In Malaysia, a home-cooked meal has long been the ultimate expression of love, a ritual shared by millions of families each day around the dining table.
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But now, in the age of ring lights and TikTok, that tradition has taken on a new dimension. For a growing number of enterprising Malaysian housewives, the kitchen is no longer just a place for culinary creations – it is a digital stage where family recipes meet social media fame.
These women have taken what started as a hobby and turned it into a fully-fledged business. Videos of dishes like nasi lemak, sambal udang and chicken rendang now regularly rake in millions of views online, earning their creators not just likes but lucrative brand deals and five-figure monthly incomes.
“I don’t have time to relax during the day,” said Fatihah Hanapi, a 35-year-old mother of two who has amassed more than half a million followers on Instagram and TikTok. “My schedule is packed from 8am to 6.30pm, while managing my growing children and household duties.”
Fatihah, based in Puchong, Selangor, uses her videos to showcase the preparation of beloved Malaysian dishes like ayam percik and Indian prawn curry, blending traditional recipes with modern production techniques. But behind her seamless content lies a juggling act of roles: chef, videographer, editor, accountant and full-time mother.
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