Visit Singapore

Deepavali (October / November)

Called the Festival of Lights and celebrated by Hindus worldwide. It marks the triump of good over evil, and is celebrated druing the new moon of the seventh month of the Hindu calendar.

Rows of oil lamps are lit to welcome the goddess Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, and a range of symbolic foods is served.

Murukku is a festive tidbit eaten during Deepavali, its name has many meanings, honey, beauty, fragrance, divine music, eternal youth, hence its presence during this joyous season. One of many South Indian snack,s murukku comes in sweet and savory versions.

Mid Autumn Festival (September)

The Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the eight month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, is celebrated with family gatherings, prayers, and a lantern parade by children. Offerings of moon cakes, fried chicken, roasted pork, pomelos, watermelons seeds and Chinese tea are made to deities and ancestors, while prayers are offered with joss-sticks, red candles are lit and joss paper burnt.

One of the legends behind the eating of moon cakes is about Chang Er, a beautiful woman who transformed into a fairy and floated to the moon after taking an immortality pill. The grief-stricken prayers of he Husband, Hou Yi, a heroic archer touched the hearts of the heavenly gods who allowed the couple to reunite on Mid-Autumn Night. The Chinese thus eat moon cakes in memory of the lovers.

Today it is still believed that if you look hard enough at the moon on Mid-Autumn, you'll be able to see Chang Er and the rabbit which is keeping her company.

Another legend has its roots in 14th century China's Yuan dynasty. The people then were living under the tyrannical rule of a Mongolian ruler who, in order to safeguard his empire, had forbidden the people to possess any tools, including kitchen knives.

A Chinese leader, Zhu Yuan Zhang, wanted to bring the people together to overthrow the tyrant's rule. He had to find a way of putting out the word without arousing the Mongolian's suspicion; a comrade came up with the idea of stuffing paper messages saying "Strike on Mid-Autumn Night" into freshly made round cakes, which were then distributed as gifts to the people.

On Mid-Autumn Night, where the moon is at its brightest, the people united as a rebel army and overthrew the oppressors to establish the Ming Dynasty. (AD 1368 - 1644) To commemorate the successful rebellion, the Chinese began the custom of eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn.

Moon cakes are sweet, round cakes traditionally filled with lotus seed paste, or fatty meat, nuts and melon seeds. These days - you can even find moon cakes with eccentric fillings, such as durian, cherry, chocolate, bird's nest and green tea.

Dragon Boat Festival (June)

Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It marks the death of a Chinese patriot scholar named Qu Yuan who drowne in a river in 296 BC. Fisherman threw rice wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river so that the fish would eat the rice instead of Qu Yuan's body. Today, bak chang (dumplings stuffed with meat, chestnuts and mushrooms) among other dishes, are eaten in his memory during the month leading up the festival.

Lunar New Year (January / February)

This marks the coming of spring. In the old days in China, this was the only time that the farmers take a break from working their land. Today the festival represents more of a spiritual renewal than a physical one, with the celebration representing new beginnings, new opportunities and the reaffirmation of family ties. Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated over a 15-day period. There are many food that is symbolic of this festival

• Bak Kwa

Preserved sweet meat is a tradition that harks back to China, before the invention of refrigerators. The meat is trimmed of fat, sliced and marinated before spread on rattan trays and baked in an oven. Removed and cut to size, it is then ready for storage.

The secret to a successful bak kwa lies in the marinade, and the recipes are closely guarded across Asia. A favorite and traditional Lunar New Year offering for visitors and gift for business associates, it is so popular that it is available throughout the year.

• Yu Sheng

Yu sheng began in China as plain raw fish with a few types of vegetables. In the 1950s, four Singaporean chefs added more types of colorful vegetables to make it look more appealing. It was then popularized as a "rising abundance" dish and a "must have"  during the Lunar New Year.

A unique part of Lunar New Year celebrations in Singapore is yu sheng, a salad of paper-thin ra wfish, finely shredded fresh vegetables, candied melon and citrus, red and white pickled ginger, pomelo flesh, sesame seeds, lime leaf, crispy crackers and peanuts dressed with plum sauce, oil and spices.

This salad is traditionally eaten on the seventh day of the new year, (though people now eat it throughout the 15 day) and diners toss the salad together with their chopsticks, shouting "lo hei" (toss up) and making wishes for abundance and prosperity before eating it.

What is Singapore food? Briefly, It has its origin in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and India. Many claim that there is no such thing as Singapore food for that reason. They are only partially right. You'll still find the most authentic and tastiest of each of the cuisines. What has been happening to the various cuisines since their first arrival a century or so ago is what we now proudly call Singapore Food.

Nonya food has been over publicized it'll be a cliche to say anything more. What I'd like to highlight to you here are the equally wonderful but less acknowledged cuisines that have their origin in Southeastern China. Apart from Cantonese Cuisine that is famous the World over, what's special in Singapore are these Southern Chinese cuisines not commonly found elsewhere. If you're really into tasting something new, these are the cuisines that I recommend, for you won't find anything quite the same elsewhere, certainly not so convenient anyway!

For those of you who're accustomed to "Wine and Dine", Singapore has a wide variety of fine restaurants to choose from, much like many other cosmopolitan cities. There is no shortage of publicity in that area so I shall not dwell upon that. To most Singaporean's, however, what Makan entails is not the quality of the service nor the presentation of the food, but very simply the quality of the food, the spontaneity, the cosiness, the convenience and most importantly, the affordability. In other words, it's good company and a bit of sweat and noise thrown in without hurting the wallet. It's a hot plate of Char Kway Teow after a half an hour wait in a hawker center amidst all the screaming and shouting in the middle of the afternoon when even gold fishes find themselves hot in the bowl!

As a large portion of the population are Muslims, halal food is available everywhere. There are Malay Muslim and Indian Muslim food, you'll know when you see one as there's always a sign written in Arabic prominently displayed. Nasi Padang, a style of cooking originated from Sumatra and popular in Singapore is a must try for the visitor. See our Muslim food page for some ideas.

While you may find at least one Chinese or Indian vegetarian food stall in every food center, you're not likely to come across fine elaborate dishes, especially Chinese vegetarian food. Good Taoist/Buddish vegetarian food seems less easily available. One simple reason is the complexity in vegetarian food preparation. Unlike Indian vegetarians and vegetarians in the West, Taoist/Buddhist vegetarians do not eat garlic, onion, leek and those related vegetables. Vegetarian food, in this case, does not mean cooking with only vegetables, but rather, the art of shaping and texturing flour into mock meat and fish dishes. it's worth the trouble to give it a try, for good Chinese vegetarian food is rare, even in Singapore. If you're lucky, you may come across a Chinese temple that serves vegetarian food(only on certain days).

Indian Muslim food, or the so called Mamak food, is very popular in Singapore, roti prata, mee goreng, Indian rojak, nasi padang, mutton soup are some of the more popular dishes.

Seafood is of course a social food that tops many people's list. Seafood eaten the local style is a noisy and cozy affair. Chili crabs, black pepper crabs, drunken prawns and deep fried baby squids are just some of the endless yummy dishes that one shouldn't miss. Lobsters, glamorous as it may sound, is not as popular or as fun as Chut Chut(a kind of cone shaped sea shell that has to be sucked) or raw cockles(despite the risk of Hepatitis). And eating barbequed sting ray from a piece of banana leaf at a food center is definitely a truer Makan experience than having Salmon on China at Maxim's. If you do not know where to begin, East Coast Seafood Centre is worth a visit. If you know your way in Johor Bahru, it's definitely much cheaper!!

Before I end, I must not forget to mention Cristang cuisine, or so called Eurasian food started in Malacca of Portuguese origin. Unfortunately, no Cristang restaurant exists as far as I know. So if you're fortunate enough to have a friend of Portuguese descent, do invite yourself as that will truly be a rare occasion!

Now, what truly constitutes a true great Makan experience? Well, "Shiok" is the word we blab out aloud unconsciously when it happens! and in Singapore, that happens very frequently!

(adapted from http://sintercom.org/makan/advice.htm)

Below are some the food you should try while visiting Singapore. Heck you should visit Singapore just to try the food!!

1. Bak Kut Teh
2. Carrot Cake
3. Chai Tow Kueh
4. Char Kway Teow
5. Chicken Rice
6. Chili Crab
7. Curry Puff
8. Desert
9. Fish Head Curry
10. Fishball Noodles
11. Hokkein Mee
12. Kaya Toast
13. Laksa
14. Mee Goreng
15. Mee Rebus
16. Mee Siam
17. Murtabak
18. Nasi Briyani
19. Nasi Lemak
20. Nonya Kueh
21. Otak Otak
22. Popiah
23. Prawn Mee
24. Rojak
25. Roti John
26. Roti Prata
27. Satay

Chwee kueh is originally from Fujian Province and literally means water rice cake in Hokkein.

Over the years, this simple fare consisting of rice flour mixed with water, placed into saucuers, steamed, topped with diced preserved radish has evolved to become a popular breakfast or snack in Singapore.

Sounds simple but as they say, a lifetime to master to do it right!

 

Recommended

• Jian Bo Chwee Kueh
  Blk 30 Seng Poh Road
  #02-05 Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre
• Kim Choo Kueh Chang (East Coast)
  109/111 East Coast Road
• Kim Choo Kueh Chang (Joo Chiat)
  60 Joo Chiat Place

Recipe

Chwee Kueh
Ingredients:
180g rice flour
25g corn flour
800ml water
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp salt
Method:
1. Place the two flours into a bowl and pour about 300 ml water. Mix to form a smooth batter. Strain.
2. Bring remaining (500ml) water, oil and salt to boil. Reduce to low heat. Pour in batter and stir constantly till it thickens.
3. Grease a few chwee kueh moulds. Pour the mixture into each mould and place it on steamer. Steam over rapidly boiling water for about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from mould and spread topping over it.
5. Serve hot with rasdish topping.
Note:
Constantly stir the batter if batter get lumpy, it ok just quick stir the batter to get less lumpy and bring to it to steam.

Radish topping
Ingredients:
200g chai poh
50g dried scrimps, grind
5 tbsp oil1 whole garlic, minced
3 tbsp sugar
Method:
1. Soak the chai poh and scrimps separately for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain well.
2. Heat oil and sauté the garlic till golden brown.
3. Add in the dried scrimps fry till fragrant.
4. Add in the chai poh and stir-fry till dry.
5. Finally add in the sugar.

Decades ago, this dish was sold by itinerant hawkers who carried a pole across their shoulders. On one end of the pole was a basket containing a pot of boiling water; at the other end was another basket containing ingredients for mee rebus

Translated into English, this dish means simply ‘boiled noodles’ — but the dish is anything but simple. It is yellow egg noodles in thick, spicy, slightly sweet gravy, garnished with boiled eggs, sliced green chilies, fried cubes of beancurd, and fresh lime. Some people add a dash of dark soy sauce as a finishing touch.

Mee rebus is a fine example of fusion cuisine. The egg noodles, beancurd and dark soy sauce are Chinese touches, while the gravy speaks of combined influences from Indian and Malay cuisine, with its curry-like flavour and use of dried shrimp and tamarind.

Recommended

• Goody N Jolly
  80 Marine Parade Road,
  B1-113 Parkway Parade Shopping Centre
• Peace Muslim Food
  Block 151 Bedok Reservoir Road 01-1735
• HJ Waliti B ,HJ Muzaki
  Block 14 Haig Road, 01-18 Haig Road Food Centre 

Recipe

Ingredients: Serves 8-10

500 g (1 lb) Hokkien mee (fresh yellow noodles)

500 g (1 lb) bean sprouts

200 g (7 oz) shin beef

200 g (7 oz) shrimps

Spice paste:

10 dried chilies, softened in hot water

1 cup shallots, peeled

1 teaspoon belachan (dried shrimp paste)

10 slices lengkuas (galangal)

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Gravy:

200 g (7 oz) sweet potato, boiled, peeled and mashed

1 heaped tablespoon taucheow (brown soya bean paste)

1 tablespoon salt or to taste

2 tablespoons sugar or to taste

Garnishes:

5 hardboiled eggs, shelled and sliced

4 taukwa (firm soya bean cake), deep-fried and diced into 8 pieces

Fried shallots

10 calamansi, halved

4 green chilies, remove seeds and sliced

dark soy sauce, optional

toasted grago (shrimp fry), optional

1 stalk lettuce, cut into long strips

Method:

Make a stock by boiling beef in 6 cups of water until tender.  Remove and slice beef.  Cook shrimps in the stock and peel, de-veined and set aside.  Reserve stock.  Process spice paste ingredients in a chopper until fine.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok and fry spice paste until oil rises to the surface.  Add taucheow and fry until fragrant.  Add the stock, mashed sweet potato, salt and sugar and cook over a low fire until all is amalgamated.  Taste to adjust seasoning if needed.  Cook one serving of noodles and bean sprouts in a wire ladle in boiling water.  Remove, drain and place on a plate.  Top with beef slices and shrimps.  Pour hot gravy over and garnish with egg wedges, taukwa, fried shallot, chili, lettuce and a halved calamansi.  Drizzle some dark soya sauce if desired and sprinkle some grago, browned earlier in a slow oven until crisp.

Singapore’s desserts are like the country, an absolute melting pot. Ever more colorful ranging from hot, cold, sticky, clear, wobbly, firm, sinful but always delicious

Almost every food centre and food court in Singapore has a dessert stall serving up an endless list of sweet temptations. Take your pick!

• Ice Kachang / Ice Kacang:
  ice ball with coloured syrup, beans and jelly.

• Almond Jelly with longans
  

• Chendol:
  mung bean jelly strips with shaved ice, coconut milk and brown palm sugar.

• Bubur Cha-Cha:
  tapioca dumplings, sweet potatoes and yam in coconut milk, served hot or cold.

• Ice Jelly:
  jelly topped with shaved ice, lime and a choice of fruit.

• Grass Jelly:
  herbal jelly served with syrup and a choice of fruit toppings.

• Cheng Tnq:
  a sweet soup of dried fruits, nuts and barley, served hot or cold.

• Tau Suar:
  mung beans in sweet syrup.

• Bubur Tengu:
  boiled white wheat berries with coconut.

• Pulot Hitam:
  boiled black glutinous rice with coconut milk.

• Or Nee:
  sweetened yam puree with ginkgo nuts or pumpkin.

• Tau Huay:
  soybean custard with syrup.

 

Recipe (Ice Kacang)

Ingredients : coconut jelly
Combination A
1 liter Young coconut water
20g Agar-agar powder
125g Castor sugar
2 Pandan leaves, shredded and knotted
Combination B
100ml UHT milk
A few drops of green food coloring
Young coconut flesh, scraped from the young coconut.
Method :
Bring combination A to a low simmering boil until sugar and agar-agar powder dissolve.
Add in B, mix and continue to cook for 4 minutes.
Remove mixture from the heat and leave aside for 5 minutes.
Pour coconut jelly mixture into a wet tray and add in coconut flesh.
Put aside to set then chill in the refrigerator before cutting into slices.

