“What we have here is a reasonably quick homestyle version of haejangguk. Using smaller chunks of beef and more widely available dark greens, the dish satisfies the need for something hearty with relative ease. While I have kept the process simple, I do remain respectful to the tradition by seasoning the blanched greens generously with a garlic-heavy paste before adding them to the soup…

“The quality of beef in Malaysia sucks, and my grandparents never ate beef because of their religious beliefs. One of the few times we ate it was at Kayu Nasi Kandar, a shop in Petaling Jaya that serves rice with a choice of curries on top. The rendang gravy at Kayu was delicious, but the beef was so tough and chewy…