Cooking in Penang Tropical Spice Garden

Penang Tropical Spice Garden is such a lovely place for cooking, says Suzanna from Holland.

A nutritionist by profession, Suzanna absolutely enjoy cooking with herbs and spices. After the nature walk with the Tropical Spice Garden guide, she look forward to cook with them.

Suzana with her new found friends after the Tropical Spice Garden, spice trail walk

First dish is Nyonya Curry Chicken with Potatoes. Suzanna first makes the paste as I guide her the reason behind preparing paste before commencing anything else.

Making the curry paste for Nyonya Curry Chicken with potatoes

As she skins and cuts her potatoes, we told her we prefer the potatoes in chunks, not cubes. Halves are acceptable.

Nyonya Curry Chicken with potatoes

Coconut cream or milk is then mixed with water and rest to allow the cream to float. I then told her how important to skim the cream of the liquid for cooking. In this way, as the curry boils, simmers, it won't be too oily at the finished dish.

Guest form India and Australia following their scent to our cooking class in the garden itself

We were really surprised when guest walked in to taste the dish. The aromatic scent is what make them walked in, they guest told us. it was like a treasure hunt, our nose does the job and led us here, our little cooking hut.

These guest were from India and have not cooked with lemongrass, galangal, fresh turmeric before. For them it was indeed an adventure tasting fresh ingredients.

Nyonya Masak Titik

Next dish is Masak Titik, a delicate clear soup of watermelon, dried shrimps paste and prawn balls. Suzanna was surprised how we can used watermelon flesh to cook this lovely delicate soup.She was simply amazed how sweet the soup was.

I explained to here in the days of my forefathers (about 150 years ago), food was scared. Every kind of fruits, flowers, herbs, leaves and roots are pluck and wash.

My ancestors learn form the local Malays how to live off the land. I wish I could still do that but I will miss my modern stuff like blenders and computers.

Suzanna feasting her lunch

Coming back to all things fresh, they were taught what can be eaten fresh, or to make ulam or kerabu (salad). Suzanna feels so blessed to be able to eat food with fresh roots (rhizomes) like galangal, turmeric and ginger.

The health benefits of eating roots and herbs were explained to Suzanna. Some of it contains anti fungal properties so natural detox is happening in your body as you eat the dish.

For registration of nature walks with guides at Tropical Spice Garden, register in here.

Tropical Spice Garden has converted their Spice Museum to the Cooking School, so if you come learn cooking, this is what you get. We have work and cooking stations for 10 people. We shared many secrets and tip and doable recipes are provided in the class. Look at the state of the art cooking school here.





I also teach in my home at Shanta Niketan, a double storey house in Pulau Tikus. Guest gets personalised class and a complimentary wet market tour when you cooked in my house. Register here and i will send you 60 dishes to choose from.

In my own website, there are many pages I dedicate to people I respect and love. You can see some pages of cooking in Penang at my home.

About cooking in Penang, homecooked food is the answer 
My Cooking Mentor
Lim Bian Yam Famous Students
Penang home Cooks Set up
If you are happy with my sharing, register here: