Over the years, I've been asked countless times: "What spices should I buy first?" It's a fair question. Walk into any Asian grocery store and the spice aisle can feel overwhelming — rows of unfamiliar powders and pastes, each promising authenticity.
After three decades of cooking, I've narrowed it down to five essentials. With these in your pantry, you can make 90% of the dishes in my cookbooks.
1. Turmeric (Kunyit)
Fresh turmeric is ideal, but ground turmeric is perfectly fine for everyday cooking. It gives Malaysian curries their signature golden colour and earthy warmth. I use it in everything from rendang to fried rice.
2. Coriander seeds (Ketumbar)
Buy them whole and toast them lightly before grinding — the fragrance is incomparable. Coriander is the backbone of rempah (spice paste) and appears in nearly every curry recipe I've ever written.
3. Cumin (Jintan putih)
Often paired with coriander, cumin adds depth and warmth. A little goes a long way. I keep both whole seeds and ground powder on hand.
4. Dried chillies
Not a spice in the traditional sense, but absolutely essential. Soak them in hot water, blend them into a paste, and you have the foundation for sambal — the heart and soul of Malay cooking.
5. Lemongrass (Serai)
Again, not technically a spice, but I cannot imagine cooking without it. Fresh lemongrass adds a citrusy brightness that lifts every dish it touches. Bruise the stalks with the back of a knife to release the oils, then add them whole to curries and soups.
A final note
The best spice of all is confidence. Don't be afraid to adjust quantities to your taste. Malaysian cooking has always been about personal expression — every family's rendang tastes different, and that's exactly how it should be.