'Food and pain, food and love, food with all its
delicious, spicy glory! Ranie Saidi went on a journey of unearthing his lost
flavours and this book celebrates them with incredible generosity.' – Yotam
Ottolenghi
'It’s a deeply personal book, structured around Ranie’s
grandmother, so the recipes are not just "authentic" but inherited,
lived and cooked through grief, distance and memory. Generous and practical,
the book teaches so much about flavour, identity and belonging.' –
Helen Goh
Through poignant anecdotes and the legacy of his
grandmother’s recipes, The Malay Cook traces Ranie’s journey
from Kuala Lumpur to London.
With over 70 recipes that celebrate the flavours of Malay
cooking, they are perfect for communal dining, last-minute
guests or enjoying a comforting one-pot meal. Over half
the recipes are vegetarian and plant-rich. Malay cooking is a harmony of sweet,
sour, salty, lemak manis (coconut creamy umami) and spice.
Ranie shares a rich collection of recipes, from Tofu
Bergedil in the Savoury Snacks section, to Kerabu,
a Malay salad; Northern Malaysia’s Nasi Lemak platter in Rice
& Sharer; comforting One-Pot Bean Stews and Curry
Puffs; playful twists like Pandan Tiramisu in Sweet
Treats; and in Che Aminah’s Kitchen, his grandmother’s
much-loved Matrimonial Chicken. Ranie’s recipes highlight everyday
ingredients you can source locally, and the handy Malay Palate Flavour
Table offers swaps and guidance, sharing the foundations of Malay
cooking, while adapting for the modern kitchen.
About the Author
Ranie Saidi, the founder of The Malay Cook supperclub,
is a London-based recipe developer celebrating his Malaysian Malay heritage.
A 2023 Yan Kit So award finalist, his cooking is inspired by
the everyday Malay dishes his grandmother, a wedding catering cook, made while
he was growing up.
Ranie sells his Malay sauces through Delli Market and select
stores, and hosts supper clubs at Soho House, Curry Club London and the
Boundary Shoreditch. He has also been featured in the Financial Times and Olive magazine.
