Be the Voice that Echoes
A month dedicated to publishing content that celebrates womanhood while also highlighting some serious aspects of it… It took me a while to carve my endless thoughts on the topic down to one article in particular but here I am and I’m going to start with a story.
“In a land far far away, there lived a beautiful princess, locked in a tower…”
Wait, wait, I have to stop myself right there. Let’s face it, you know where this story goes and so do I. We’ve heard it a thousand times before.
The million-dollar question here is – Why are women still drastically under-represented? What is deterring women from running for office? Perhaps simply, politics isn’t a woman’s cup of tea?
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Written by Fajar binti Benjamin
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ARTICLE.
Look, I am the target audience for Captain Marvel, so to disentangle my hopes and my knee-jerk defensiveness from the reality of this movie was a herculean task. There was a lot of bad press around this movie that I was willing to ignore as long as the movie delivered on what I’d been deriving from fanfiction and what if posts on Tumblr from as young as 15. Steve Rogers as a woman, Tony Stark as a woman, Natasha Romanoff as a more prominent character, stories that utilised the unique experiences of being a girl, set in a world I’ve desperately wanted to be a part of for so long.
As a teenager, I craved representation without really understanding any of the dynamics or complexities behind it. I wasn’t an advocate or anything – I was simply a girl who wanted a female superhero she could be proud of.
3 years later, along comes the perfect candidate, Captain Marvel. You have to understand: seeing a movie like this was my dream. I have wanted this so deeply for so long.
DC’s Wonder Woman came out two years ago and don’t get me wrong, it was a great step towards better representation. However, there’s no denying that Wonder Woman is, overall, a much more palatable female superhero. She’s the perfect balance of sexy and sweet, sentimental and strong, innocent and alluring, knowledgeable and clueless. I am well aware of how paranoid and controversial this hot take is but she’s a female hero made for men. (Which isn’t to say she isn’t also a valid and beloved heroine to me).
But that quality, at least in my mind, disqualified her from being a real icon of progression. Our strong female character still needed to be attractive to men to be given screentime. Maybe I’m being uncharitable. Maybe I’m just bitter.
Either way, I wanted Marvel to deliver on another Valkyrie, Gamora, Mantis, Wanda Maximoff or even Natasha Romanoff. None of these characters have been given their own movie, true. But none of them are ever objectified by their own male teammates either (or in the case of Black Widow, at least not without consequences). Marvel has handled their female characters with a lot more taste than the DCU has.
Which is what had me so excited for Captain Marvel – to give them credit, it’s the only thing this movie managed to deliver on. They gave us a flawed female lead, and the more trolls online scream about how Brie Larson as Captain Marvel ‘doesn’t smile enough’ or ‘doesn’t fill out her suit’ or even ‘acts too stiff’, the more I applaud her characterisation in this movie.
See, Captain Marvel in this movie is a complete, multidimensional character on her own – she goes through a complete arc, she has unique responses, she has a struggle she faces with determination and grace. The only reason many came out of this movie not seeing that is the funny pacing and directing choices.
I’ll walk you through the Captain Marvel that I saw. A woman, with powers and emotions she can’t quite control is being treated like an unruly child by the Kree, these stiff, emotionless people who hold all the power in her world (sound familiar?). She doesn’t remember what it is to be human. (Ok, this is a full essay in of itself but what is it with ALIENS in the MCU acting exactly like HUMANS? Aliens are aliens! They shouldn’t have to follow human etiquette, mannerisms, behaviours, cultures and even power structures down to a T!) The Carol Danvers we’re introduced to has no control and doesn’t know much about herself or anything at all.
She just wants to prove herself good enough to be trusted and treated with respect. She’s playful and takes things lightly, not in the way Tony Stark takes things lightly as a cover for how deeply traumatised he really is, but lightly because she actually wants to have fun. A series of events that are cut together too sloppily and too quickly to really be fully appreciated sends her tumbling to Earth and this is where the real fun of Captain Marvel begins.
