The term Malaysian denotes populations living in Malay peninsula and nearby islands, including the east coast of Sumatra, Borneo and the smaller islands in the area. Malaysians today are descendants of immigrants proto-Malays and Indians, Thais, Arabs and Chinese. Malay culture was also heavily influenced by neighbors. The influence of Hindu India was colossal and almost all Malaysians were converted to Hinduism, to take place before the transition to Islam occurred in the XVth century. Malaysians have used liberally the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots, galangal, pandanus, turmeric, "Damages Kemang" (a variety of basil), laksa leaves, lime and chillies kafru both fresh and dried. Often, they are crushed together with other ingredients to form a paste and seasoned pepper called sambal. All they evince a strong resemblance Thai cuisine, but also to those from Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Malaysian Spices Dried spices most often used are fennel, cumin, coriander, cloves,...
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