Before getting known for his TikTok clips, Imran Bard first kicked off his content creating journey with cooking videos — as many did during the course of the pandemic. He shares some of his favourite food recipes to make at home.
Everyone and their local atok probably knows Imran Bard by now — regardless of whether you consider yourself someone who’s ‘chronically online’ or not. The uber-popular TikTok star is so recognisable with his random yet funny audio clips like “ghisau ghisau” and “gwenchanayo” that have both been reacted to and reposted all across the platform, as well as beyond. But if you have followed Imran for a while now, you’d know that he got his start as a content creator with his cooking videos on YouTube — which he spent most of the pandemic years doing. Here, five of Imran’s favourite food recipes to make at home.
Masak lemak. As a true-blue Malaysian — and self-proclaimed ‘kampung boy’ — Imran’s ultimate go-to dish is masak lemak. “It’s just so sedap,” he gushes, “and it’s also so easy to make, you know?” Whether it’s daging (beef) or ayam (chicken), masak lemak is such a classic dish, especially in the Malay community. The turmeric and coconut milk truly brings out the smooth and creamy flavour, and if you’re feeling brave — try adding cili padi for a kick! Check out Imran’s take on the classic ayam masak lemak HERE.
Just about any kind of pasta. Another simple yet totally versatile dish that Imran would often cook up at home is pasta. “Apa-apa pasta pun okay,” he says, “because it’s pretty easy to make, and I just like to eat any type!”
Nasi ambeng. “Have you ever tried nasi ambeng?” Imran asks, before launching into an excited spiel about how much he loves the traditional Javanese dish. “It’s, like, everything you need all put together on one plate.” Often served on a platter, nasi ambeng combines the best trio of dishes: steamed rice with chicken curry or soy sauce; beef or chicken rendang; and sambal goreng; as well as some other sides to follow. As is the Indonesian tradition, the sambal goreng consists of tempeh (fermented soy beans), tofu and long beans. “You mesti kena try,” he adds, after describing it ever so deliciously, “memang sedap.”
Satay with kuah kacang. A classic in the Malay household, especially during Eid season — the satay and kuah kacang (peanut sauce) combo will never get old. “Makanan paling sedap,” Imran calls it in his own cooking video, “makanan simple and remeh (light).” His video is almost an hour long, but that’s only a testament to the process that the creator goes through to make the dish as delicious as it can be. “Makes us appreciate so much all the satay stalls and restaurants out there!” a comment reads. Check out the video yourself, HERE.
Ketupat. Of course, you can’t have satay and kuah kacang during Eid without ketupat. Classically packed inside a diamond-shaped container of woven palm leaf pouch, these rice cakes make for a great dish to ring in the festivities. “I memang suka masak all these things,” Imran says on making the perfect ketupat, “and I just love spending as much time as I can in the kitchen.”
Read our full interview with our cover star Imran Bard in the latest issue of LSA Digital Cover Vol. 015 HERE.
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Written by
Puteri Yasmin Suraya
Senior Writer, Features and Tech
Hailing from an English Literature & Creative Writing background, Yasmin has a deep love for fiction and poetry. When she’s not reading or café-hopping, she spends most of her time in the comfort of her own room binge-watching period romances, (badly) belting out show tunes, and curating Spotify playlists to match her mood for the week.
