What's In The Kit?
Beef Rendang
My take on one of Malaysia's best-known dishes. FYI I used to produce a frozen meal range back when I had my restaurant, which included beef rendang and chicken rendang - they are very different recipes (as you may know, there are different types of rendang in Malaysia).
This is based on the Beef Rendang I used to make, and because I had to differentiate it from the other recipe, I started out calling it "Hot Rendang" - I've since dropped the "Hot" from the label because it's actually not that hot at all (my customers tell me even their kids can handle the heat).
Each Family pack makes up to 1.5kg meat (most suitable for slow-cooked cuts like beef brisket, bolar blade, or leg of lamb).
Laksa Nyonya
When I first opened my restaurant (which I closed in 2013 to look after my disabled child Noah), I had to make a call on which of the many versions of Laksa found in Malaysia would end up on my menu.
I went with my favourite, Laksa Nyonya, which is similar but different to the Curry Laksa most widely known among Aussies, in that it doesn't contain the heavier types of spices typically found in the latter.
Laksa Nyonya is characteristically more creamy, and it is served topped with shredded cucumber and herbs (if you can get your hands on Vietnamese mint ie. what we call Laksa leaves in Malaysia, great; if not, I've been known to substitute with Thai basil).
Each Family pack is enough for up to six serves. Mix the contents with water to turn into a paste, then saute with oil for a couple of minutes; (don't skimp on the oil - the end result should not look like pumpkin soup; it should have a noticeable amount of separated chilli oil in it).
Add water and coconut cream (ratio of each can be adapted according to personal preference, but I lean towards having it quite creamy) plus tofu puffs if using; once it comes to a simmer, pour over separately blanched/cooked noodles & trimmings (eg. seafood, boiled egg, etc.).
PS. Any extra paste that's been cooked up can be refrigerated for 4 weeks or frozen for six months.
Chicken Rendang
My Mild Rendang Kit is based on the recipe for the Chicken Rendang which I used to sell as part of my frozen meal range.
If you've previously held off on ordering this because you thought it was just a milder version of my (Hot) Rendang Kit, well, it's not - it uses a different blend of ingredients and produces a lighter-coloured dish suitable for white meats and seafood.
As a bit of a fun fact, my frozen meal range had a dedicated following back in its day, so much so that Costco came calling and asked to stock them (it didn't eventuate because the factory they lined me up with couldn't handle the complexity of my recipes).
Malaysian Lamb Curry
The recipe for my admittedly unimaginatively-named Meat Curry Kit (I'm not known for fancy branding) comes from my Malaysian Lamb Curry, which I used to both serve at my restaurant and sell as a frozen meal pack.
It's a favourite among many of my regular customers who have managed to look past the boring name.
This Meat Curry Kit is also suitable for beef, chicken, fish, goat, and even a vegetable & tofu curry.
BTW, if using any of my Handcrafted Dry Curry Paste kits with red meat, you can skip the "add water to turn into a paste, saute for a couple of minutes with oil, then add protein" step - just throw all the ingredients in - the contents of the pack, water, oil, coconut cream - and cook until done.
By the time the meat is tender, everything will have blended in and the oil will have separated properly anyway.
Sambal Belacan Tumis
This is one of the more niche products in my range - it's primarily a chilli condiment to go with your meals - eg. as a topping on your laksa or other rice/noodle dishes.
You can also use it as the base for other recipes - eg. eggplant sambal, nasi lemak sambal, even sambal (chilli) prawns.
I now make two versions of this - the label on the Original Recipe says it's best for the Thermomix - simply because it takes longer to cook up (ie. you can still cook it on a stove top, but just add more water if it dries up too quickly before the onion caramelises).
The 5-minute recipe is the quick and easy version - this is the same as what I still sell at my monthly market stall, which is super popular, but if you're a purist like me, you'd want to go with the original.
Kaffir Lime Chicken
My Kaffir Lime Paste is based on one of the most popular dishes from my back-in-the-day frozen range, ie. the Kaffir Lime Chicken.
The catch is that my fellow Malaysians have never heard of it, because "Kaffir Lime Curry" is not a "known" Malaysian dish; I made the name up.
I originally adapted the recipe based on a dish in my homestate of Negeri Sembilan, called Minangkabau Chicken (which is also very obscure). The original recipe calls for an eye-watering 40 bird's eye chillies per portion, and it should look bright red.
I dialled back the heat level to suit Australian palates, and changed the name because "Kaffir Lime" is more memorable than "Minangkabau", plus without its signature heat I can't in good conscience call it by its original designation.
Apart from chicken, my customers also love using this for vegetable curries.
So Why Jackie's Kits?
One Kit , More Than One Recipe
Don't stop at the recipe on the packet.
There are many and varied ways to deploy these kits. You could use the Laksa Paste in fried rice or fried noodles, or use the Rendang as a spice rub, etc.
Here's a quick collection I've put together to inspire you -
HANDCRAFTED PANTRY SUBSCRIPTION
Keep your Malaysian pantry stocked
The Handcrafted Pantry Subscription is for people who want to keep a couple of Malaysian meals within easy reach without having to remember to order them each time.
I'll send you two Family Pack-sized Handcrafted by Jackie M cooking kits every month. That's enough for roughly two Malaysian cooking sessions, ready and waiting in your pantry when you need them.
Each dispatch also includes two recipe cards with different ways to use your kits, so you can keep things interesting rather than cooking the same dish every time.
And I'll add in a little Malaysian pantry extra as a thank-you for being a subscriber.
Two kits, two cooking ideas, one less thing to think about.
Jackie M.
"Sydney’s High Priestess of Malaysian Cuisine" (TimeOut Sydney)
I'm the co-author and publisher of the award-winning The Durian Cookbook, and the founder of Masters of Malaysian Cuisine. I find it tedious to regurgitate my background so here's the button that takes you to my website's About Me page -
Customer Stories
