with a chile-soy sauce-based condiment.
To find out more about Susheela Raghavan’s cooking classes and demos, cookbook, recipes and spice blends, visit www.tasteofmalacca.com
Kristen Hess is a freelance food writer, stylist and photographer living in NYC. You can view more of her work on her food blog Artful Gourmet, at www.theartfulgourmet.com
Comments