 
This dish is believed to have originated in China during the Qing Dynasty, and was usually eaten during a time when there was a surplus of vegetables in the market, such as in spring. Other ingredients have found their way into the Singaporean version of this dish.

First, different vegetables are prepared. Yam bean (jicama), bamboo shoots and sometimes carrots are shredded and braised to make a filling. Bean sprouts are blanched, eggs are boiled and chopped, prawns are boiled, shelled and sliced thinly, Chinese sausage and cucumber are sliced fine, coriander leaves and local lettuce torn into portions.

Then a round wheat-flour skin is spread out, and smeared with a paste of garlic, chilli and sweet caramel sauce. The filling and other ingredients are heaped onto the centre of the skin, which is then rolled around them into a log, which may be sliced for easier eating.

The skill of the popiah-maker lies in getting the ingredient proportions just right, so that you taste all the different flavours; and the amount of filling just right, so that the popiah doesn’t disintegrate when you pick it up to eat!

 

Recommended

• Rojak Popiah & Cockle
  Maxwell Road
  #01-56 Maxwell Food Centre
• Ping Kee Popiah
  590 Upper Thomson Road
  #01-32 Sembawang Hill Food Centre
• 968 Popiah
  312 Balestier Road
• Bee Heng Delicious Famous Hokkien Popiah
  500 Clemenceau Avenue North
  #01-12 Newton Food Centre
• Old Long House Popiah
  Blk 22 Toa Payoh Lorong 7
  #01-03

Recipe

Ingredients

20 pieces popiah skin
Filling:

2 carrots, shredded

300g yam bean (sengkuang), shredded

100g French beans, sliced finely

100g cabbage, shredded

50g small prawns, shelled

50g shallots, sliced finely and fried till crispy

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp chopped garlic
Seasoning:

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste
Sauce (mix):

4 tbsp chilli sauce

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp water

Pinch of salt

Method
To make filling: Heat oil and fry garlic till fragrant. Add prawns and all shredded and sliced vegetables. Cook till vegetables turn soft. Add seasoning and cook till gravy is almost dry. Remove cooked vegetables and strain to separate gravy stock.
Place two tablespoonfuls of filling on a piece of popiah skin. Roll up neatly. Arrange popiah in a tray. Pour sauce over and serve with garnish of chopped spring onions, coriander and shallot crisps.

 

Traditionally Peranakan girls were trained to perfect the art of making kueh (cakes)— skill in the culinary arts could, along with other skills, lead to marriage to a respectable and rich man. Many Peranakans still spend time making kueh for their families, as they believe the more effort you put into preparing food for your family, the happier all will be. 

Straits Chinese or Nonya kueh (cakes) are made from a variety of fulsome and flavourful ingre­dients such as coconut milk, sweet potatoes, tapioca, palm sugar and pandan leaves. There are many variaties in the cakes and together, they make a rainbow colorful pleasing platter. Always popular as condiments during tea time or dessert, or part of the menu at functions and festive occasions.

 

Recommended

• Nonya Deli
  1 Jalan Anak Bukit
  #B1-K69 Bukit Timah Plaza
• Lina Traditional Kueh & Food
  53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3
  #B2-38 Ang Mo Kio Hub
• Glory Catering
  139 East Coast Road Singapore 428829
  Time: 0830 - 2030, Off on Every Monday except Public Holidays
  Contact: Sharon  Telephone: 63441749  Fax: 63465764

Recipe

Ingredients for Pulut:

600g glutinous rice

300ml thin coconut milk

150ml thick coconut milk

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 pandan leaves

Method:

1.  Wash and soak glutinous rice overnight.  Drain and place rice in a steaming tray, top with pandan leaves and steam over high heat for 15 minutes.

2.  Add 300ml thin coconut milk  to steamed rice, mix well and steam for another 10 minutes.  Add the thick coconut milk, mix well then sprinkle rice with some blue colouring and steam for a further 5 minutes.

3.  Line the bottom of a 28 cm round tray with banana leaf.  Transfer steamed rice to tray and press rice down firmly with a piece of banana leaf  or a plastic spatula.  Steam tray of glutinous rice over boiling water for 15 minutes before adding the custard topping.

Custard Topping:

10 eggs

450g castor sugar

500ml thick coconut milk

6 level tbsp plain flour

1 level tbsp rice flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp pandan juice

1 tsp apple green colouring

Method:

1.  Stir eggs with sugar till sugar dissolves and strain into a double boiler.

2.  Sift rice flour and plain flour into a big bowl, add coconut milk gradually and mix to a smooth batter then strain into the egg mixture.  Add salt, pandan juice and green colouring and stir well.

3.  Stir mixture over a pot of boiling water till it coats the back of a wooden spoon.  Pour custard onto steamed glutinous rice, cover and steam over moderately high heat for 15 minutes.

4.  Reduce heat to low and continue to steam for another 1/2 hour or till a small stick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the custard.  Remove and place tray on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.

Murtabak originated from Saudi Arabia and has made its way into Singapore as well. The name in Arabic literally means "folded" the Singapore version is essentially a fuller-bodied prata.

Singapore's Murtabak is made from a very large prata, stuffed with curried minced mutton or chicken, onions and egg. Variations include Cheese Murtabak, Sardine Murtabak

 

Recommended

• Singapore Zam Zam Restaurant (closing on 100 years of history)
  679,699 North Bridge Road
  62987011
  8am to 11pm daily

Recipe

Ingredients :
250g ground beef/chicken
4 eggs
2 table spoon of curry powder
salt for seasoning
1 onion (chopped)
5-6 pieces of spring roll pastry
some oil for frying
Method :
-In a bowl, mix together the ground beef/chicken, eggs, curry powder,onion and salt . Mean while, make sure you have taken out the spring roll pastry out of the fridge 15-30 minutes earlier to soften the pastry.
- heat the pan and add in some oil.
- spread a piece of the spring roll pastry on a flat board and add in the beef/chicken fillings in the middle...around 4 to 5 table spoon. Fold in the edges of the pastry until it covers all the fillings completely. You can use some of the liquid from the fillings to paste the pastry.
- fry the murtabak in the pan until both sides turns brown....it only takes approximately 5-6 minutes for each sides to cook.
- repeat the same method for the next pieces until you have finish all the fillings
- When the murtabak is cooked, let it rest for e few minutes before you can cut into small squares and enjoy it as it is or you can dip it with chilli sauce.

An Indian dish that is now adopted by the Malays. Nasi’ is rice in Malay, which tells you that this originally Indian dish has been adopted and influenced by the Malays, so much so that it is a traditional main dish for Malay weddings and other auspicious occasions.

This meal-in-one begins with washed uncooked rice fried gently in ghee or vegetable oil, together with a selection of spices and herbs such as cinnamon, pandan leaves, ginger, saffron and garlic.

This is then steamed in a stock made from chicken or mutton bones, together with portions of chicken, mutton or even fish. The result is a fragrant meal of spiced rice and meat, served with curry gravy, and a plain salad of sliced cucumber tomato, onion and green chili.

The dish is sometimes accompanied by a side order of raita (cucumber and yoghurt salad), fruit or vegetable pickles, and papadum (fried lentil crackers).

