• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 shallots, roughly chopped
• 1 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1 tablespoons gula Melaka or brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (65 g) freshly grated coconut
• 2.5 cm ginger, bruised
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised

As well as being an important ingredient in some of the recipes in this book, this is also a great thing to add to a plate of nasi lemak or to serve as a side with a curry. Ideally, use grated fresh coconut instead of the desiccated kind for this. (If you do end up using desiccated coconut, you’ll need the same amount – but it won’t need to be toasted for as long, so keep an eye on it!)

First, grind the coriander seeds, shallots, garlic, tamarind, sugar and salt together into a paste, either with a mortar and pestle or food processor. Scrape the paste into a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add the coconut. Throw in the ginger and lemongrass and stir-fry until the coconut starts to brown and the mixture looks dry. Store in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to a week.