The video below is not taken by me but by IChang and her husband, Jimmy. They are Vloggers who have a YouTube channel called IChang.

They have travelled to many countries and their focus is on the food of the places they visit. They have spent many months in Malaysia and know a lot about the different types of food of the many races in Malaysia.

In the video below, they went to Malacca for the 2 delicacies.

The donuts were made from mashed sweet potatoes that have been boiled. Care must be taken not to overboil the sweet potatoes as that would cause a loss of flavour.

IChang and Jimmy were given a sweet potato that was perfectly boiled to let them taste how delicious it was.

The mashed sweet potatoes were made into donuts. A lot of vendors just make balls instead of donuts which take more effort to shape.

Donuts have a larger surface area. This makes the final product more delicious because the outer surface is crispy and is coated with fragrant gula melaka.

Gula means sugar and melaka is Malacca in BM (national language of Malaysia).

However "gula melaka" is not sugar from Malacca. It is made all over Malaysia and is brown coloured palm sugar. Unlike normal sugar that is just sweer, gula melaka has a fragrance.

Most of the vendors who sell fried sweet potatoes balls do not coat the balls with gula melaka.

IChang and Jimmy were given a fried donut without the coating so that they can see the difference  the coating makes.

Now let us talk about the Laksa. 

The noodles in it are made of rice flour. Shredded cucumber, onions, and pineapple are added. Finely shredded Bunga Kantan (Kantan flower  which is reddish pink in colour) is also added for fragrance.

The soup of the laksa is made by boiling fish with lemon grass and assam java. Assam java is sour and is available as a thick paste together with seeds or as seedless dried slices. Either form may be used. The paste form will result in a thicker soup. Pounded shallots may also be used in the soup.

The laksa comes with lime that the customer  can squeeze if he wants to have the soup more sour. If you can take the sour taste you should add the lime juice as it adds flavour to the soup.

The cost of 5 (excluding those eaten while watching the the preparation of the donuts) sweet potato donuts, 2 cups of tea (kurang  manis means put less sugar so that it is not so sweet) and 2 bowls of laksa is RM19 which is about USD4.30.

When IChang wanted to pay RM20, a "battle" ensued as the lady boss  of the shop insisted on returning the RM1 as change.

Do you think that this is funny? Other customers said that IChang lost the battle. 😃

Should the owner have accepted the tip? 

The boiled sweet potato and the donut without gula melaka should be worth more than RM1. 

Do you think that the price of RM19 is cheap.

Do you want to try to make the fried mashed potatoes?

Will you just make balls or will you shape the mashed sweet potatoes into donuts?

If you cannot get hold of gula melaka, you can try making caramel with ordinary sugar. Although it will taste different from gula melaka it will still give your donuts a shiny appearance. Do you think the looks of food (such as a shiny coat in this case) is important?

Ha ha. I think I have made you want to eat the above.

🦋