. Mandy Yin

Updated Wed, September 30, 2026 at 12:03 PM UTC Mandy Yin’s chicken and squash curry.Photograph: Photography: Laura Edwards/The Guardian. Food styling: Joss Herd. Prop styling: Tabitha Hawkins. Curry runs through Malaysia’s veins; it’s in every kitchen and at every food stall, whether run by Malays, Chinese or Indians.

My favourite curries come from the Mamak Tamil Muslim cooks behind Malaysia’s all-night kopitiams, who make the best roti canai going. Go for the roti and the meat curries alongside, washed down with teh tarik – strong black tea sweetened with condensed milk, pulled until it froths. In my cookbook Simply Malaysian, I included my take on Dad’s Mamak lamb and potato curry.