Asian Fusion recipes at The Maya Kitchen

IT WAS a day of culinary discovery as Chef Danny dela Cuesta regaled students and guests with his vast knowledge of Nyo-Nya Cooking, the precursor to present day Asian Fusion cuisine. The cuisine can be best described as a mixture of Chinese, Thai, Indian, Singaporean and Malay influences.

Asian Fusion is about flavor, color and spices. Key ingredients include coconut milk, galangal, candlenuts as both flavoring and thickening agents, pandan leaves, belachan, tamarind juice, lemongrass, torch ginger bud, jicama, fragrant kaffir lime leaf, rice or egg noodles and cincaluk-a powerfully flavored sour and salty shrimp-based condiment that is typically mixed with lime juice, chillies and shallots and eaten with rice, fried fish and other side dishes.

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Chef dela Cuesta’s cooking sessions were divided into three different Cooking influences: Palau Method (Thai influences), Melaka Method (Indonesian influences) & Singapore Method (Chinese influences).

The dishes included the popular salad Gado Gado complete with Rojack Sauce, Malaysian Satay Sauce, Biryani Rice, Claypot Rice, Babi Chim, Coconut Rice with Papaya Salad, Rice Noodles in Beef Curry Sauce, Pork Roll Kekiam and Bubur Chacha, a refreshing dessert similar to our halo-halo.

The Asian Fusion session is part of The Maya Kitchen’s monthly series of featured chefs and cuisines. Log on to www.themayakitchen.com for more information.