 

Recommended

• House of Briyani
  742 North Bridge Road
  Kampong Glam Conservation Area
• Allauddin's Briyani
  101 Race Course Road
  #01-190 Tekka Temporary Market

Recipe

BRIYANI RICE

• 300g Basmati rice

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 4 tbsp margarine
• 250ml plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp salt

• 900g chicken, chopped into large pieces
• 80ml cooking oil
• 2 tbsp gheE
• 5cm cinnamon stick, lightly smashed to break up

(A)
• 4 slices ginger
• 10 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder

(B)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 star anise
• 5 cardamoms, lightly smashed
• 1 tsp ground fenneL
• 1 tsp poppy seeds

GARNISHING
• 10–15 cashew nuts, deep-fried
• 50g raisins
• 1–2 tbsp shallots crisps

• Wash and soak Basmati rice in water mixed with turmeric powder for 30–35 minutes.
• Drain rice in a colander. Heat margarine and fry ingredients (A) until fragrant.
• Add 2 tablespoons yoghurt and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Mix in (B) and chicken.
• Fry well, then add in another 2 tablespoons yoghurt and remaining salt.
• Continue to fry until chicken is tender.
• Leave aside. Heat oil and ghee in a clean wok.
• Put in cinnamon stick and fry until fragrant.
• Add the remaining yoghurt to mix.
• Toss in rice to mix, then transfer the well-mixed ingredients into a rice cooker.
• Add sufficient water to a level that is 2cm above the rice.
• Cook rice for 20 minutes.
• Then add in the precooked chicken and continue to cook until rice is done.
• Add garnishing before serving.

The term means ‘fried egg noodles’, and in Singapore, it usually refers to the Indian version, in which the noodles are fried with cubes of fresh tomato and boiled potato, shredded cabbage, slices of green chili and green peas.

Flavour comes from the smoky wok, chili paste and a bright red bottled tomato sauce. It is not known when this dish was created, but it was already being sold in the 1950s, when hawkers plied the streets. The mee goreng man’s calling card was the sound of his metal spatula clanging against his wok – the sound could be heard from a distance, so that costumers could come out to the streets and wait for their mee goreng.

It is such an enduring favourite that there are also Malay and Chinese versions of it, which evolved along the way.

 

Recommended

• Old Satay Club Mee Goreng
  8 Raffles Avenue
  Stall #D, Makansutra Gluttons Bay Hawker Centre, Esplanade Mall

Recipe

Ingredients:

Cooking Oil

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

3 tablespoons of chili paste or to taste (recipe below)

1 lb of Yellow Noodles (rinsed)

3 pieces of dried bean curds (cut into pieces)

1 potato (boiled, peeled, and sliced)

2 eggs

4 squids (cleaned and cut into rings)

A handful of bean sprouts

1 stalk of spring onion (cut into small pieces for garnishing purposes)

2 red chilies (sliced for garnish)

Sauces:

2 tablespoon of soy sauce

2 tablespoon of dark soy sauce or kecap manis

3 tablespoon of tomato ketchup

Sugar and salt to taste

Chili Paste:

1. Blend 10 dried red chilies in a food processor. Add some water and some oil to blend well.

2. Heat the wok and "tumis" (stir fry) the paste until the oil separates from paste. Set aside.

1. Heat the wok and pour in the cooking oil. Add garlic, 3 tablespoons of chili paste, sliced potatoes, bean curb pieces, and squids.

2. Stir fry until fragrant. Add yellow noodles and sauces and continue stirring. Set the noodles to the side of the wok. Add in the sauces now.

3. Add some cooking oil and then crack the eggs. Scramble the eggs and mix in with the noodles.

4. Add in the beansprouts and quick stir for another 1 minute.

Serve hot and garnish with chopped spring onions and sliced red chilies.

Squeeze some lime juice over the noodles before eating.

Rumors is that this dish was originally brought over from Thailand. Singapore has now made it its own with various races innovating.  Originally made from rice flour noodles (vermicelli) and served in light, piquant gravy made from tamarind juice and dried shrimp, and served with toppings such as fresh calamansi, tiny cubes of fried beancurd, chives and slices of boiled egg.

Mee siam has been adapted by most of the races in Singapore. Indian mee siam, for instance, is pinkish in colour and sweeter because its gravy has more sugar, while the Chinese version uses more beancurd and salted fermented soybeands.

The Peranakans have also lent their influence to create Singapore’s most popular version, by adding coconut milk. For those who like a more sour-ish taste, half a lime is added to the gravy for extra zing.

 

Recommended

• Robert Mee Siam & Lontong
  Blk 91 Whampoa Drive
  #01-43 Whampoa Drive Cooked Food Centre
• Montfort Mee Siam 蒙福米暹
  Blk 162 Ang Mo Kio Ave 4
  #01-24
• Siam Kitchen (Parkway Parade)
  80 Marine Parade Road
  #B1-126 Parkway Parade

Recipe

Ingredients

Gravy:
1 tbsp cooking oil
5 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 dried chilli, pounded
1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste)
2 onions, sliced
4 tbsp preserved yellow beans, pounded
3 tbsp tamarind
2 litres water
sugar and salt to taste
Spiced Rice Vermicelli:
500gm rice vermicelli
4 tbsp cooking oil
3 shallots, chopped
2 tbsp chilli paste
3 tbsp dried shrimp, pounded
150gm bean sprouts, peeled.
Mee Siam Garnish:
1 egg, hard-boiled, cut in wedges
20gm local chive (ku chai), fresh
1 local lime, trim top
3 prawns, medium size, peeled
20gm soya bean cake, deep-fried, diced
20gm fish cake, sliced
sambal sauce (optional)

Instructions

Gravy:
Mix tamarind with water. Strain off pulp and reserve the juice. Cook shallots, garlic, dried chilli paste and onions until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 mins. Check seasoning.
Spiced Rice Vermicelli:
Soak vermicelli in cold water to soften. Drain dry, blanch in boiling water for 30 secs and strain. Heat oil in wok and cook shallots, chilli paste and dried shrimp until fragrant. Add vermicelli and bean sprouts and mix well. Remove from heat.

Serving

Place spiced rice vermicelli in bowl. Add piping hot gravy. Garnish with egg wedges, chopped chive, prawns, soya bean cake, fish cake and lime. Sambal sauce may be added.

Hokkien mee was created in Singapore by the Hokkiens from Foochow, China.

Egg noodles and rice vermicelli (bee hoon) stir-fried with pork, prawn, squid, bean sprouts and loads of garlic, and then braised in a rich pork and prawn stock are all stirred fried into a sizzling plate of goodness. The dish is served steaming hot and garnished with fresh lime and a dollop of spicy chilli sambal.

Alive with the pungencies of both China and Southeast Asia, Hokkien Mee is one of the favourite Singapore dishes.

 

Recommended

• Ah Hock Fried Hokkien Mee
  20 Kensington Park Road
  Stall #27 Chomp Chomp Food Centre
• Geylang Lor 29 Fried Hokkien Mee
  396 East Coast Road
• Mun Mun (The Old Stall) Hokkien Mee
  6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza
  #02-05 Blk 6 Market & Food Centre

Recipe

For 2 to 4 pax

1) Peel the shell off the prawns and fry the shell in a small dash of oil. Add 4 cups of chicken stock or water after you smell the rich fragrance of the prawns. Leave it to boil to extract fully the essense of the prawns. Should be rich reddish brown in colour.

2)Cook yellow noodles in boiling water, after the noodle is cooked, wash it over with cold water and put aside.

3) Fry 2 eggs. Just throw in the egg to the wok and scramble it. Then when fried, leave it aside.

3) Fry garlic and sambal chilli(omit if you hate spice but i guess being Singaporeans, spice is not a prob). After garlic is a little brown, throw in noodles and fry. Mix well. Sprinkle a little bit of Thai Fish sauce and you should get a nice steam coming out. Throw in the other ingredients (prawns, sotong, chicken, egg etc) and fry with the noodle. After frying for a while to mix all the ingredients with the noodles, pour in the stock until you are happy with the wetness of the noodles. Mix it well and then cover it.

