These little cuties are my take on Kueh Lapis Beras, or Rainbow Sweets, Asian sweets that are usually made with rice flour or glutinous rice, often with coconut and always with lots of sugar! This Indonesian-style rice-flour kueh presents so beautifully and is really easy to make: it’s steamed in layers and you can make it in moulds or cut it into any shape you like.

This rich dark golden paste is called kerisik in Malaysia, where it's commonly used to enrich curries such as rendang. You can think of it as a coconut butter - it's extremely satisfying to make because it transforms one ingredient into something completely different!

Rendang is a typical Malaysian curry, an absolute favourite that's loved all around the world. There are countless variations - today's is cooked by Malay cookbook author Suriya Abdullah, who I was delighted to spend time with in Kuala Lumpur.

This incredible creation is an amalgam of two great recipes, one for a pork curry, and one for a pillowy soft white bread. We wrap the pork curry like a tasty present then stuff it inside the bread before it's baked. The result is a 'golden pillow' with a delicious surprise inside.

Otak Otak is savoury fish custard with fragrant curry flavours and is eaten all over Malaysia and Singapore in various forms, usually wrapped in banana leaves and steamed, but sometimes also grilled. Otak otak is delicious and so easy. Thanks Sandra Bee for making this for us!

As soon as I saw Olivia Tan cook this dish, I knew it was going to be a family favourite at our place! It's so easy, amazingly quick and - crucially - very delicious.