KUALA LUMPUR: To bring added joy to the Deepavali festive season, popular influencer and content creator Khairul Aming has stepped beyond his usual repertoire by releasing a special cooking video focused on Indian cuisine.
Known for his '30 Hari 30 Resepi' series, Khairul Aming, 32, took on the challenge of preparing three Indian dishes for his inaugural Deepavali-themed video, featuring ulunthu vadai (popular South Indian fritter), masala tea (spiced tea), and traditional Indian-style chicken curry.
Khairul Aming, whose full name is Khairul Amin Kamarulzaman, said his love for Indian cuisine inspired him to perfect these recipes for the Festival of Lights.
"I've always enjoyed Indian food but had never tried cooking it. So, for Deepavali, I decided to challenge myself to learn and share these recipes with my audience during this special season," he told Bernama.
Wearing a striking silver-black jippa, Khairul Aming worked closely with his production team to ensure authenticity in the dishes, paying special attention to ingredients and measurements to capture the true flavours of Indian cuisine.
Bernama witnessed Khairul successfully prepare ulunthu vadai, a South Indian fritter made from soaked black gram beans, chili, onions, and rice flour—a challenging dish requiring several practice rounds.
"The vadai was quite a task," he admitted.
"I practised the night before, and it took three hours and three batches to perfect. I didn't expect it to turn out this well," he added as he served the crispy, fluffy vadai.
In addition to the vadai, Khairul Aming prepared a warming masala tea and a flavourful chicken curry garnished with coriander, served traditionally on a banana leaf atop a silver plate.
The experience extended beyond cooking as Khairul immersed himself in Indian culture - from shopping for ingredients in Little India, Brickfields, to using clay pots and silver utensils.
Recalling his first Deepavali shopping trip, he described the experience as "colourful and heartwarming," noting that he spent almost RM500 during the outing.
"There was an aunty who kindly helped me find the right utensils, tea ingredients, and even my outfit.
"The whole vibe was incredibly lively and fun," he shared.
Khairul Aming's Deepavali special video was released today, capturing the festive spirit and flavours of the season. — BERNAMA