4) Wait for it to steam and you are ready to serve when the steam comes out. Open the cover and it will smell really good. The key is in the stock. If the stock is really rich, then the noodles should taste really good.

Fish balls are a commonly cooked food in southern China and overseas Chinese communities. Likely brought over by Chinese to Singapore from China, it has evolved into a delectable dish all by its own. Fishballs are traditionally made from raw fish flesh, vigorously mashed to a paste and kneaded in a wooden bucket. The mixture is then flavoured and shaped into bite-size balls. When cooked, they are soft and bouncily succulent.

Boiled fishballs served with noodles of different kinds is a very popular dish with Singaporeans. Served either in soup, or dry with the soup on the side, fishball noodles come with toppings such as sliced black mushrooms, minced pork, seaweed and spring onion, or simply fishballs and slices of fishcake.

You can choose from a variety of noodles like bee hoon (rice vermicelli), mee (yellow wheat noodles), mee kia (yellow wheat vermicelli noodles), kway teow (flat rice noodles) or mee pok (flat yellow wheat noodles).

Recommended

• Chao Zhou Fishball Noodles 潮州魚圓粿條麵                             51 Old Airport Road
  #01-143/144 Old Airport Road Food Centre
• Teochew Fishball Mee 炎成潮洲鱼圆面
  209 Hougang Street 21
  #01-35 Kovan Food Centre
• Yong Kee Famous Fishball Noodle
  ABC Brickworks Food Centre
  6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-121
  Singapore 150006  Opening hours: 7am - 2am (Daily)

Recipe

Ingredients:

675 ml water

24 ready-made fish balls

200 ml fish or anchovies stock

½ tablespoon light soy sauce

2 tablespoons preserved salted vegetable (tong chye)

1 teaspoon white pepper

75 g glass noodles or mung bean noodles (tang hoon), soaked

  in warm water until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes

2 scallions, trimmed and chopped for garnish

sliced red chilies and light soy sauce, to serve

Method:

Bring water to the boil in a pot.  Add fish balls and simmer gently for 3 minutes, then add stock, soy sauce, preserved salted vegetable and pepper and simmer for 3 minutes more.

Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of glass noodles into each serving bowl and top up with 4 fish balls and soup.  Garnish with scallions and serve with sliced red chilies and light soy sauce on the side.

Add any type of noodles to cook with the soup as base and Tada, you have Fishball Noodles!

They are many varieties to this with the most famous being the Pork Rib Prawn Mee. A simple and satisfying noodle dish that can be found in many parts of Asia. Eat it ‘dry’ to savour the delicious taste of fresh prawns, or with soup, to enjoy a rich broth that’s been made from a stock of prawns and pork or chicken. Served with your choice of noodles, made from rice flour, wheat flour or eggs, the dish also includes prawns, slices of boiled pork, bean sprouts and sometimes a leafy vegetable.

The final touch comes in different forms; sometimes a dash of mild chilli powder, sometimes a spicy sambal made from chilli and shrimp paste, or, most often, sliced fresh red chillies swimming in light soy sauce.

Recommended

• Beach Road Prawn Mee
  370 East Coast Road
  Opening hours: 8am - 3pm daily

 

Recipe

Ingredients

Prawn and Pork Stock
*1Tbsp peanut oil *200gm pork fat, cubed *15 shallots, thinly sliced *300gm pork ribs *300gm meaty pork bones *1 pork tail *5 dried red chillies *At least 4 cups of loosely packed prawn heads and shells, including those of 12 large tiger prawns (to be used later for topping) which have been de-veined and set aside *3 litres water *1 tsp salt *1 tsp black peppercorns *3 cloves *1 cinnamon stick *1 star anise *2 Tbsp gula melaka (palm sugar), or more *2 Tbsp light soy sauce, or more
Heat wok over high flame until very hot. Add oil and pork fat dice, which will release a lot of oil as it crisps and browns. Remove, drain well on paper towels, and set aside (to be used later for topping). Now fry the shallots in the same wok till golden brown. Remove, drain well on paper towels, and set aside. Turn flame down to medium-high. Stir-fry the pork ribs, bones, tail and chillies (in batches if necessary) till crusty and golden brown. Remove and place in a roomy stock pot. Set aside. Turn flame down to medium. Add prawn heads and shells to the wok, frying slowly until shells are crisp, caramelised and well-coloured. Remove and add to stock pot. Add water, salt, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, and star anise to stock pot. Bring to the boil. Turn down to a leisurely simmer. Simmer for 4 to 6 hours, until stock tastes richly flavoured and is the colour of tea. Add palm sugar and soy sauce to taste. Simmer another 30minutes. Strain stock. Set aside.
Toppings & Garnishes
*12 large tiger prawns, de-shelled and de-veined (from making the stock earlier), poached 2 minutes in simmering salted water till cooked, drained, sliced lengthwise *Fried pork fat cubes (from making the stock earlier) *Fried shallots (from making the stock earlier) *6 pork spare ribs, cubed, rubbed with 1 Tbsp soy sauce and steamed over high heat for 2 hours (add resulting juices to stock; set meat aside) *2 finely sliced fresh red chillies, placed in a small bowl with 3 Tbsp light soy sauce *Large handful of beansprouts, topped and tailed *Large bunch of kangkong (water convolvulus, or morning glory; substitute spinach if unavailable), thoroughly rinsed, woody stems discarded, leaves plucked with a little hollow tender stem attached *Pinch of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Prepare all the toppings and garnishes as described up to the red chillies macerated in soy sauce. Set aside in individual bowls. Blanch beansprouts and kangkong separately in a large pot of boiling water into which a tiny pinch of bicarbonate of soda has been added (this helps retain colour). Drain very well and set aside.
*1 kg Hokkien mee (fresh yellow egg noodles)
*200gm beehoon (dried rice vermicelli)
When ready to eat, blanch Hokkien mee and beehoon separately in large pot of boiling water. Drain well. Divide both into deep roomy serving bowls. Top with prawns, pork cubes, beansprouts, kangkong, fried shallots and fried pork fat. Bring soup to the boil. Ladle over each bowl of noodles and serve immediately. Let diners help themselves to the chillies and soy sauce. Alternatively, bring everything out on separate serving dishes for everyone to help themselves, including the hot stock in a large pitcher or bowl.

 

Fresh mackerel pounded and marinated with coconut milk, ground chilli, onions, lemongrass, blue ginger and turmeric then wrapped in a fresh banana leaf and left to sizzle over hot coals. That is what Otak Otak is.

Eaten with bread as a sandwich, as an appetizer, or as an accompaniment to hot steamed rice, this is a star recipe of both Peranakan and Indonesian cuisines.

Though otak otaks are traditionally made of fish meat, modern versions of otak otak use crab or prawn meat and fish head too.

Recommended

• Nam San Mackeral Otah
  267 Joo Chiat Road
  63455542
  Open 11pm to 7pm (closed only 4 hours)
• Peramakan Level 3 Keppel Club
  10 Bukit Chermin Road
  S(109918)
  Open for lunch and dinner
  63772829
  www.peramakan.com
• Epok Epok Central
  Blk 4A Eunos Crescent
  Eunos Crescent Hawker Centre
  #01-09
  Lokman 96958889
  7am to 7pm daily
  Closed on Mondays

Recipe

Ingredients :

500g fish fillet

3 dried red chilies, soaked and drained

5 candlenuts or macadamia nuts

1 onion, grated

1 tbsp blachan (dried shrimp paste)

1 tsp turmeric

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp coconut milk

1 tbsp palm sugar or white sugar

1 tsp salt

4 banana leaves or 12 dried lotus leaves, soaked until pliable

Method :

Using a fork, scrape the fish into fine flakes and place in a bowl, or briefly blend to a paste in a food processor. Add 4 tbsp water, a tbsp at a time, beating with a wooden spoon until it feels light and fluffy. Pound or grind the drained chilies, nuts, onion, blachan and turmeric together to make a paste. Mix the paste with the fish, then add the egg and beat well. Add the coconut milk, sugar and salt.

