My southeast Asian essentials

“THE BEAUTY OF THIS CUISINE IS ITS BREADTH AND VERSATILITY, WITH MANY DISHES BLEEDING INTO ONE ANOTHER”

Words: Kate Ng / Images: Andy Paradise

“I’ve never seen that before!” is a common refrain heard around Raya, Borough Market’s specialist southeast Asian market stall. Stocking all sorts of far-flung delights, from fresh snakefruit and mangosteens to sauces, condiments and stocks for cooking at home, Raya is the place to go for southeast Asian communities living in London – or anyone who adores the flavours of the region. With such a wide range of ingredients, drawn from different cultures and languages, it’s no wonder so many visitors are uncertain what exactly they’re looking at.

The beauty of southeast Asian food is its breadth and versatility, with many dishes and flavour combinations crossing borders and bleeding into one another – Vietnamese into Thai, Thai into Malaysian, Malaysian into Indonesian, and everything in between. Once you bring the essentials into your home via Raya or other Borough Market traders, a whole new world opens up.

As a Malaysian, I can often be found in Raya stocking up my pantry and fridge and browsing the rest of the market for other ingredients, whether I’m cooking everyday meals or embarking on a new culinary project that requires time and care. These are my essential ingredients for a southeast Asian pantry, from Raya and beyond.

Raya

Sauces and condiments

Whenever I find myself running low on cupboard essentials like soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, or the all-important chilli crisp, I head straight to Raya to stock up. My go-to brands there are Megachef fish and oyster sauces, ABC kicap manis (sweet soy sauce) and Lao Gan Ma chilli crisp.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is an absolute must-have, used widely in curries, soups and desserts. I’ve tried many coconut milks in regular supermarkets in the UK, but Thai brand Aroy-D remains my favourite thanks to its consistency and flavour.

Garnishes

Garnish on southeast Asian dishes involves far more than some measly parsley leaves. Instead, we love flavourful, textured toppings like crispy shallots and garlic, coriander, sliced chilli, peanuts, fried anchovies, and more. I love picking up a jar of Wild Rice crispy shallots, which come in two hot and spicy flavours that add plenty of heat and sweetness to anything from salads to soups. Fried peanuts and crispy anchovies is a very Malaysian pairing, and Raya stocks Makan Malaysia’s moreish jars of this mix, which is good enough to eat as a snack.

Kaya

Kaya is a sweet coconut curd traditionally flavoured with fragrant pandan leaves. A breakfast staple in Malaysia and Singapore, it’s particularly delicious on toast with a slab of cold butter thick enough to leave teeth marks when you bite into it. Madam Chang’s kaya, made right here in east London, is the best of the best. There are also different flavours, from gula melaka (palm sugar) to seasonal durian, for the adventurous.

Spice Mountain

Dried spice mixes

Spice Mountain is my favourite place to pick up dried spice mixes for curries and seasoning. Their Malaysian rendang curry spice mix is an authentic addition to this traditional slow-cooked dish, and I also love their Chinese 5-spice mix, perfect for dry rubs and meat marinades.

Shellseekers Fish & Game

Seafood

Fish and shellfish are a big part of southeast Asian cuisine, especially prawns, which feature in dry and wet curries, stir fries, fresh salads and more. A firm white fish is also important for steaming, and the better the quality of the fish, the more delicious the dish will be. I love buying my seafood at Shellseekers, where the fishmongers are friendly and know exactly how to help you.

Tea 2 You

Asian teas

I love an English breakfast tea as much as any Brit, but sometimes I crave a light, floral Chinese tea or a sweet, flavourful chai. When these cravings hit, I make my way to Tea2You. Their oolong and jasmine silver needle teas remind me of sipping on Chinese tea in Malaysian restaurants. Their masala chai is also highly aromatic and delicious – I love making a batch at home to enjoy when the weather cools.

Northfield Farm and Ginger Pig

Meat

Once in a while, I’ll get the itch to make ‘siew yoke’, a roasted pork belly dish characterised by a shatteringly crisp layer of fat and seasoned with Chinese five-spice. It’s decadent and delicious. I head to either Northfield Farm or Ginger Pig to get my fix. Northfield Farm also has a fantastic selection of beef – their minced beef in a spicy, wince-inducing pad gra pow with plenty of Thai basil is a revelation. Meanwhile, Ginger Pig is excellent for offal and offcuts. I’ll often pick up chicken feet or pork bones for simmering into a flavourful broth.

Hickson & Daughter

Fresh vegetables

There is a vast array of vegetables to choose from at Hickson & Daughter, responsibly sourced from local producers wherever possible. While I love southeast Asian produce, I’m very aware of the environmental toll of importing them into the UK, so I buy local and sustainable produce whenever I can. Hickson & Daughter always has beautiful fresh herbs like coriander and mint, as well as spring onions, ginger, pak choy, potatoes, garlic, shallots, and so many other essential vegetables.