We miss cooking at home. A LOT. Luckily, people all over the world love to cook, and the nature of food is sharing, and spending time with friends and loved ones. So, taking cooking classes has been one of the best things we’ve done on our trip so far. And Pearly’s class was truly a treat.
We started at the local wet market where she showed us ingredients that we would be using (and some super weird ones that we wouldn’t be using…) We got to try different foods along the way, and that made the market a pretty amazing treat in itself.
We were feeling pretty stuffed with coconut, sweets, rice and all sorts of traditional “nonya” foods as we strolled out of the market and made our way to Pearly’s home to start our cooking.
On the menu? Curry captain, beef rendang, and prawns with cashew sauce. When asked how chicken curry got the name “curry captain” Pearly explained. Long ago, Malays were cooking for a ship’s crew. They made their famous curry dish for supper and when the captain asked what it was, their language barrier stopped them from explaining it, so they simply said “curry, captain!” Thus, the dish was named.
Onto the local favorite, beef rendang. Think: beef stew with a coconut flavor and a spicy bite.
Last but not least (in fact, probably favorite) the eggplant with prawns in chashew sauce.
Thanks to Pearly and Chandra for the absolutely amazing course. We loved the market and the cooking itself was insightful, and Pearly kept us laughing the whole time. So glad to we chose her class!
Do it yourself:
There are a variety of cooking classes in Penang and while this is the only one we took, we recommend it strongly! It was an incredible experience. Pearly has her own recipe book (this woman is legit and knows every little detail about Nyonya Malay cooking. From nutrition to how to prepare, she really is incredible.) The market tour isn’t just a “walk through and see” experience. The vendors here are her friends and you really get a personal chance to meet them, and of course, try things you may not be brave enough (or know about on your own) to try otherwise.
Check out Pearly’s Penang Homecooking School for more details. We thought the class was more than fairly priced for what we got. At 270RM ($78) per person, it was worth every penny. Not convinced? Her TripAdvisor reviews echo our sentiments.
We were sent home with recipies and two great new friends from Denmark. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend a day in Penang, the (arguable) food capital of Southeast Asia.
Hey you guys!
Thank you for a lovely day! It was great to meet you and nice to share a day of salivating cooking. Fun to read about it and see all your pictures and witty descriptions – you managed to do it justice!
Hope you enjoyed/are enjoying Langkawi! We are chilling on a perfect beach on Koh Samui – come visit us! 🙂
– Simon & Kamille
Hey guys! So great to hear from you. We are hopping around the Thai islands now and are heading to Krabi in a few days to climb. If you’re in the area, let us know! It would be great to see you. Hope the rest of your trip is going great! Hugs!