23/08/2025

LYFE SATURDAY | AUG 23, 2025

21

TASTY RECIPE

CREAMY TOMATO PASTA Flavourful and comforting, this creamy tomato pasta features a rich, creamy tomato sauce with a touch of chilli padi for subtle heat. Finished with a generous sprinkle of grated Italian Style cheese, it is a satisfying dish full of warmth and depth. Ingredients 40g Emborg unsalted butter 1 clove garlic (finely minced) 1 small red bird’s eye chilli, finely minced (adjust to heat preference) 30g tomato paste 200ml Emborg cooking cream, salt and pepper, to taste 140g Spaghettini (or spaghetti) 70g raw prawns (peeled and finely chopped ) 12g fresh parsley (finely chopped) 10g Emborg Shredded Italian Style (to finish), plus optional extra for topping Instructions 1. Prep the prawns – Chop the raw prawns and put them aside. 2. Cook the pasta – Boil the Spaghettini in hot water seasoned with salt. Cook until just al dente. Reserve a small ladle of pasta water, then drain. 3. Make the base sauce – In a skillet over medium heat, melt

the unsalted butter. Add the finely minced garlic and finely minced bird’s eye chilli. Sauté for about one minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic. Then, add the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it deepens in colour and turns aromatic. 4. Add the cream – Pour in the Emborg Cooking Cream and stir well to create a smooth sauce. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Let it simmer gently on low while the pasta cooks. 5. Combine pasta and sauce – Toss the cooked pasta into the tomato cream sauce. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to emulsify and loosen the sauce. 6. Add prawns at the end – With the heat still on low, stir in the chopped raw prawns. Cook just until they turn pink and opaque – no more than one minute – to keep them tender and juicy. Toss in Emborg Shredded Italian Style and stir nicely until it melts. 7. Finish and serve – Turn off the heat. Stir in fresh parsley and a generous amount of Emborg Shredded Italian Style cheese. Plate immediately in a warm pasta bowl while hot and creamy.

Creamy tomato pasta.

Satar Kunita Sri Mersing shop employee Afnan Sufyan showing satar that is ready to be cooked and sold to customers.

Aisyah frying keropok lekor at the Satar Kunita Sri Mersing shop. – PICS FROM BERNAMA

Little slice of East Coast in Johor’s Mersing

THE aroma of nasi dagang wafting from roadside stalls, the smoke of satar roasting over embers and rows of keropok lekor shops all transport visitors straight to the East Coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu. Yet, this taste of the East Coast is not in Kuala Terengganu or Kota Bharu – it is in Mersing, Johor, a coastal district about 136km from Johor Bahru and bordering Pahang to the north. The village head of Kampung Seri Lalang Laut/Mersing Kanan, Ahmad Farid Husin, said the migration of East Coast residents to Mersing began in the late 1960s, when many fishermen from Terengganu and Kelantan came seasonally to go to sea and eventually decided to settle. “My father came from Terengganu. Many fishermen at that time migrated here, married locals, and started families. Today, of the

Many traders in Mersing continue to run their family’s traditional businesses. Among them is Aisyah Sakirah Ghazali, 34, who sells satar – fresh fish paste wrapped in banana leaves and grilled over coals. “Every day, I use about 15kg of fish to make more than 3,000 pieces of satar, selling at least 350 pieces daily. This recipe has been passed down from my mother’s family in Terengganu,” she said. Meanwhile, Norizad Ramli, 43, has been running a keropok lekor and fish-based dry goods shop for more than 20 years. “I inherited my late father’s shop. My parents are originally from Terengganu, and I continue to stock keropok from Kelantan as well. Many of our customers even come from

roughly 200 families in Kampung Seri Lalang Laut, 70% to 80% have East Coast roots. “If you mention Mersing Kanan or Kampung Tanjung, people immediately know that many residents are from Terengganu and Kelantan. The language, the food, the village atmosphere – everything reflects the character of the East Coast,” he said recently. The East Coast traditions in Mersing go beyond food – they reflect a way of life. One such tradition is the game of dam soksek , similar to dam haji (checkers), which villagers play at a wakaf (property for public use) gazebo every evening after returning from the sea. “It used to be played only during the monsoon season, when

abroad, including Singapore.” Another trader, Abdul Halim Othman, 45, takes pride in being the third generation of the Othman Puteh family, pioneers of keropok lekor in Mersing. “My late grandfather, Puteh Mohamad, originally came from Besut, Terengganu. He started the keropok lekor business more than 40 years ago, and I continue the tradition now. If you want to taste the authentic East Coast, you should definitely visit Mersing,” he said. For visitors, Mersing’s uniqueness is most easily experienced through its food. Zulkifli Jali, 50, a civil servant, said keropok lekor and satar have become “mandatory souvenirs” every time he stops in Mersing to take home to his family. – Bernama

fishermen could not go out to sea. But now, it has become a daily pastime, played by the community in the afternoon during their break after fishing,” Ahmad Farid Husin said. Mohd Sufian Ghazal, a member of the board of directors of the Mersing Area Fishermen’s Association, said almost half of the association’s members are fishermen with East Coast roots, bringing with them their own traditions and fishing techniques. One notable legacy is the use of pukat ceruk batu , a method for catching fish in rocky areas near islands. This unique technique avoids fishing during the bright moon, instead relying on the dark moon and using lights or lighthouses to attract fish.