Published Apr 14, 2007 Updated Sep 15, 2024 I really love the savory, fiery, rich, sweet, sour, salty, and pungent flavors of Malaysian food. Despite my love for various exotic dishes from around the world, Malaysian cuisine always draws me back with its colorful, complex, and incredibly delicious tastes. My mother and aunt used to make a dish they called “Masak Belanda,” which is apparently a type of Nyonya cooking style featuring tamarind juice and onion as key ingredients. One of my favorite dishes from this style is an egg recipe. It’s simple yet incredibly satisfying: a few eggs cooked in a mouthwatering sweet and sour sauce, served with steamed white rice with sambal belacan (a Malay-style sambal with roasted shrimp paste). It’s pure bliss for me; every bite takes me to food heaven.
Masak Belanda
“Masak Belanda” refers to a specific style of cooking that blends elements of Peranakan (Straits Chinese) cuisine with Dutch influences. “Masak Belanda” incorporates ingredients and cooking techniques that might have been introduced by the Dutch during their colonial rule in the region. This fusion of Dutch and Peranakan culinary styles results in dishes that are flavorful, aromatic, and absolutely delicious. In Penang, examples of Nyonya Masak Belanda include Eggs Masak Belanda and Salted Fish Masak Belanda. These dishes involve cooking eggs or salted fish in a tangy and savory sauce with ingredients like tamarind, red onions, and chilies. They blend Dutch and Malay flavors, and they were favorites at our dining table when I was growing up, lovingly prepared by my late mother.
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