This time, last year, we were sitting in Toh Soon Coffeeshop and sipping a good kopi-o (black coffee in local lingo) with a kaya-butter charcoal toast and the best eggs we’ve ever had. Also, this time last year, our to-do list was one which would have been the envy of  any local foodie.

If it isn’t too obvious, we have Penang withdrawal symptoms. And as I’m typing this, I’ve just drooled over the beautiful pictures of a friend who has just returned from lovely Penang.

Our only salvation- make some Penang food!

On one of our trips, we tried to take up a cooking class by the very famous Pearly Kee but we weren’t successful. So, we did the next best thing and bought her cookbook, which was just released in 2013. In it, she mentions that this dish, Curry Kapitan, was one which is unique to Penang. Dutch and Portuguese traders used to called the Chinese chiefs in Penang ‘Kapitan’ (captain?) and so, this local curry was named ‘Kapitan Curry’. It is a Peranakan (Straits-born Chinese) dish but incorporates the use of traditional Malay herbs such as lemongrass and galangal. It is an easy dish to prepare and an easier dish to eat.Though the curry paste looks potent, it is completely subdued by the creamy coconut cream and milk and the added lime gives a little tangy taste that compliments the otherwise very rich coconut-based curry. There’s not a lot of gravy in this dish which makes it perfect as a dipping ‘sauce’ for a good crusty loaf that sucks up all gravy.

There are so many varieties of curries in South and South-east Asia that it’s impossible to pick a favourite. Generally, Indian curries use a lot of ground dry spices and many South-East Asian curries (Malaysian, Indonesian, Burmese and Thai) use fresh herbs. Also, all curries are perfect comfort food; there’s something about the fusion of spices/herbs and meat slow-cooked over a low-flame that is soul gratifying.My favourites are Beef Rendang and the South Indian Fish Curry. Curry Kapitan may quickly become a favourite.

When I’m chopping and pounding fresh herbs for South-East Asian curries, I’m always in wonderment when the waft of the lemongrass and galangal hits me. Lemongrass has such a beautiful, fresh citrus smell that the chore of chopping and pounding becomes an almost ethereal experience for me. I’m constantly awed by how amazing Mother Nature is and being in the kitchen allows me to appreciate her astounding creations. I’ll never forget the first time I slit open a vanilla pod and when I tasted uni. So to express my fascination with the local ingredients which were used in this curry, I took a few snaps. Enjoy! (You can click on the photos for a better view)

And don’t forget to make the curry. You’ll not regret it.