KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 — Food creator Khairul Aming has struck a chord with Malaysians online after sharing a gentle reminder that the most meaningful ingredient in cooking isn’t something you can pick up at the supermarket.

“This recipe uses four ingredients. Three of them can be bought in shops, but there is one ingredient that cannot be bought, no matter how much money you have,” he said while sharing a recipe on X and Instagram.

The message accompanied a viral video that begins like one of his familiar one-minute recipe tutorials. In it, the popular content creator demonstrates how to whip up an instant chocolate mousse with just four ingredients.

But when the video wraps up, he lists only three ingredients.

The fourth, viewers soon realise, is effort — the willingness to try.

“These cooking videos are not at professional standards. They are not meant to be professional recipes for restaurants, and they are not for people who have access to industry-level ingredients and equipment,” he said in the clip.

“These are simply enough for you to create moments at home. Some people use the recipes to make memories with their children as they grow up, some use them as a chance to cook with family because organising big gatherings isn’t easy, some are bachelors trying to cook their first dish on their own, and some just want to create memories with friends.”

The video features snippets of Malaysians attempting his recipes in their own kitchens — parents cooking with their children, friends experimenting with simple dishes and beginners nervously trying something new.

For Khairul, the aim has never been perfection.

“There will be people who don’t have enough ingredients, who aren’t skilled yet, or who don’t have the right equipment, but that’s okay. We make do with what we have. What matters is that we start trying,” he said.

“If we have the mindset that cooking is difficult and every attempt must be perfect, how are we going to attract the younger generation into the kitchen? Maybe they will learn to be independent, learn from mistakes, and learn to innovate.”

The message landed at a time when Malaysia’s social media food scene had already been buzzing over a separate controversy involving another creator.

Abdul Qayum Halid, known online as Che Sayang Kitchen, recently faced criticism after posting a simplified cottage pie recipe that some users claimed was not “authentic” or faithful to traditional methods.

Some critics even accused the version of straying too far from the original dish. 

Supporters, however, pointed out that traditional recipes can require costly ingredients — something not every home cook can afford — and that simplified versions make cooking more accessible.

Khairul Aming did not mention Che Sayang by name, but many followers interpreted his message as a quiet show of support.