The HEALTH Plus | OCTOBER, 2019
12
p12
“Malaysia is
a nation that
produces palm
oil and it’s been
in our diets for
a very long time.
I think that to completely
disregard it would contradict
what we are as a nation. I knew
of a recipe when I was studying
in the UK where red palm oil is
used as marinate for chicken
sous vide to give
it a nice pink colour. ”
— Chef Ili Sulaiman
LEVELED GOODNESS: Dishes carried and delivered in tiffi n
carriers, better known as mangkuk tingkat, is Ili’s signature and what
made her famous.
Dishing up
nostalgia on a plate
Chef Ili Sulaiman speaks on her love for cooking
“F
rom a young age, my
family has always
congregated in the
kitchen and I would be so
curious to what’s going
on. I felt most comfortable
hanging around my family in the kitchen. The
one thing that made me happiest was cooking;
cooking for people and my family, talking to
my grandmother and attempting to dig out
the family’s recipes.”
That’s when Ili Sulaiman realised that
food was actually something
she should have dived in
earlier. The ultimate push
was when one of her
very close friends was
diagnosed with stage four
lymphoma and the only
way she could deal with
The fun, bubbly Ili
Sulaiman is looking
forward to future
projects, one of it
involves giving back
to society by creating
sustainable utensils.
her friend’s condition was to cook for him.
“He told me that I ought to be doing this full
time and that he has never seen me happier
and how good my food was. That’s when I quit
my job and began Dish by Ili,” she recollects.
Diari Mangkuk Tingkat,
Dish by Ili and Food Hero
“Initially, Dish by Ili was to celebrate Malaysian
food – made using real ingredients, packed
into tiffi n carriers and delivered to people’s
homes. My whole ethos was to preserve my
family’s recipes, provide people with home
cooked meals because I felt it was better than
eating out. Plus the added fact of delivering it
in an economical and friendly manner.”
From there, she stumbled upon the
opportunity with her fi rst TV show, Diari
Mangkuk Tingkat. It had catapulted her
to an international level. After that, she
entered Asian Food Channel (AFC) and Food
Network’s Food Hero competition in 2015,
where she emerged as the winner.
A universal language
that brings cultures together
“I’m from a mixed background – my mother is
half English, half Chinese, my father is half Sri
Lankan, half Malay – therefore I never felt like
I belonged anywhere. The way I connected
with people is through food. Even at a young
age, I would go to my Chinese, Indian and
Malay friends' house and try out diff erent
foods.”
“The fondest memories of me growing
up was the connection I had with people
when a plate of good food was between us.
I understand the power of food and how it
brings people together no matter what your
background is.”
The oil essential to us
Being part of the Malaysian food scene means
to cook with Malaysian ingredients. Out of all
the ingredients used, palm oil has been noted
to have healthy benefi ts, especially in heart
health. This is what Chef Ili has to say
about it:
“Malaysia is a nation that produces palm
oil and it’s been in our diets for a very long
time. I think that to completely disregard it
would contradict what we are as a nation. I
knew of a recipe when I was studying in the
UK where red palm oil is used as marinate for
chicken sous vide to give it a nice pink colour.
I was very curious to why Malaysians didn’t
cook that way because it was not deep frying
but you would still get the palm oil fl avour.
However, I believe that anything should be
consumed in moderation.”
Ili’s ingredients
to a healthy heart
“We are a nation that grew up consuming rice
so why are we trying to eradicate it? And as
for healthy eating, we are looking to western
vegetables, despite the fact that we have so
much healthy vegetables here such as ulam,
okra, eggplant.”
“Go back to the basics, I say. Start cooking
dishes you love – one that’s easy to cook
because I believe once you have perfected
your favourite dish, it’s easier to expand on
other recipes,” she advises. — The Health Plus