Once she starts playing off rookie agent Nick Fury and her best-friend-from-a-previous-life Maria Lambeau along with said best friend’s daughter, Carol Danvers’ personality is given room to breathe. She has this obvious mischievous curve to her smirk, this flippant streak, this understated sass that’s so fun to see, yet she’s also compassionate and stern where the circumstances call for it. We see a few powerful flashbacks that do all the heavy lifting for her character building. This is a woman who stands back up, no matter how many times life strikes her down. It’s not a female trait, it’s a human trait. My beef with this movie begins and ends with how the jerky pacing didn’t give this enough weight. These scenes passed by like a shout-out to the devastatingly impactful movie this could have been.
The plot takes an unexpected twist when the Skrulls are revealed to not actually be the bad guys that they’ve been portrayed as all along in this universe, but rather the victims of an attempted genocide and subsequent smear campaign by the Kree. I have to applaud Marvel for this ballsy move because not only does it so aptly reflect the real-life political climate of the US, it veers off from the canon of the comics into completely new territory that they’ll have to write themselves from now on.
Our perception of the Skrulls instantly turns on its head. From enemies that we enjoy seeing kicked down, they evolve into the emotional core of the movie, the characters we root and sympathise for (Talos’ hilariously out-of-place British accent certainly helps). Carol Danvers has to face the fact that her ignorance has killed innocent people. That she was fighting on the wrong side of the war. That she went against everything her mentor, the person she respected the most in the world, stood for.
This is where the movie stumbles over itself. This is where all the potential becomes wasted. Because instead of pausing to give weight to these enormous revelations, instead of letting Carol go through the five stages of grief, instead of taking this opportunity to make her look human, they jump instantly into upping her powers and turning her into a CGI blur of power. From the point where she rids herself of her handicap onwards, the movie passes in a bland haze. For goodness’ sake, the most impressive special effect in this movie was the de-ageing tech used on Samuel L Jackson’s face. Apart from that, sequences that should have been gorgeous, what with our main heroine glowing in technicolour, were messy and forgettable.
I do however enjoy her final choice to not fight Yon-Rogg (played by Jude Law) when he challenges her to fight, fist to fist, no powers. Yes, it’s a de-escalation of tension, and choosing to fight him would have still been in character, but ultimately, it would’ve brought her character full circle, back to playing the Kree’s games in order to prove herself. “I have nothing to prove to you” is a powerful message for women to take home. We do not need to excel in male-dominated playing fields to be valid. We do not need to reject our unique strengths and ‘play fair’ for our successes to be valid. We do not need validation. Period. Let us be who we are without barriers or expectations and see what we bring to the world with that freedom.
Carol Danver’s character arc is completed at this point. She grew from volatile to gaining control over herself, from desperate for validation to validating herself, from a soldier to a captain. This is what I loved about the movie.
Unfortunately, this hint of genius characterisation work doesn’t equal a great movie.
Higher, faster, further baby! This tagline is so exciting. It promises impact. This movie was supposed to hit us like a brick, instead we felt the sensation of a foam ball bouncing off our collective faces. It wasn’t energetic, or focused, or stylish. None of the fight sequences stand out the way sequences in The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Ragnarok or even the Ant-Man movies did. Co-directors and writers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have never ever helmed a huge blockbuster project like this. Marvel took a gamble leaving a high-stakes movie in their inexperienced hands, and it didn’t pay off.
Captain Marvel not only needed to be a good movie, it needed to be distinguishable from its predecessors. It needed to lean into a style – whether that be retro, neon, under or overstatement, upbeat or grim, anything, anything. As movie number 21 in the MCU, mirroring the release schedule and progressive sentiment of last year’s highest US box office grosser Black Panther AND as Marvel’s direct response to Wonder Woman, it had to be something. Not just the hint of something.
There is a great movie hidden somewhere within this merely good movie, and that is what frustrates me the most. Captain Marvel is blamed for being a bland character rather than bad cinematography being blamed for not fully capturing that character. Bad pacing has people walking out underwhelmed as they cite a boring story or bad dialogue, but not the invisible force driving a movie in its craft that simply wasn’t there.
