Malaysian Cuisine From a Malaysian Home

Growing up in the multicultural city of Kuala Lumpur, Jasvinder Karam's homemade recipes speak to all Malaysians

- Katelyn Tan

I always thought of Chinese, Indian, and Malay cuisine as one,” Jasvinder Karam tells me. The author of Champur, Flavours from a Malaysian Home, flips through her cookbook, and recipes pop out, from nasi lemak and curry mee to biryani, organised by ingredient rather than cuisine. “My Malay cooking came from my dad’s friends, while I was exposed to Indian and Chinese fare at home and at school,” she says.

Jasvinder began working on her book in March 2021, completing her collection of recipes and stories in September 2022 with support from her daughter. While she tried and tested each recipe over 20 times while writing the cookbook, the dishes are ones that the 59-year-old has served to friends and family hundreds of times over the past five decades.

While she is now undoubtedly passionate about cooking, Jasvinder began making food out of necessity. “I lost my mum when I was nine, so from a young age, I was in charge of running the household,” she reveals. “By the time I was 11, I was going to the market and making food for my family on my own.”