Vintage 70's Malay Recipe Book

Here's something old and interesting to share. This coverless book was part of my moms recipe collections. Titled 'Masakan Lauk2 Dan Kue' it was published in 1970 and  well, it's not that old but what I like about it is the retro style drawings. Written by Che' Amah Tain, there is a variety of traditional Malay recipes ranging from main dishes to cakes and desserts. 

The text were written in old Malay (Bahasa Melayu) spelling, just two years before the 'spelling reform'. During that period of spelling reform, publishers were allowed to dispose of their old book stocks and to publish revised editions in the new spelling. This book looks like it was independently published so maybe a revised version of it does not exist. But if you happened to own one, do let me know.

While I was flipping through the pages, I noticed that the recipes are pretty much similar to the modern version of what we now call classic Malay recipes. Some even have funny recipe names :)

Pulut Dansing = Dancing Sticky Rice :)

If you're from the state of Kedah, you might find this recipe similar to Pulut Dakap. I guess that's what they call it back then. For this particular recipe, banana is encased in sticky rice and then wrapped in banana leaves. Two parcels are tied together & then steamed till cooked. You can find a version of this recipe at My Resepi.

Lepat is a Malay dessert wrapped in banana leaves. This recipe has little ingredients, but not that simple to make as there are some steps involved in making it.

Take a peek at a version of this recipe at My Resipi.

This is a Malay version of bread pudding recipe. Using coconut milk instead of regular cow's milk adds a creamy tropical flavour. Pandan leaves are used as flavouring. I'm not sure about 2 cups of sugar stated in the recipe. I bet it gonna taste darn sweet! 

My favourite bread pudding recipe is from Allrecipes.com

'Kueh Ma'mor' or biskut Makmur is similar to the western version of  Mexican Wedding Cakes & Snowball cookies. The most important ingredient is the 'butter ghee' & you cannot substitute it with other fat. This is my all time favourite cookie.

Images & retro drawings from the book:

This drawing is my favourite.....so retro.

I bet some of you Malaysian might have a copy of this book or maybe some other older cook books hiding in your store room. You'll never know unless you do some spring cleaning & you'd be surprised with all the treasures that you can find.

Have a beautiful Friday :)