To the world, Captain Marvel with its huge opening – the 6th best opening in the world ever, behind only Infinity War among Marvel films – is a success story. To critics, it’s a good movie with some issues. To haters, it’s a rubbish film that’s only coasting along on the success of the universe it’s set in and women’s desperation for representation. To little girls, it’s a fully dressed heroine who teaches lessons of self-confidence and strength to aspire to – a wonderful contrast and enhancement to Wonder Woman’s equally important lessons of compassion and kindness.
To me, it’s a dizzying shame of wasted potential, but it’s also a beautiful continuation for the amazing female characters Marvel has been granting us consistently in their lineup of women, this time finally brought to the forefront. They stumbled on the execution for this one sure, but I believe we’ll be getting much better movies out of the two strongest Avengers for years to come (the second being Goose the Flerken of course).
Now onwards to Endgame!
image source by Ng Li Wei What’s the first thing you associate with the colour pink? Women. When you see a baby in pink clothing, …
Written by: Fajar binti Benjamin – If you’re an avid YA reader, you’ve probably heard of and read The Fault In Our Stars. And if you’re an avid YA reader who has not read TFIOS, it’s probably because of a strong opinion expressed to you that you’ve decided to believe. There are no alternatives.
By Supriya Sivabalan and Fajar binti Benjamin
The ever-thriving local music scene that’s full of talented artists of all ages has been growing over the recent years as we watch the rise of many musical talents. Among them include Daniel, 29 and Ruben, 24 also known as Wanted Symphony.
Echo Media’s event team had the pleasure of interviewing this singer-songwriter duo who are about to release their new album this year on all digital platforms.
Having started the band roughly 8 years ago, the reputable name “Wanted Symphony”, was inspired by Daniel’s roots of being a classically trained pianist and his desire to create music you’d want to listen to. Originally a 5-piece rock band, once the other members decided to embark on different paths in life, Daniel (basically the Brendon Urie of Wanted Symphony) discovered Ruben while he was hosting his show Soundstruck. This was 2 years ago and the meeting almost seemed like destiny. Daniel heard Ruben performing and thought “damn, this Indian boy can sing!”. The rest is history. Here’s the scoop:
“Fun fact about me, I’m actually a qualified lawyer,” is not what you’d expect to hear from a band member’s mouth. A man of many talents, Daniel is classically trained in piano and self-taught in two other instruments, namely the drums and guitar. Smiling fondly, he recounts, “I had the typical tiger mom, I got forced into piano lessons from the age of 4.”
Ruben on the other hand, turned down the classical training his parents put him into for guitar. “At that age I was 7, I wasn’t really interested in it. So, I stopped classes after a year”. Luckily for us, at age 14 he became interested again but by then, his parents didn’t want to send him for classes anymore so he taught himself, only really starting to sing a couple of years after that. His first open mic was at the age of 19 and he slowly worked his way from there.
“I’m happy because I can go back to my roots”, says Daniel. This artist is proud to say that he is now able to reflect his influences in his music today. As a songwriter, Daniel takes inspiration from songwriters who produce soulful music with meaning like Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars. In terms of style, he looks toward artists like Alicia Keys, Brian McKnight, John Mayer and Labrinth. Ruben, on the other hand, leans towards pop-punk music with a tinge of rock where All Time Low, Simple Plan and 3 doors down are among his largest inspirations.
(Mischievously) “We’re not going to tell you that, but there are 11 tracks on the album. Maybe some bonus ones too. Who knows?”
“Hey we’re here, we’ve been around. This is the showcase of our work over the years, a reflection of the journey with the band.” The duo wishes to spread love and positivity through the genuineness of their music, full of songs about life, love and the girls who broke their hearts.
Although we try prying deeper into the sound and genre of this album, or even the instruments played, the duo remains very secretive. “We’re keeping it a surprise but trust me when I say this” Daniel confidently states, “It’s not going to sound like everything else that’s out there.”
They also mention an upcoming collaboration with local artist Nadhirah. They will be working together on a couple of tunes – something that everyone can look forward to dropping soon.
