''Masak lemak lada api'' (

Negeri Sembilan Malay Negeri Sembilan Malay ( or ; ; Jawi: بهاس ملايو نڬري سمبيلن) is an Austronesian language spoken mainly in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, including parts of Hulu Langat District in southeastern Selangor, Alor Gajah ...

: ''Masak lomak lado api'' or ''Saklomak''; Jawi: ماسق لمق لاد اڤي), also known as ''gulai kuning'' (); is a Malaysian dish originating in the state of

Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...

. ''Masak lemak lada api'' is a pungent and rich ''

gulai Gulai is a type of spiced stew commonly found in the culinary traditions of Indonesia, Malaysia and other parts of Maritime Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Singapore and southern Thailand. Closely associated with both Minangkabau and Malay c ...

'' that usually consists of

coconut milk Coconut milk is a plant milk extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of the milky-white liquid are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ingred ...

mixed with

turmeric Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high ...

, giving the dish the characteristic vibrant yellowish green colour, and infused with a generous amount of

bird's eye chili Bird's eye chili or Thai chili ( owing to its shape) is a chili pepper variety (botany), variety from the species ''Capsicum annuum'' that is native to Mexico. Cultivated across Southeast Asia, it is used extensively in many Asian cuisines. It m ...

(''lada api''/''cili api''/''cili padi'' in Malay), which adds the fiery kick to the dish. It is often hailed as the most defining dish in traditional Negri cuisine, infamously known for its immense spiciness, where it has been well established as a staple in Negri households and in restaurants specialising in Negri fare throughout Negeri Sembilan and nationwide. ''Masak lemak lada api'' is also popular in northern

Malacca Malacca (), officially the Historic State of Malacca (), is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca ...

, especially in

Alor Gajah District Alor Gajah District, formerly known as Northern District, is one of the three administrative districts of Malacca, Malaysia. It borders Tampin District, Rembau District and Port Dickson District (including the exclave of Tanjung Tuan) in Negeri ...

, whose population mainly speak

Preparation

In the original Negri rendition of the dish, the spice base calls for a generous amount of

chili peppers Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to add pungency ( ...

, normally either

bird's eye Birds Eye is an international brand of frozen foods founded in the United States and now owned by Conagra Brands in the United States, by Nomad Foods in Europe, and Simplot in Australia. The former Birds Eye Company Ltd., originally named "Bi ...

(''c. anuum'') or '' c. fructescens'' – and

, mixed with liberal quantities of

on a simmering heat. It is cooked with a variety of meats, usually

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...

(including their

eggs An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo begins to develop. Egg, EGG or eggs may also refer to: Biology * Egg cell, the female reproductive cell (gamete) in oogamous organisms Food * Eggs as food Places * Egg, Austria * Egg, Switzerland ...

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

mutton Lamb and mutton, collectively sheep meat (or sheepmeat) is one of the most common meats around the world, taken from the domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries'', and generally divided into lamb, from sheep in their first year, hogget, from sheep in thei ...

, and sometimes

venison Venison refers primarily to the meat of deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, including the internal organs. Venison, much like beef or pork, is categorized into spe ...

, which are added straight up or cured by

smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...

. Like their distant kindred in

West Sumatra West Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. West Sumatra borders the Indian Ocean to the west, as well as the provinces of ...

, the Negeri Sembilanese also integrate their fondness of

offal Offal (), also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the internal organ (anatomy), organs of a butchered animal. Offal may also refer to the by-products of Milling (grinding), milled grains, such as corn or wheat. Some cultures strong ...

in the cooking process, the popular types being

brains The brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for special senses s ...

cowhide Cowhide is the natural, unbleached skin and hair of a cow. It retains the original coloring of the animal. Cowhides are a product of the food industry from cattle. Cowhide is frequently processed into leather. Process Once a cow has been killed, ...

tripe Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle and sheep. Types Beef Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's stomach chambers: th ...

spleen The spleen (, from Ancient Greek '' σπλήν'', splḗn) is an organ (biology), organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The spleen plays important roles in reg ...

and

intestines The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascular system. ...

. Seafoods like

prawns Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton and ten legs (members of the order of decapods), some of which are edible. The term ''prawn''Mortenson, Philip B (2010''This is not a weasel: a close look at nature's most ...

and '' siput sedut'' are also a popular addition in the preparation of the dish. Complementary vegetables often include

potatoes The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

, '' pucuk paku'',

edible mushrooms Edible mushrooms are the fleshy fruit bodies of numerous species of macrofungi (fungi that bear fruiting structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye). Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence of poisonous effects on ...

, unripe

jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...

flesh, unripe

horse mango ''Mangifera foetida'' (also called horse mango, malmut, limus, bachang, machang, and kemantan in Borneo) is a species of plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is found in wet-land rainforest regions of Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, T ...

, and

bamboo shoots Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible Shoot (botany), shoots (new bamboo culm (botany), culms that come out of the ground) of many bamboo species including ''Bambusa vulgaris'' and ''Phyllostachys edulis''. They are used as vegetables ...

. It is best served with hot

cooked rice Cooked rice refers to rice that has been cooked either by steaming or boiling. The terms steamed rice or boiled rice are also commonly used. Any variant of Oryza sativa, Asian rice (both Indica rice, indica and Japonica rice, japonica varieties) ...

, paired with a side of '' ulam-ulaman'',

sambal Sambal is an Indonesian chili sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of chillis with secondary ingredients such as shrimp paste (terasi), garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. ''Sambal'' is an Indonesia ...

and other accompaniments. In the state of

Johor Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore ...

, the spice base for ''masak lemak lada api'' include onions.

Gallery

Itik Salai Masak Lemak Cili Api Mangga Muda.jpg, With smoked duck and unripe mangoes Jantung pisang masak lemak.jpg, With

banana blossom A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing them f ...

Siput Sedut Masak Lemak Cili Api.jpg, With '' Cerithidea obtusa'' Udang Masak Lemak Cili Api.jpg, With prawns Telur Itik Masak Lemak Cili Api.jpg, With hard-boiled duck eggs Pucuk Paku Masak Lemak Cili Api.jpg, With

ferns The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

Telur Ikan masak lemak cili api rebung.jpg,

Roe Roe, ( ) or hard roe, is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooking, c ...

and

masak lemak lada api served on a bed of

References

{{Malaysian cuisine Negeri Sembilan Malay cuisine Malay words and phrases Foods containing coconut

Preparation

Gallery

See also

References