Here’s an open secret: garlic is so good for you. It is said to combat the common cold, and has been linked to reducing and perhaps even preventing major health issues such as heart disease and stroke.
Regular consumption of this aromatic, which belongs to the onion family, can possibly reduce your risk of brain-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
And if that isn’t awesome enough, garlic can reportedly help with hair loss! This is owing to the fact that it is full of vitamin C, which boosts collagen production that helps stimulate hair growth.
Lucky for us, Malaysians use a lot of garlic in our everyday cooking. Fans of this ingredient will know that it adds an essential fragrance and pungent flavour that is bitter, sweet and delicious, all at once!
From Hainanese chicken rice to various noodle dishes, garlic is a must-have, fried or raw, and commonly served with sesame oil or soy sauce.
This all said, here’s a quick recipe for garlic in sesame oil that will add “oomph” to your everyday dishes!
Ingredients
- 10 g garlic, about 2 large cloves
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 lime, juice only
Method
- Slice the garlic finely. Be careful with your fingers; use a mandolin to make life easier!
- In a small pan, add the sesame oil and garlic. Aim to spread the garlic out in a single layer so it cooks more evenly.
- Fry over high heat until the edges have browned slightly. It should look like it has a caramelised texture. You don’t need to stir the garlic as it cooks.
• Once the garlic is cooked, transfer to a bowl along with half a teaspoon of the sesame oil from the pan. Add the light soy sauce, sugar, pepper and lime juice. Stir to combine.
• And that’s it! Transfer into a bowl and allow to cool. Drizzle over chicken rice dishes, steamed seafood, or pretty much any dish you like!
This article first appeared in butterkicap.com, a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of her people, food and places. Get more recipes here.