Cut the banana leaves into 15cm squares and dip into boiling water for 2 minutes to soften them. Drain and pat dry. Place 2 tbsp of the fish mixture in the center of each square and roll up to form open-ended tubes. Fasten each end with a strong cocktail stick. Heat the grill until very hot. Brush the banana leaves lightly with oil and grill for about 5 minutes on each side, until the leaves are slightly charred and the filling is firm when pressed.

Serve as an appetizer followed by a Malaysian curry, or as part of a shared meal with coconut rice, curries and sambals. Finish with thin crepes (kueh dadar) with a sweet coconut filling.

Nasi means rice in Malay, while ‘lemak means rich. At its best, this dish is served in a banana leaf wrapping. Unfold the leaf to discover a portion of fragrant rice that’s been cooked in coconut milk, a small deep-fried fish, some fried anchovies, a slice of plain omelette, some fresh cucumber and the all-important sambal (a paste made from chillies, dried shrimp and spices).

Originally a Malay dish, it is now prepared by the Chinese too, who added many accompanying ingredients, such as fried chicken wings, sausages and vegetables. Traditionally a breakfast meal, it is so well-loved that there are all-night restaurants in Singapore which specialise in serving nasi lemak for late dinners, suppers and wee-­hours breakfasts! 

Recommended

International Food Store

Blk 2 Changi Village Rd #01-57  S500002 Time: (Sun - Fri) 0930 - 0100, (Sat) 0900 - 1900 Owner: Mdm Che Katijah Handphone: 98172464 (Ms. Nazerah)

Nasi Lemak

Blk 3 Changi Village Rd #01-43  S500003 Time: (Sun-Fri) 1500 - 0200, (Sat) 1500 - 0300, Off on Mon Owner: Mdm. Rosenah / Mr. Riduan Handphone: 97556994

Recipe

Ingredients

1 box of coconut milk (about 200 mls)

3 cups of rice (ideally, wash and soak the rice in the water for 2 hours before cooking so that it is easier to cook)

3 cups water (normally, I need 3.5 cups of water to cook my rice, so using 3 cups and 200mls of coconut milk is just nice)

1 teaspoon of fenugreek (biji halba)

1 tiny slice of ginger (slice finely or I just smashed it because my kids hate biting into them)

1 onion (or preferably shallots/bawang kecil)), slice finely, again, I just cut into quarters

4 pandan leaves

Half teaspoon of salt
*and a little chicken granules if you are not fanatic about NO MSG*

Just cook like you usually cook rice. However, you need to take care of them, checking if there is enough water because the coconut milk tends to turn oil and make the rice ’sandy’. If the rice is not cooked after the button pop up, try add some water and cook again. If at all fail (I had experienced that before), then, try steaming the rice in steamer till cook.

According to the legends, Mr Sukor was always being by expatriates about frying them an an onion omelette, which they would eat with a side order of bread. They ate so much of it, and so often, that Mr Shukor decided to create a ‘two-in-one’ dish for them. He added the bread as the eggs were cooking, and the result was a delicious omelette-topped slab of French bread, which he served with a special sweet-chilli sauce.

It went down well with the foreign clientele, and the locals and Mr Shukor needed a name for it. Since it had been created for the foreigners, it was named after them too. “In those days, we addressed all ang mohs as John! John! So my father named this dish Roti John.” Roti is the Malay word for Bread explained Madam Norhayati, daughter of Mr Shukor who created roti John in the 1970s. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Recommended

• Shukor Stall Makanan istimewa
  Serangoon garden food centre
  9.30am-9.30pm

Recipe

Ingredients: Serves 2

1 small French loaf

2 eggs

½ large onion, peeled

100 g (approximately 3 oz) minced beef, chicken or pork

4 green chilies

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying

Method:

Chop onion and green chilies.  Break eggs into a bowl and beat.  Stir in the chopped chilies, onion and minced meat and salt and pepper to taste.  Cut French loaf into thick slices.  Coat bread slices on one side with egg mixture.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in flat frying pan.  When hot, place bread, meat side down, into the oil.  Press down bread for egg mixture to adhere.  Leave for a few minutes, then turn over to brown the other side.  Remove from pan and drain on kitchen paper.  Fry the other slices of bread in the same manner, adding more oil if necessary.  Serve hot with fresh cut cucumber and bottled sweet chili sauce.

What do you do when people are hungry and are asking for a savoury snack that goes with a cup of tea? Well, more than 50 years ago in Singapore, one answer was to make pastry pouches filled with curried potatoes, and deep-fry them until golden brown.

Many versions of the humble curry puff have evolved in Singapore. The Malay version (‘epok-epok) is small, and usually filled with curried potato, or canned sardines. The Chinese version is larger, and usually contains potato and chicken curry, with some versions including pieces of boiled egg.

Some say the curry puff was inspired by Indian samosas, others say it was inspired by English Cornish Pasties. Whatever inspired their creation, they are unequivocally Singaporean!

Recommended

• Katong Chicken Curry Puff
  Marine Parade Food Centre 01-132
  8am to 6pm Closed on Monday
• Old Chang Kee

Outlets all over Singapore

Headoffice

2 Woodlands Terrace
Singapore 738427
Republic of Singapore

Telephone: +65 6756 4833
Fax: +65 6756 7210

Email : contact@oldchangkee.com

Recipe

Ingredients

• For water dough
• 200 g plain flour
• 100 ml water, mixed with
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon shortening or margarine

For oil dough

• 100 g plain flour
• 75 g margarine or shortening

For filling

• 220 g potatoes (cubed)
• 100 g big onions (cubed)
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon fried chili paste (chilli boh)
• 1 sprig curry leaf (optional)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• salt, to taste
• sugar, to taste
• light soy sauce, to taste
• 1 dash pepper

Directions

1. To make WATER DOUGH, place flour in a mixing bowl.

2. Rub in shortening and add in the water.

3. Knead into a smooth dough and leave aside to rest for 10 minutes.

4. Divide into 12 equal portions.

5. To make OIL DOUGH, rub shortening or margarine into the flour to form an oily dough.

6. Divide into 12 equal portions.

7. To make FILLING, heat pan with 3 tbsp oil.

8. Fry all the ingredients till fragrant.

9. Add water and fry till dry.

10. Add water again and fry till dry and potato become soft.

11. Cover the pan once in a while so that the potato will be cooked faster.

12. Leave to cool.

13. Next wrap oil dough inside water dough.

14. Flatten the dough using a rolling pin to shape a thin circle.

15. Add filling and seal the sides.

16. Pinch the edges to form a scallop design or any design Deep fry puffs in medium hot oil.

17. *Note: You can make the filling a bit more saltier because when you eat it with the puff it will make the filling taste blander.

Kaya is a local jam made from eggs, sugar and coconut milk. Sometimes it is green in colour, and sometimes caramel coloured. It goes fabulously with bread toasted over charcoal and buttered — a popular breakfast with Singaporeans, named Kaya Toast. It is traditionally partnered by soft boiled eggs sprinkled with a dash of pepper and dark soy sauce. 

No one is certain about the origins of kaya, but it is most likely of Portuguese origin, with the Straits Chinese and Chinese preparing their own versions of it.

