Kuala Lumpur, June 2016: A 27 year-old student from Johor, Muhammad Falihin Jasmi, was crowned champion of the Nestlé Natural Set Yogurt Masak & Menang contest. Finalists from the five Malaysian regions prepared and presented their dishes featuring Nestlé Natural Set Yogurt to determine the winner of the contest in the grand finale which was held at AEON Shah Alam on 5 June, 2016.
After being named champion and winning the grand prize of a kitchen makeover worth RM25, 000, he said, “I’m absolutely overwhelmed by happiness; winning isn’t something that I expected. My mother would be proud, and she has been my motivation throughout this competition. The Nestlé Natural Set Yogurt has been a great substitute in all my dishes as it gives it a lighter consistency and smooth texture. Going back to Muar, I really hope to surprise my mother with the kitchen makeover when she returns from her trip to Makkah.”
The winner Muhammad Falihin Jasmi, an Engineering Masters student from Johor, stood out above the rest with his three dishes that had a fusion twist to local favourites – Kerabu Malaysiana dengan Yogurt, Bebola Ayam Percik, and Chia Seed Yogurt Gula Melaka- incorporating yogurt to replace coconut milk as well as heavy cream, giving his dishes a light and smooth finish.
The finals took place at Aeon Shah Alam, where five hand-picked regional winners battled it out for the title of Masak & Menang Champion and the grand prize of a kitchen makeover worth RM 25,000. Each contestant was tasked with presenting dishes using Nestlé Natural Set Yogurt to replace high fat ingredients such as coconut milk, mayonnaise, heavy cream and butter, and incorporated the theme of “1 Yogurt, 3 Flavours”.
The Nestlé Natural Set Yogurt Masak & Menang contest was organised to give cooking enthusiasts a platform to showcase their creativity in producing a dish that incorporates Nestlé Natural Set Yogurt as a substitute for high fat ingredients such as coconut milk, mayonnaise, heavy cream and butter.
Nestlé Natural Set Yogurt, a flexible substitute for high fat ingredients, is a low fat source of calcium that contains live cultures and no added sugar. Every 100g of the Natural Set Yogurt contains less than 3g of fat, and is freshly produced to ensure the balance of firmness and a silky curd- like smooth texture which defines the quality of the yogurt and brings out a whiff of aromatic wholesome goodness in any dish.
“It has been a tight competition between all the regional winners, they really brought out their creativity and showed dedication; it’s really good to see how passionate they are about cooking. When it comes to food, it’s all about the taste and flavour, and the winners here have done a fine job by incorporating Nestlé Natural Set Yogurt in their recipe to replace high fat ingredients, making the dish more light and healthy,” said Chef Nicholas Pang, Nestlé Professional Corporate Executive Chef, and one of the judges for the Nestlé Natural Set Yogurt Masak & Menang Contest.
Taibee Bin Hamdan, the second place winner from the East Malaysia Region who won a kitchen makeover worth RM 10,000, put up a superb offering using produce that is more commonly found in his home state of Sarawak, such as terong asam and lobsters to prepare his unique dishes – Bubur Pedas Yogurt Warisan Bondo Lambaian, Puding Bertimpak Prune Yogurt bersama Nata de Coco, and Terong Lempah Udang Yogurt Bertapak Masak.
Northern Region representative Haninahlah Binti Abdul Kadir placed third, winning a kitchen makeover worth RM 5,000. She presented her Ayam Puri Yogurt, Kerabu Mangga Yogurt Utara, and Puding Pengat Pisang dengan Yogurt.
The Central and East Coast regions were represented by Nina Zareena Binti Zainal Abidin and Norliza Binti Mohamed respectively.
For more information on Nestlé Natural Set Yogurt Masak & Menang contest, the finalists, and recipe ideas, please visit www.dearNestlé.com.my/Contest/MasakdanMenang