The two were very quick to say “timing”. This is actually the third time Daniel has tried to produce this album. “There’s a reason why in 8 years we have not produced a full-length album”, he clarifies. “Besides the obvious initial hiccups we had with the band lineup, we decided to take our time to hone our craft so that we can now proudly say that this is who we are, and this is our identity in music.” Wanted Symphony really took the time and effort to understand the type of music they wish to put out and are now eagerly waiting to release this well-crafted masterpiece.
Daniel jokes about how it’s fewer mouths to feed before addressing again, the timing issue. “There are some bands who have 4, 5 even 8 members and I honestly don’t know how they do it. Even to get 5 guys in the same room is a challenge”. He explained that between him and Ruben, there is a lot more freedom to get creative as there are only two musical tastes to cater to.
“Daniel gets bored playing 4 chords”, mentions bandmate Ruben. The band wanted to revert to writing more meaningful and technical songs that are true to their roots. “Songs that can show off what I can do as a vocalist and, now that Ruben is involved, show off what he can do with the guitar and his voice.”
They currently do a lot of harmonies when it comes to their songs. However, anyone interested can look up their old music on SoundCloud and YouTube while the newer songs will be streamed on Spotify and other online platforms once they drop.
Daniel is pretty content with the extent of Wanted Symphony. “You know,” he says wistfully, “we’ve done pretty much everything, except the album.” If anything, Daniel intends to bring Ruben to experience what he did back in the day since the 24-year-old relative newbie to the scene is looking to perform for bigger audiences and larger shows and maybe even perform internationally which is something he never really had a chance to do during his solo career.
“KL!” (Kuala Lumpur), Daniel answers with no hesitation. They also enjoy playing in Penang due to the responsive crowd. However, a combination of the best crowd, stage and sound system is all in KL according to the duo.
Both their parents are not opposed to the dreams of the duo. Ruben even mentions that his family is pretty supportive of his journey in the music industry but does want him to have a degree to fall back on. (“So if receiving an award, would you go on stage thanking your family for being your biggest supporters?” we ask. Daniel immediately laughs his no but Ruben considers that he would).
With a consistent following over the past few years, Wanted Symphony says that “the fun part about being in a band for such a long time is you can see your fans grow with you”. Daniel started the band in college and is currently a working adult now. According to him, the fans who have stuck by them since the beginning have all grown too thus they receive a variety of gigs these days including many corporate shows.
“Support our local artists. We’re all humans and we all want to make a name for ourselves. Check out local artists, there’s an abundance of talent out there – bands who have been around for a long time and bands who have come out.” He also mentions many potential employers expect they won’t have to pay artists to perform. There is a challenge for local English artists in terms of international competition and aiming to be different. The music industry is tough to break into as the music produced must be on par with other music in rotation. “Nowadays, local artists have stepped up their game”, says Daniel and encourages everyone to have a listen.
The gratitude they have goes without saying. “I know people who have followed the band for 8 years and for that, I’m really grateful.” As for those who have not heard of Wanted Symphony, the two do not expect you to become a fan overnight. All these guys want is to be given the benefit of the doubt, for people to listen to their music and come to their shows.
Wanted Symphony has dropped an EP in 2014 and also released a few singles which took off well and were played on the radio, used in short films and even in clubs!
The duo is an extremely fun pair who have learnt a lot from each other considering the gap in experience and age. Ruben mentions that he has developed his vocal skills through many tips and tricks he picked up from Daniel and Daniel has expanded his music library through Ruben’s different influences in music.
Their album will be available for streaming in Spotify, iTunes and every other digital platform sometime in May. If you are interested in catching them live, then follow them @wantedsymphony on Instagram or Wanted Symphony on Facebook for updates.
Written by Ng Li Wei
It’s a time for celebration. The streets are ablaze with bright lanterns. Shopping centres are competing for the unofficial prize of Best Decorated. Generic festive songs are blasting from every radio and speaker in existence. Thousands of cars flock in and out of the city, some doing last minute shopping, some leaving for their hometowns. Car alarms are set off and neighbours kept awake as an array of fireworks dot the night sky.