It is so well-loved that more than one enterprising company that began as a coffee stall has opened a chain of updated and modernized coffee shops that specialize in kaya toast. Another company exports kaya to Australia and the USA.  Both the chains below have stores all over Singapore and in many parts of Asia as well.

Recommended

• Ya kun

Locations all over Singapore.

237 Alexandra Road #03-09/10 Alexander  Singapore 159929 Republic of Singapore  Telephone: +65 6222 4567  Fax: +65 6222 9711 Email: info@yakun.com

• Killiney Kopitiam

Locations all over Singapore

Killiney International Pte Ltd
162 Race Course Road Singapore 218603 Telephone:
+65 6299 2858  Fax: +65 6299 2821                                   Email : contactus@killiney-kopitiam.com

 

Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup Coconut milk
1 cup Eggs(about 3-4 medium to large size eggs)
1 cup sugar(already reduced from 2 cups)
10-15 pieces of pandan leaves, washed and wiped dry.

(This recipe makes roughly about 1 and 1/2 cups of kaya)

1. Wash, dry and tie up bundles of about 5 pandan leaves in each bundle(like in the pic above)
2. Measure out eggs, then beat lightly till yolk and white mixed.
3. Pour all(as in sugar, coconut milk and eggs) into breadmaker tin(like in picture above) and throw in bundles of pandan leaves.
4. Set on ‘Jam’ function.
5. Check on kaya after some time and make sure sides are mixed too.
6. When the breadmaker completes the function, take it out and cool for a while, remove all the pandan leaves, then put into a blender and blend lightly till it is smooth.

Also known as chai tow kueh, this is a steamed cake of rice flour and shredded white radish - the ‘carrot’ it’s named after. Diced and stir-fried with garlic, salt-pickled radish, and eggs, it comes in two versions, one flavoured with sweet black soy sauce; the other left white and enhanced with extra egg and sometimes prawns. Both get a sprinkle of chopped spring onion and fresh coriander leaves as a final garnish. Chilli addicts typically request a dash of chilli paste to be added to the mix too.

Fried carrot cake is most commonly eaten for breakfast and supper. When done well, it has a scrumptious mix of smooth and crisp textures, salty-sweet and mellow flavours, and the smokiness that only a roaring fire can achieve. It’s absolutely addictive!

Recommended

• Soon Lee
  White carrot cake that is very crispy and brown on the outside, and soft on the inside.
  #01-57 Blk 14 Haig Road
• 4 Xing Fu Cooked Food
  White fried carrot cake with an old-fashioned flavour and texture. Well   seasoned and not at all greasy.
  #02-026 Chinatown Complex, Block 335 Smith Street
• Van Seng Cooked Food
  This stall sells many breakfast items, one of which is black carrot cake with an appealingly irregular texture and fried with plenty of egg.
  #01-389 Tekka Market, Block 665 Buffalo Road
• Ah Heng Carrot Cake
  Old School Carrot Cake available at Newton
  #01-28 Newton Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Ave North
• Hua Huat BBQ Chicken Wing & Carrot Cake
  #01-15 Makansutra Glutton's Bay, 8 Raffles Avenue
• Jin Ji Cooked Food
  Stall 96, Maxwell Road Food Centre

Recipe

Ingredients :

300g Rice Flour
1.2 litre water
1 Radish (abt 9-inch long)
1 pkt Pickled Radish ("cai poh"), use abt half a pound.
6-8 cloves finely chopped garlics
Sweet Soy Sauce (for black)
OR
Fish Sauce (for white)
oil
lots of beaten eggs
chilli paste (optional)
spring onion for garnish
This recipe makes up to 5 plates.

Preparing the caipoh in advance

1. Soak caipoh in water for 30 min to reduce the saltiness.
2. Rinse it dry and chopped it finely.

3. Heat a wok with oil, abt 2 tbs or more, fry the caipoh and garlics on medium heat for abt 10 min. Add 1 tsp sugar to it and continue frying for another 5 min. Remove and set aside.

Preparing the cake

1. Shred the radish, place it in a pot together with water and rice flour and mix it thoroughly. Add 2 tsp salt to it.

2. Boil the mixture under medium small fire until the mixture becomes sticky, this takes abt 10 min.

3. Transfer to a heatproof tray (oiled), steam it on medium-high heat for 30 min. (I use a two 9-inch stainless steel tray and steam in 2 batches)

4. Remove from steamer and let cool for up to a few hours.

For best result, store both the caipoh and cake in the fridge overnight.

When Ready to eat :

Get ready all the ingredients.. Caipoh, egg, sauce...etc. Cut the cake into big pieces.

You need a very hot wok to fry the cake to prevent sticking. Heat 3 to 4 tbs oil, throw in the cake and pan-fry until just brown, add caipoh (for each serving plate I uses 1 tbs of caipoh). Fry for a few seconds and then using the frying ladle, chop the cake into smaller pieces. Then pour in the beaten egg.

You know the rest. For black carrot cake, add sweet soy sauce. For white, add a few dash of fish sauce, and finally the chilli paste.

Serve with spring onion on top of fried carrot cake.

Sometimes, when you run out on caipoh and egg etc... you can just eat the carrot cake pan-fried. Like this...

Pronounced by Fujian in Hokkein, it literally means fried flat noodles. Stir-fried with lard, garlic, dark soy sauce, bean sprouts, kale leaves, fishcake, fresh cockles, prawns, eggs and lup cheong (Chinese sausage): as prosaic as it sounds, char kway teow inspires heartfelt devotion in Singaporean bodies. This is one of the hardest hawker dishes to cook perfectly, which is perhaps why it causes the strongest, deepest cravings! The finest renditions taste a little sweet from the seafood and sausage, a little savoury from the soy sauce, and a little smoky, because of the blistering heat of the wok. Watch the hawker as he fries everything up — if he works with utmost concentration, cooking only a small portion at a time no matter how long the queue is, you know you’re onto a winner!

Recommended

• Hai Kee Teochew Char Kway Teow
  Queues are long at peak times because the ever-smiling uncle only fries a few portions at a time for - maximum quality control - but trust us, the wait is worth it. Wok-fragrant kway teow and small, sweet cockles.
  #01-550 Commonwealth Avenue Cooked Food Centre, Block 40A Commonwealth Avenue
• Outram Park Fried Kway Teow
  This char kway teow comprises bits of deep-fried lard, so crispy that they just melt into nothingness in the mouth. Each plate is freshly fried, so the bean sprouts stay crisp. The cockles are also not overcooked.
  #02-18 Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Block 53A Upper Cross Street
• Fried Kway Teow
  Classically fried, traditionally tasty. This stall is very famous and draws many regular customers.
  Stall 17, Zion Road Food Centre
• Thye Hong Fried Prawn Mee & Char Kway Teow
  Located at Newton, this stall has some zest in it.
  Stall 58, Newton Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Ave North. Food Republic, 4/F Wisma Atria, 435 Orchard Road

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 large carrots
• 1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
• 3 to 4 fresh chili peppers, or to taste
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 pound barbequed pork
• 2 Chinese sausages (lop cheong)
• 6 ounces peeled and deveined fresh medium shrimp
• 1 pound fresh rice noodles
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation:

Rinse and drain the mung bean sprouts. Peel and chop the onion. Peel the carrots and cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch pieces. Shred the cabbage. Cut the chili peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and finely chop. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
Cut the barbequed pork into thin pieces. Cut the sausages on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces. Steam the sausages for about 10 minutes. Soak the shrimp in lightly salted warm water for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauce and brown sugar. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium heat. Add eggs and scramble. Remove. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots and stir-fry until the onion is softened. Add the chiles and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the shrimp and stir-fry unti they turn pink. Add the sausages and the barbequed pork. Stir in the cabbage. Remove and clean out the wok.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the eggs and lightly scramble. Clean out the wok.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice noodles and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Push up to the sides and add the sauce in the middle. Heat to boiling, then mix in with the noodles. Add the other ingredients back in the pan. Stir in the mung bean sprouts. Cook for 30 seconds then stir in the egg. Continue cooking, adding a bit of water or chicken broth if the mixture gets too dry. Season with the salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro.

