How to Make Tamarind Liquid Tamarind adds a deliciously tangy note to many Asian dishes. To make a thick sweet-sour tamarind liquid for use in any recipe, combine 1 part tamarind pulp with 1.6 parts warm water and set aside for 10 minutes or so then knead it to extract the pulp from the seeds. […]
Apom Berkuah with Pengat Pisang Apom berkuah with pengat pisang is a popular Singaporean dessert. Apom comes from the word ‘appam’, a southern Indian fermented rice pancake popular in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and berkuah (also written bokwa or bengkua) means to accompany a thick sauce or gravy, in this case the delicious banana-studded coconut […]
Oyster Omelette This recipe brings back memories of my first trip to Singapore – and my first meal at Newton Circus hawker centre. I’ve seen the translation of oyster omelette written so many ways, including or luak, orh luak, orr chien, orh jian and o-a-tsian. The ingredients vary a lot too, some people use tapioca […]
Kaya Toast Kaya toast is a classic Singaporean breakfast, found in every kopi tiam (coffee house) across the island. And what’s not to love? Crisp white toast, a thick slice of cold butter and a good smear of sweet coconut jam (kaya). This isn’t the place for fancy sourdough, supermarket-style sliced white bread is the […]
Fish Head Curry Fish head curry is a classic Singaporean and Malaysian dish. It’s said to have originated in Singapore in the 1950s, though it seems likely that thrifty housewives were finding ways to make fish heads tasty long before then, after all the meat in the cheeks and wings is delicious and plentiful in […]
Singapore Chilli Crab Chilli crab is perhaps the dish most synonymous with Singapore. It’s found all over the island, from hawker stalls to fine diners, as well as being the most popular Singaporean dish abroad. I’ve played around with recipes for Singaporean chilli crab since I had my first plate of it in Ponggol many […]
Five Spice Ling The marinade for this five spice ling, aromatic with star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and Sichuan pepper, is perfect with almost any seafood or poultry. Chef Mark Jensen from Red Lantern (who taught me how to make it) uses it with quail; I love it with firm-fleshed ling and prawns, squid or […]
Aromatic Thai Tuna Skewers While tuna isn’t a traditional species in Thai cuisine, its meatiness provides a good pescatarian alternative to the grilled beef skewers often seen in southern Thailand. This recipe is inspired by a recipe from David Thompson, who suggests making a fragrant brush for dabbing the seasoning onto the skewers by tying […]
Lemon-cured Tuna with Herb Salad One of my favourite Vietnamese dishes is bo tai chanh, a salad of beef cured in lemon juice, and the same method works just as well with tuna. Whatever protein you use, it’s a very quick dish to prepare once you have all the ingredients on hand, and it’s great […]
Seared Tuna with Garlic Sauce The sauce that chef Cheong Liew serves with thin slices of poached pork is equally delicious in this dish of seared tuna with garlic sauce. As the tuna is quite rare, almost raw, it’s important to use sashimi-grade; ask for a log of sashimi-grade tuna that’s already been trimmed of […]