It’s a time for family. For the Chinese, this means reunion dinners that allow children to stay past midnight. Gatherings that bring family members together from all over the country. Tossing yee sang – a Cantonese-style raw fish salad – and engaging in light gambling with cards or mahjong is a surefire tradition.
And more than ever, it’s a time for red. Red lights strung on outdoor walls. Red ang pow packets concealing money, waiting to be given out. Red spring couplets (chūn lián) pasted on the front door. Red clothes on the first day of visiting relatives – because God forbid if you show up in any other colour.
Whenever Chinese New Year comes up, the first thing brought to mind is the colour red. It has become a representation of Chinese culture, proudly paraded around during Chinese New Year. Interestingly enough, another celebration that also embraces red is to coincide with CNY this year – Valentine’s Day. These two events are particularly related to red, yet in both cases the colour is associated with completely different meanings and symbolisms.
Red, in the Asian or, more specifically, Chinese sphere of the world, is generally recognised as a good colour. It indicates good fortune, prosperity, and success – all terms that sound particularly uplifting from a business standpoint. It is also considered a lucky colour, hopefully able to bring not only the individual but also their family more luck and wealth.
Red is such an important and significant colour in Chinese culture. China’s flag is coloured red. In the past, the emperor used to issue decrees stamped with red ink. Traditional weddings had the bride and groom dressed in red from head to toe, even coating their bedroom with red cloth. Red hard-boiled eggs are eaten on a baby’s one month birthday. Throughout history and to this day, red remains a proud, defining characteristic of the Chinese culture.
The symbolism of red came from an old myth that concerns CNY as well: every year on CNY, a beast called Nian would emerge to feed on villagers and their livestock. The people soon discovered that Nian was terrified of the colour red and loud noises, and therefore began using red lanterns and red firecrackers to scare away the beast. Once the evil spirits and beasts were warded away, only then could good things enter the household. The colour then evolved from being a warning and a scare tactic to a symbol of fortune and prosperity. The tradition of hanging red lanterns and playing with red firecrackers – especially deafening ones lit on the first day of CNY – continued to be passed down from generation to generation.
Another reason red specifically symbolises fortune and prosperity is due to the Chinese culture’s strong fixation with money. If you were to ask anyone of the older generation about the validity of this statement – believe me, I speak from experience – they will say that yes, money can and will buy you happiness. The wealthy are the more well-off. (In hindsight, they’re not wrong.) Embedded in their mandatory shouts as they toss the yee sang are wishes for tsunamis of money to flood through their doors. It is seen as the foundation of their family-centric society. Money is required for everything – starting a family, adequately supporting that family, improving the lives of that family – and the Chinese have integrated that prevalent mindset into their most defining colour.
In stark contrast to how the Chinese culture perceives the colour red comes the Western interpretation. Red, in the Western sphere of the world, has dual meanings – it’s seen as both a good and a bad colour. On the good side of the fence is the red of romance, passion, and desire. On the bad side comes the red of anger, danger, and violence. Again, two very polarised viewpoints of the same colour.
The Western idea of red can embody every emotion ranging from love to hate. Red roses given to a lover on Valentine’s Day. Red lipstick marks on a note stuck to someone’s locker. Doodles of red hearts surrounding a name in the corner of a textbook page. But also – red stains on your vision as you charge toward your sister’s bully. Red alarms of an ambulance flashing and speeding down an empty street. Red blood gushing out of an open wound.
Red is known to evoke positive – mostly romantic – feelings due to it being the colour of the heart and blood and, more specifically, their connection with the scientific results of love. Seeing someone you’re attracted to causes a stimulated, accelerated pumping of the heart, increasing your blood pressure. As blood gushes underneath the surface of the skin, the person would appear to be flushed or blushing – red. Naturally, the colour began being associated with the emotion. Studies found that red can heighten a person’s attraction to the other, for example a man being more drawn to a woman wearing red clothing.