Curried fish head comes with not one, but two tales attached to it. One tells of Mr Gomez, an Indian cook working in Singapore half a century ago, who decided to cook up the fish heads that were then usually thrown away. Fish-head dishes are rare in India, so this story supports the contention that fish head curry is uniquely Singaporean. However, the other story is that Punjab Regiments posted to Singapore during colonial days brought their fish head recipes with them. And that, says the Indian chef who told us this, is that!

Whichever story is true, we can be thankful that someone came up with this mouth-watering creation. Large heads bearing a surprising amount of meaty morsels, from cheeks to lips to eyes (connoisseurs aim straight for these), are simmered in a spicy, intensely red gravy with succulent okra, tomatoes and eggplant, all eaten with plenty of fluffy rice as a foil for the tongue-tingling sauce.

Recommended

o Gayatri Restaurant

One of the best restaurants for fish head curry in Little India, this stylishly-outfitted modern Indian restaurant also has wonderful-tasting fried cuttlefish.

19 Race Course Road, Telephone: (65) 6291 1011

o Lin Heng Snack Bar

An unassuming café open for lunch only. Excellent Chinese-style fish head curry, with a thick, rich gravy, succulent vegetables and very fresh fish.

#01-18, Sultan Plaza, 100 Jalan Sultan

o Muthu’s Curry

Spicy and satisfying - one of the all-time fish head curry greats.

72-78 Race Course Road, Telephone: (65) 6392 1722

o Samy's Curry Restaurant

Located at the hip Dempsey Road

Block 25 Dempsey Road, Civil Service Club, Telephone : (65) 6472 2080

Katong Village, 86 East Coast Road, Telephone : (65) 6345 1726

o The Banana Leaf Apolo

Its signature dish is Fish Head Curry!

56 Race Course Road, Telephone : (65) 6293 8682

#01-32 Little India Arcade, 48 Serangoon Road, Telephone : (65) 6297 1595

Recipe

Ingredients
1 whole fish head, cut into 2 or 600g fish steaks
1 tbl mixed curry seeds for fish curry (optional)
10g ginger, thinly shredded
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 onions thinly sliced
5 tbl fish curry powder made into a paste with 1 /4 to 1 /2 cup water
300g lady’s fingers
3 tomatoes, quartered
6 red chilli, slit into half lengthwise
6 green chilli, slit into half lengthwise
2 to 3 sprigs curry leaves
1 /2 to 1 tsp salt
1 tbl sugar
1 tbl tamarind mixed with 1 /2 cup water
1 cup coconut milk from a packet
5 tbl sunflower oil

Fish Curry Powder
250g coriander powder
60g cumin powder
150g chilli powder
30g turmeric powder
20g black pepper powder
10g funegreek powder

Method
Wash the fish head or fish steaks and pat dry. Steam the salmon fish head till just cooked. Keep aside. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan, add the curry seeds and ginger and stir fry over high heat for two to three minutes till the seeds pop. Add garlic and stir fry till fragrant. Add the fish curry paste and stir fry till fragrant and cooked. Add the onions and stir fry briefly for about one minute. Put in half of the coconut milk and bring to the boil before adding the remaining coconut milk and tamarind juice. Add the lady’s fingers, tomatoes, red chilli, green chilli, curry leaves, salt and sugar. When you are ready to serve, add the steamed salmon fish head and simmer gently for about five to eight minutes till the fish is hot and well cooked. You may add more liquid if there is not enough gravy. Serve.

Definitely at the top of overseas Singaporeans’ list of most-missed dishes. Laksa plays off smooth, rice noodles against rich, velvety gravy of coconut milk, spices, dried shrimp and chilli, with toppings of fresh prawns, cockles, and sliced fishcake. So entrenched is this Peranakan classic in local cuisine, that the Malay daun kesum leaves that garnish it have the English nickname – laksa leaf! 

Perhaps the most famous version was sold in the Katong (East Coast) area more than 50 years ago by a hawker nicknamed ‘Janggot’, who learnt how to cook laksa from Peranakan cooks – and who subsequently married the daughter of one of his Peranakan customers! In those days, street hawkers doled out laksa served in porcelain bowls from carts they pushed along the road. Currently, several Katong eateries tout their laksa as being closest to the original, but only one has registered the name “Katong Laksa” as a trademark.

 

Recommended

• Tong Jimian
  Not too rich, with very ‘drinkable’ gravy.
  #01-100 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Road

• Sungei Road Laksa
  A very traditional style of Iaksa, the fragrant gravy is made with fresh coconut milk.
  #01-100, BIk 27 Jalan Berseh

• 328 Katong Laksa
  The Katong style of laksa has very thick, ‘coconutty’ gravy — aromatic and very filling.
  Branches at 216 and 51 East Coast Road

• Chatterbox
  Famous for its chicken rice, the Laksa isn't too bad either.
  333 Orchard Road, Meritus Mandarin Hotel, Telephone : (65) 6831 6291

• Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa
  #02-67 Hong Lim market & Food Centre. Block 531A Upper Cross Street

• San Katong Laksa
  29B Lorong Liput Holland Village

 

Recipe

FIRST MAKE THE SPICE PASTE (days before is fine)

• 3 long fat stalks of lemon grass, mincing only their tender hearts and reserving the rest of the stalks for another use
• 4 hot red chilies, discarding the stem and as many seeds as you wish to reduce the fire of the paste
• 4 slices of galangal (substitute ginger if you can't find this fresh)
• thumb-size lump of ginger
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 3 shallots, peeled and chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 4 Tablespoons peanut oil
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup tamarind paste

Put the minced lemon grass hearts, chilies, galangal/ginger, shrimp paste, shallots, garlic, and oil in a blender and liquify it into a speckled mush. Add the cilantro, turmeric, sugar, and tamarind paste and blend at the highest speed until it is a colorful but uniform paste. Scoop into a glass jar (it will stain plastic) and refrigerate until you're ready to use.

NOW GET THE NOODLES AND CHICKEN READY:

• 1/2 pound noodles (thick or thin rice, wheat, or beanthread noodles are fine--rice noodles are most traditional)
• 4 cups cooked chicken

Cook the noodles according to package directions, rinse, and set aside. Cut the chicken in bitesize juicy cubes

THEN MAKE THE GRAVY

• 2 Tablespoons peanut oil
• prepared spice paste (it's about a cup)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup Asian basil (laksa leaf), chopped
• 1/4 cup nam pla (or other fish sauce)
• 1 can coconut milk (13.5 fl. ounces/400 ml.)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat, then stir in the paste--and keep stirring until it is a little browned (don't burn!), about 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, stir in herbs and fish sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes. When you're ready to begin assembly, stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.

GET THE GARNISHES READY (your choice how many)

• crisp bean sprouts
• Asian basil
• sambal or garlic-chili hot sauce
• preserved carrots
• julienne cucumber

TIME FOR FINAL ASSEMBLY!

1. Divide the noodles among the large bowls.
2. Arrange the chicken over the noodles
3. Pour the gravy over all
4. Either arrange garnishes on top or pass them separately