Blasta Books series Agak

Sham Hanifa’s multicultural background is the perfect representation of the Malaysian society that he grew up in, with Chinese and Thai influences from his maternal side and Indian and Malay influences from his paternal side. This is all reflected in Sham’s food, which combines these cultures, cuisines and flavours. Agak-agak (pronounced aga-aga, with a silent k) is a Malaysian saying that means ‘guess-guess’ or ‘use your instincts’. In this book, Sham Hanifa has translated those instincts into easy-to-follow recipes that pack in all the flavour of his diverse heritage, which includes Chinese, Thai, Indian and Malay influences. This multicultural background is reflected in Sham’s food, from Thai basil beef and the Malaysian comfort food classic of chicken rice to his grandmother’s famous crab laksa and Sham’s own renowned lamb rendang. With instructions on how to make many dishes out of one batch of spice paste, satay sauce or chicken broth and clever cooking tips for how to plan ahead to get two different meals out of the same ingredients, Agak-Agak packs a big flavour punch into a little book.