Similarly, red can also stir negative emotions, namely from the sight of substances like blood. Red is the colour we see when we are wounded. In pain. Crying. Screaming. It brings up jarring images of gore, of violence, and of death, all very much unpleasant things. Subsequently, red came to be a sign of warning. Its striking hue further intensifies its power as an effective warning symbol – bright and ominous at the same time. Red in traffic lights warns cars to stop moving on the road. Red dripping from your nose warns you that your body’s not well.
Two halves of the world; two separate cultural traditions; two respective mindsets. All of which can be represented through contrasting views of a single colour.
We all know that when we talk about Australia, we’ll bring up places like the Sydney Opera House, the Twelve Apostles, Melbourne City Centre, the massive Uluru rock, and the stunningly beautiful Great Barrier Reef. These five national icons attract the lion’s share of its millions of tourists, and have graced the faces of about an equally large number of postcards sold each year.
Written by Samantha Chang
Echo Eats started with the intention of helping you, our dear reader, answer the impossible question of “…So where do we eat?”, in a way that saves your time, money and energy. But what if eating out simply doesn’t cut it anymore?
As students, we seek optimisation. We want good grades and extracurriculars, we want to be in tip-top shape, we want vibrant social lives and hobbies – but never at the expense of our wallets, and god forbid it creeps into our Netflix time.
The centrepiece of all that may just be something as simple as making your own food. First of all, you know and decide all the ingredients going into it – so no more mysterious black flakes of… something coating your mee goreng. You also save money by skipping the preparation costs and taxes, as well as the option of cheap ingredients. Also, there are healthy recipes that take less time to put together than a Samyang. Above all, healthy food gives you an invaluable boost of energy to do all the hustling you need to do.
Optimisation aside, health is precious and ephemeral, and you deserve all the best things in your body anyway. Lastly, for those out there who struggle with mental illness, for whom daily tasks can seem insurmountable – I feel you, and I hope that these recipes might help you as much as they helped me.
Disclaimer: Portion sizes vary based on your individual needs – double or triple up as needed.
Okay, I know – please don’t click away just yet!
Every time I mention that oatmeal is my favorite food, I end up having to endure jibes along the lines of “you a grandma?” with a self-deprecating chuckle. Well, not today – today I’m defending my thesis: “Oatmeal isn’t Lame – You Just Lack Imagination.”
I wouldn’t make such a bold claim without evidence. We’re going to evaluate it through 4 objective measures: Cost, Time, Health and Versatility. But before that, here’s a general template of an oatmeal recipe. Note that this is like, the baby Johnson’s of shampoos, the Myvi of cars, the margherita of pizzas – okay, point is, oatmeal has far evolved beyond this; but more on that later.
Ingredients:
*omit if vegan, but highly recommended for the protein, which keeps you satiated longer. Use greek yogurt for more protein.
Directions:
Cost: 5/5
To calculate the cost of a single serving size, I divided the price of a whole ingredient by the weight or amount needed in a single portion. You can click on the links provided to check the price of the overall product, and you can find out how I calculated recipe costs here.
| ¼ cup (20g) oatmeal | 25 cents |
| ½ cup dairy milk* | 60 cents |
| 1 banana | ~20 cents |
| 1 tbsp yogurt | 20 cents |
| 1 tsp sugar | Steal from McDs |
| Total | RM 1.25 |
*If you’re in a real pinch, use soy milk for 30 cents.
Time: 5/5
It takes three steps; one if you’re soaking them overnight. Your cat could do it in less than 5 minutes. Next!
Health: 5/5
Oatmeal is incredibly nutrient dense. They’re rich in important micronutrients, antioxidants and vitamins, such as manganese, avenanthramides, B5, etc. One of the best things about oatmeal is that they contain a fibre known as beta-glucan, which lowers cholesterol, reduces blood sugar, and keeps you feeling full. This, coupled with the nutritional benefits of fruit and yogurt, makes for a very wholesome meal.
Versatility: 5/5
This is the part I’ve been waiting for. Oatmeal is like the future, brimming with endless possibilities. Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder into your overnight oats – the final product will be as gooey and rich as chocolate cake. Boost its flavour and nutritional profile by adding healthy fats in the form of peanut butter, roasted nuts, or chia seeds. Cook it in tea or coffee for your caffeine fix.
