Suguna Migeemanathan (left) & Joshua Fabiane Johnson (right)
School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts lecturers Suguna Migeemanathan and Joshua Fabiane Johnson from the UOW Malaysia KDU Penang campus won double gold medals at the International Science and Social Science Innovation (ISIC) III Competition, organised by the Academic International Dialogue (AID) Conference. AID Conference is a professional conference organising company established by academics to bring together scholars from various fields to showcase research and network with academics around the world.
The ISIC Competition aimed to provide a platform for Malaysians to showcase their creative applications in the field of social sciences, science and technology and innovation in teaching and learning. This year’s ISIC III Competition, focussing on methods and techniques to address sustainability from social, economic and environmental aspects attracted over 80 entries in the various categories.
Suguna and Joshua’s award-winning submission addressed the overuse of agricultural land for breeding of animals for meat and sustainable use of natural resources. Their culinary creation presented a healthier alternative to meat consumption in a practical and simple way. They used catfish which is a low fat and cheap source of protein, available in abundance is the seas off the coast of Malaysia. Their innovative idea involved making a patty combining the meat from the fish with a regionally well-known paste called Rendang made from various spices and condiments. No preservatives were used in this recipe and the patties can be frozen for later use, making it a convenient fast-food option for consumers strapped for time. Their Crispy Lele (Javanese for catfish) patties won both the Special Award ‘Double Gold’ (under Science and Technology for overall product innovation) and Gold for Product Innovation (under Science and Technology for the academic and professional category).
In the second project Lecturer Suguna Migeemanathan partnered with her student Partiben, to present another innovative recipe using Millet as a base. Their MasalaMille cookie won the Bronze award for product development under the Science and Technology for student category. The Millet cookies are easy home cooking recipes incorporated with healthy ingredients and spices.
Due to the lockdown this Competition was organized virtually with participants submitting videos of their culinary creations.
Click through to watch the video submissions for the Crispy Lele and MasalaMille culinary creations.