The pasar malam has been a part of the Malaysian lifestyle for as long as I can remember.
I remember sporadic evening visits to the night market as a child, delighting in the putu mayam stall, waiting (eagerly) for the rice flour and coconut concoctions to finish steaming as the sweet smell of jaggery wafted past my impatient nose.
I remember the yards and yards (or maybe it just seemed that way to a small child) of clear plastic jars filled with assorted biscuits, crumbly sugee cookies, stripey pepper biscuits, and cashew nut-topped confections; the smoky satay grill with the ever patient satay man fanning the fire; and the Nyonya kuih stall fronted by rows of colourful kuih cut straight from the end of a rainbow.
But that was then. Recent visits to the pasar malam show that jostling for space with the putu mayam stall is a man frying up tteokbokki, Korean rice cakes in a shiny sauce made with gochujang (chilli paste); a stall selling mini cakes known as "China burgers"; a Taiwan pizza stall and various others selling snacks smacking of Japanese street food.
Even local food such as the carrot cake has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts, being cubed, battered and deep fried and then topped with a secret sauce!
These are signs of the changing times, of global economy and a shrinking world.
While I revel in all these new taste experiences to be found at the pasar malam, in my heart there will always be a place for the putu mayam man.
Check out these tasty new offerings at a pasar malam near you.
China burgers
These are fluffy pancake-like snacks with a filling in the middle. Fluffy batter encases a layer of minced chicken, egg and whichever filling you choose: minced pork, sardine, kimchi, baby octopus, hot dog, tiger prawn, ham, Korean laver (seaweed) or spring onion.
It's all cooked in what looks like a large muffin pan with the batter going in first, then the minced chicken and egg when the batter is set. The result is a tasty mouthful of layered flavours. Depending on the filling you choose, one China burger will set you back between RM1.50 and RM2.
Check it out at: Serdang and SS2, Petaling Jaya (Monday); Sungai Long and Taman Seri Petaling (Tuesday); Taman Connaught and Seri Rampai, OUG (Wednesday); Taman Segar and Taman Muda, Cheras (Friday) and SS13, Subang Jaya (Sunday).
China burgers
Deep-fried mushrooms and homemade tofu
Even in the hordes that make up a pasar malam crowd, it's a cinch to find this stall – just follow the shrill piped cries of "tofu" that emanate from a speaker above the head of the man at the wok.
He's dishing up freshly-fried battered oyster mushrooms and homemade tofu. The mushrooms – hot, crisp and slightly oily – are RM3 for 10 or RM5 for 17. The tofu, made from a combination of tofu and fish paste, is RM3 for seven pieces and RM5 for 12. There's chilli sauce to go with it but it's just as good without.
And soaking quietly at the side of the same stall – fishballs in curry or tom yum sauce.
Check these out at: SS2 (Monday); Sungai Long (Tuesday); Taman Connaught (Wednesday); Overseas Union Garden (Thursday); Kepong (Saturday); and Selayang Jaya (Sunday).
Deep-fried mushrooms and homemade tofu
Roda crispy short cake
Look for a stall named Hojia and you will find some intriguing-looking flat sheets with toppings laid out as if on pedestals.
These semi-crisp sheets are made with rice flour then topped with dried cuttlefish, ground peanuts and a spicy sauce; or chicken floss, sesame seeds, fried shallots and Thousand Island sauce. They are RM2.50 apiece.
The location for this stall isn't fixed and it tends to move around. However, there's a good chance you'll find it at the SS2 pasar malam on Mondays.
Roda crispy short cake
Baby octopus skewers
Alongside the sausages offered at the Double Dragon Taiwan Sausage stall are skewers of baby octopuses. These are the seasoned cephalods you typically find in Japanese restaurants, preserved with vinegar and marinated in a sweet-tangy sauce, served with additional sauces such as wasabi mayonnaise, salad sauce or Thousand Island.
Check it out at: SS2 (Monday); Seri Petaling (Tuesday); Taman Connaught (Wednesday); Kok Doh (Friday) and Kepong (Sunday).
Battered carrot cake and fried rice cake
Madam Teh's Nyonya Nasi Lemak stall also sells carrot cake that has been flavoured with dried shrimps, then cubed, battered and deep fried to a crunchy finish. Mayonnaise and chilli sauce are then squeezed over it for a flavour twist.
A similar rice cake version is topped with either shredded yam bean, carrot and salad, or radish and chilli.
Both offerings are RM2 per serving.
Check them out at: Taman Len Sen, Cheras (Monday); Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park (Wednesday); Overseas Union Garden (Thursday); Taman Seraya, Cheras (Friday); Batu 14, Puchong (Saturday) and SS13, Subang Jaya (Sunday).
Taiwan Pizza
It's amazing how moreish a simple dough of flour and water can become when it's mixed with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds, and fried in fragrant peanut oil. That's the basis for the crisp, flavourful Taiwan pizza, which the stall-owner first rolls flat like a pizza base and then fries until crispy. It's even cut into segments (70 sen per piece) just like a pizza.
Check it out at: SS2 (Monday); Seri Petaling (Tuesday); Taman Connaught (Wednesday); Chao Yang, SS2 (Thursday); and Taman Midah, Cheras (Friday).
Flavoured tau foo fa
Tau foo fa is one of the most established street food desserts in Malaysia but if you like a twist to this old favourite, look for the flavoured tau foo fa stall. Choose from chocolate, corn, pandan, mango and yam flavours served in syrup to enjoy this silky smooth soy bean pudding at RM2.50 per bowl. You have the option of adding nata de coco, chocolate rice or longan for an extra 50 sen.
Check it out at: SS2 (Monday); Seri Petaling (Tuesday); Taman Connaught (Wednesday); Overseas Union Garden (Thursday); and Taman Seraya, Cheras (Friday).