Want to pretend you know what autumn feels like? Make carrot cake or pumpkin pie oats. Craving more local flavours? Make banana or mango lassi overnight oats with virtually the same ingredients as the basic oatmeal. Sick of the sweet? Try savory oatmeal. Experiment, improvise, try gourmet flavours – the world is your oatmeal, man.
I know hummus on its own is not exactly a meal, but it’s definitely useful to have in your fridge at any given moment, especially when you’re hungry but too exhausted to move an inch. Plus, with this recipe in your arsenal, you’ll be everyone’s favorite person to have at a potluck.
Ingredients:
* Traditionally lemon juice, but lime is cheaper and works well.
** Traditionally tahini (sesame paste), but peanut butter is cheaper, more accessible, and endorsed by Nigella Lawson. Bite me, purists. (Alternatively, omit altogether – still tastes good).
*** While I recommend the use of these listed spices, I realize not everyone wants to have a spice rack – feel free to experiment with any spices you have on hand, or just buy garam masala, which is a mix of many Indian spices.
Cost: 4/5
| 1 can of chickpeas | RM 4 |
| 2 garlic cloves | ~10 cents |
| 2 small limes | ~20 cents |
| 1 tbsp peanut butter | 40 cents |
| 1 tbsp olive oil | 60 cents |
| 2 tsp garam masala | 10 cents |
| Total | RM 5.40 |
Okay, this is slightly over RM5, but this makes 1.5 cups of hummus, which means several servings over several days. Also, I chose a cheaper olive oil for this cost breakdown, but if you love your mother please invest in a higher-end olive oil.
Time: 4/5
Slight prep work in the draining of chickpeas, deskinning of garlic and squeezing of limes, but other than that you pretty much just chuck all the ingredients in the food processor.
Health: 5/5
Chickpeas, cute and tiny as they are, are actually chock full of fiber and protein which will satisfy you, aid your digestion, and regulate your blood sugar levels. They’re also packed with micronutrients such as manganese and potassium, which promotes heart health.
If you’re Asian, your relatives have probably already preached to you about garlic’s medicinal properties. Furthermore, lime juice will keep you scurvy-free, olive oil has omega-3s which lowers bad cholesterol, peanut butter and tahini are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, and even spices have health benefits!
Versatility: 5/5
Hummus and oatmeal have something in common: first impressions will mislead you into thinking they’re boring, beige slop, when they’re actually canvases for creativity. Look, they don’t even have to be beige: check out roasted red pepper or beetroot hummus for a vibrant red dip with a sweet, smoky flavour. Or heck, show up to a party with this fantastic spread:
Hummus doesn’t even have to stop at chickpeas: use lentils (dhal) or beans to shake things up. If you ever get bored of one version, just google ‘hummus variations’ and let the smart people of the Internet tell you what’s next on the menu.
Also known as the floppy triangular sandwich, quesadillas are more of a concept than a recipe. There’s no set recipe to follow; it just has to fulfill one requirement, i.e. you fold a filled tortilla in half over a stovetop – that’s it. A very useful tip from Serious Eats on how to choose fillings: keep them “bright, fresh, hot, or crunchy” to contrast with the soft cheese. My staple is their Spinach and Black Bean – with several adaptations, of course.
Ingredients
* look for ‘bayam’ – don’t buy the bagged stuff from Australia if you’re on a budget.
Directions
Cost: 5/5
| 1 flour tortilla | RM 1 |
| 15g spinach | 8 cents |
| 25g cheddar | RM 1.40 |
| 1 tbsp olive oil | 60 cents |
| 45g black beans | 70 cents |
| Total (makes 1) | RM 3.80 |
Fun fact: This cost breakdown is why I almost had a nervous breakdown when I saw quesadillas being sold for RM30 at Chilli’s.
Time: 4/5
Once again, slight prep work with the spinach and beans, but it can be done in under 5 minutes.
Health: 4/5
Assuming you’re in college, I don’t think I need to tell you how healthy spinach is. Just check out Popeye. Plus, the vitamins and minerals in black beans can help build healthy bones, manage blood pressure and blood sugar and even ward off cancer.
