Welcome To Christina Arokiasamy’s Cultural Kitchen
Featured Press
"Ms. Arokiasamy, 55, grew up buying roti canai for a few cents from a corner shop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and eating it with tea or coffee. She cooks frozen roti canai from the South Asian grocery store on the griddle, then claps it between her hands to make it extra flaky, like the roti from her childhood."
"The Seattle cookbook author Christina Arokiasamy, on the other hand, is looking for a traditional version when she shops for roti canai — made by stretching the dough into a thin, large round while slicking it with oil.
Ms. Arokiasamy, 55, grew up buying roti canai for a few cents from a corner shop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and eating it with tea or coffee. She cooks frozen roti canai from the South Asian grocery store on the griddle, then claps it between her hands to make it extra flaky, like the roti from her childhood.
But it’ll never taste as delicate as the fresh version, she said. “It is a lot of work and artistry to make a roti.”"
Welcome
Welcome to The Cultural Kitchen in Kent, Washington, where we invite you to take a culinary journey through a hands-on cooking class with acclaimed chef and cookbook author Christina Arokiasamy.
The Spice Merchant’s Daughter – chef Christina Arokiasamy, trademark for true and unique Southeast Asian cultural cooking and dining experience, immerses you in an evening gateway into a visual and sensory feast you’ll never forget. Having been awarded many industry accolades and topped many gastronomes’ scoreboards, chef Christina Arokiasamy (Aro-Kia-Sammi) highly acclaimed class attracts people from all over America to imbibe in the secrets of her exquisite flavors, stories and traditions; you would otherwise have to take a flight to Southeast Asia to experience.
Whether you are a beginner or an accomplished cook looking to expand your repertoire, you are bound to have an enjoyable time grinding spices, cutting aromatics, creating master sauces and sambals, learning to use the wok or stone mortar and pestle. Savor an exquisite meal afterwards unlike anything you’re ever tasted. “Please think of my class as your home away from home, whenever you cook here, you are among friends” –
~ Christina Arokiasamy ~
THE MALAYSIAN KITCHEN
Boston New York 2017
FIVE GENERATIONS
IN THE SPICE TRADE
Boston New York 2017
~Chef Christina Arokiasamy~
RECIPES
Kopi Tiam Pork Tenderloin in Black Pepper Sauce
Hainan cuisine made its way to British Malaya in the late 1800s through cooks who ventured to this colony in search of greener pastures. Working in expatriate homes, camps and for wealthy Europeans, they soon mastered the culinary skills to make familiar European food such as roasts, soups and bread. Over time, the inevitable fusion of European and Chinese came to be known as Hainanese cuisine.
Baked Ratatouille in Dutch Oven
Baked Ratatouille in Dutch Oven Ingredients 2 medium yellow onions, about 2 cups chopped 3 bell peppers, preferably 1 each of yellow, green, and red
The Perfect Butter Pie Dough
The Perfect Butter Pie Dough Ingredients 6 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tsp. granulated sugar 3/8 tsp. table salt 4 oz. (8 Tbs.)
Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry Puffs
Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry Puffs (Makes 22 curry puffs) Ingredients: 1 cup frozen petite peas 1 pound frozen puff pastry 1 carrot, peeled and
Chicken and Fettuccini in Galangal Coconut Sauce
(Malaysian Laksa) Recipe Ingredients Laksa Paste 2 stems lemon lemongrass, thinly sliced 1 medium onion or 6 shallots, peeled and chopped 4 garlic cloves 1
Coconut Rice with Sambal, Anchovy, Egg, Peanuts and Cucumber
Coconut Rice with Sambal, Anchovy, Egg, Peanuts and Cucumber (Nasi Lemak ) It’s hard not to love nasi (rice) lemak (coconut), so popular that its
WHAT THE PRESS IS SAYING
These Malaysia-born chefs are bringing local flavours to the global stage BY SHARUNA SEGAREN 08 AUG 2022
SEATTLE-BASED CHEF AND COOKING INSTRUCTOR CHRISTINA AROKIASAMY CALLS curry a comfort food, just like beef stew. “A spicy sauce, light or rich, with vegetables, meat and/or seafood, curries can be the best braised dishes you’ll ever taste,”
- Oprah -
"Think you can’t cook Malaysian food? Too complicated? Wouldn’t know where to start? Think again! This spicy, tangy, vibrant cuisine is well within reach if you have a copy of chef Christina Arokiasamy’s new cookbook."
- Seattle Times -
"CHRISTINA AROKIASAMY’S tales are transporting, as when she talks about her childhood in Kuala Lumpur, picking fresh curry leaves on daily walks."
- People Magazine -
"The author of The Malaysian Kitchen offers a quick side dish that ‘will complement anything you bring to the table"
- Publishers Weekly -
"Arokiasamy, a Malaysian native, professional chef, and cooking instructor, showcases a flavorful array of Malaysian dishes in this enticing and accessible collection."
- The Huffington Post -
"Chef Christina was born and raised in Malaysia, is the author of “The Spice Merchants Daughter” and is also considered a spice expert, coming from 5 generations of spice merchants."
- King 5 -
"A stunning new cookbook takes home cooks on a culinary adventure to the heart of Southeast Asia. In The Malaysian Kitchen, chef and author Christina Arokiasamy shares recipes for incredible dishes that are as simple as they are delicious."
- The Food Republic -
"Think you can’t cook Malaysian food? Too complicated? Wouldn’t know where to start? Think again! This spicy, tangy, vibrant cuisine is well within reach if you have a copy of chef Christina Arokiasamy’s new cookbook."
- NBC -
"Chef Christina Arokiasamy is a fifth-generation descendant of a family of spice merchants. She grew up in Kuala Lumpur, trained in Bali and Thailand, and today makes her home in Seattle, Washington."
- CBS -
"Arokiasamy — a renowned chef, author and spice expert — is spearheading the Malaysia Kitchen Program, working to promote the accessibility and convenience of the country’s cuisine and products to U.S. consumers."
- Yahoo Style -
"Galangal, the fragrant ingredient popular in cuisines across Asia, tends to get lumped in with ginger. It makes sense: They’re closely related to one another (galangal is sometimes called “blue ginger”), both are rhizomes (knobby, underground stems that sprout roots and shoots), and both have long been thought to have medicinal properties."
- The Washington Post -
"Sweet soy sauce and Thai basil give this spicy dish an authentic flavor."
- Star Magazine -
Malaysian-born chef Christina Arokiasamy was offered a cookbook deal after appearing on the Food Network in the US as host of Bespoke Malaysian Kitchen based on the idea that she would be introducing and teaching Malaysian dishes to Americans.