As for the cheese . . . well, calcium! And it’s good for mental health.
Versatility: 5/5
Like I said before, quesadillas are a concept. This page alone lists 60+ different fillings you can try. Lots of people add chicken or beef; you can even spread on some of that sweet, sweet hummus you made. You can have it with salsa or guacamole. You can play with dessert fillings, such as peanut butter and banana. Basically – move over, boulevard Hot & Roll.
Or . . . eggs any way, really – they’re like a meal in a capsule. Kopitiam culture has obviously figured this out a long time ago with soft-boiled eggs and toast, but I like this spin on eggs better because a) you get to quickly chuck in some vegetables for a more balanced meal and b) you can’t mess up scrambling because messing it up is the technique.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Cost: 5/5
| 2 eggs* | RM 1.16 |
| 1 cup (30g) spinach | 16 cents |
| 5g parmesan** | 45 cents |
| 1 tsp olive oil | 20 cents |
| Total | RM 1.96 |
* If you can afford it, consider buying cage-free.
** Or simply use the cheddar from the previous recipe.
Time: 5/5
If you have time to eat, you have time to make this.
Health: 5/5
All of us already know about the high protein content in eggs, but they also contain important nutrients such as choline, and antioxidants such as Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Also, grab the omega-3 fortified ones for your heart and brain health. The addition of spinach makes this recipe a nutritional roundhouse kick.
Versatility: 4/5
Eggs by themselves are cosmic in their innumerable possibilities, but scrambled eggs are pretty straightforward. Still, you can definitely tweak small things here and there to make large leaps in flavour.
Imagine: the sizzling aroma of garlic butter instead of olive oil, the bittersweet char of browned garlic and onion, the umami smokiness of sauteed mushrooms served on the side, a refreshing sprinkle of chives or dill… I really need to stop writing these articles at 12am.
Didn’t think I’d leave you without desert, did you?
These playful looking orbs go by a few other names (e.g., bliss balls, energy bites, protein balls) but I like calling them energy balls because they conjure up a cool little mental image:
Anyway, I was mindblown by these because they tasted uncannily similar to brownies, without the effort or the 999 sticks of butter. These are really fun to eat, to roll, and to throw at people. Convenient for when you’re on-the-go too, you busy adult you.
Recipe adapted from Deliciously Ella.
Ingredients
Directions
Cost: 4/5
| 115g (6-7 pieces) dates | RM 2.70 |
| 1.5 tbsp peanut butter | 70 cents |
| 1 tbsp cocoa powder | 20 cents |
| 2 tbsp (~20g) almonds | RM 1.00 |
| 1 tbsp shredded coconut | 10 cents |
| Total (makes 6) | RM 4.70 |
Although it fares under RM5, dates and almonds can be considered somewhat pricey, so this doesn’t get a full score.
Time: 3/5
While the processing of the ingredients is pretty straightforward, rolling them into balls and freezing them does take a bit of time – although, you won’t even mind doing the former because it’s squishy and fun, like playdough.
Health: 5/5
For something that tastes like treacle or candy, dates are great for health: they’re full of antioxidants such as flavonoids that can prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and even Alzheimer’s. Speaking of flavonoids, cocoa powder is also jam-packed with them. Almonds are also high in antioxidants, and are among the best sources of vitamin E.
Versatility: 5/5
From light and fruity lemon to M&M-coated indulgences, there are many different toppings and ingredients you can swap in. Exhibit A:
If ever in doubt, this guide is a pretty good rule of thumb to stick to:
Finally, even after you’ve tried all possible flavours, why stop there? Life is your playground.
Thanks for reading this collection of incredibly millennial recipes – now go forth and adult. Good luck in the kitchen.
Here in Malaysia, we love our cultural celebrations. Diversity in our numerous cultures is something we celebrate proudly – Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali and even Christmas. However, there is one celebration that tends to be overlooked each year, even though the traditions are carried out on as large a scale as any other celebration: Thaipusam.
