Rojak
Rojak, which means “wild mix” or “combination of ingredients” in Malay, is built on a vibrant assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables, which may include pineapple, cucumber, sweet turnip, water spinach, green apple, beansprouts, water apple, green mango, guava, slivers of lime zest, and shredded ginger bud.
To these are added tau pok (deep-fried soybean cakes), you tiao (fried Chinese dough fritters), a generous sprinkle of finely chopped roasted peanuts, and occasional small pieces of cuttlefish. A dressing of seasoned fermented prawn paste, sugar, tamarind pulp, fresh lime juice and ground chilli is mixed up and poured over the lot, and everything is tossed together. This scrumptious, appetite-stimulating result has many dimensions of taste and texture. Sweet, salty, hot, pungent, tangy, crisp, and juicy – rojak is all of these and more! Rojak is popular as a starter to a local meal, or as a fresh, healthy meal on its own.
Recommended
- Hoover Rojak
The killer prawn paste sauce is very thick and delicious. Crunchy jellyfish, bits of fragrant ginger flowers and succulent pieces of
cucumbers, yam beans and pineapples also make the rojak here stand out.#01-641, Whampoa Hawker Centre, Block 90 Whampoa Drive - Brothers Rojak
A fresh, zesty-tasting rojak with an excellent balance of sweet, salty and tangy flavours.#01-211, Block 449 Clementi Ave 3 - Rojak Popiah Cockles
This rojak is topped with a generous amount of black prawn paste and ground peanuts. The addition of green mangoes, apples and guava provides a nice crunch and flavour.Stall 56 Maxwell Food Centre - Rojak Popiah Cockles
Mixed with Cockles and Popiah. Killer Combo guarantee to give you an explosion in your taste buds. Stall 56, Maxwell Food Centre - Toa Payoh Rojak
Located in the heartlands, No fancy ingredients or other gimmicks, this rojak is fresh and just made right. Block 51, #01-125D, Old Airport Road Food Centre
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 large chilies
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar, grated
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons tamarind juice
- 1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
Directions
- Toast shirmp paste on low heat for 1 minute.
- Blend/process chillies, sugar and belacan to form a paste.
- Add salt and tamarind juice. Blend briefly.
- Stir in peanuts.
- Serve with cucumber, tau kwa (hard bean curd), bean sprouts, green mango or anything really.
Roti Prata
Roti Prata is the Singaporean version of the Indian pancake called paratha. Made from dough consisting of fat, egg, flour and water. Watching a prata being made is almost as much fun as eating it. With a few deft flicks of the wrist, a skilled "prata" man transforms a small elastic dough blob into a paper-thin sheet. snapping and flapping it through the air. This same prata is then folded and tucked into a square, tossed onto a hot griddle and fried to a golden brown. A Quick squeeze to fluff up the soft inner layers and flaked up to a crisp crust. Ready to be devoured with a splash of curry gravy or a sprinkle of sugar.
Prata orders have their own jargon, kosong for a plain prata, telur to have an egg cracked into it before it is folded, plaster to have an egg cracked over it while it fries and bawang for an onion-stuffed treat. Recent topping innovations include sardines, tomatoes, and even cheese, and ice cream. Eating Prata is a favourite pastime for Singaporeans and you can see it being enjoyed everywhere 24 hours a day.
Recommended
- Casuarina Curry
The plain prata are super-fluffy inside thanks to an intricate method of folding and tucking the dough.Soulfood Food Court, #01-01 Matrix Block, 30 Biopolis St, Biopolis
- Al-Jilani Restaurant
This 24-hour eatery is popular among backpackers, and has a large menu of pratas as well as fried rice and noodle variations.127 Bencoolen Street
- Theme Catering Services
Very crisp prata served with pungent, thick curry gravy. Tuck in and enjoy a great view of Marina Bay.70 Collyer Quay, #01-02 Clifford Pier
- Prata Cafe
This 24-hour eatery is popular among students as it is situated next to a campus hostel. 26 Evans Road
- The Cheese Prata Shop
Very crisp prata served with Cheese. You can't match the imagination at this prata shop. 16-18 Clementi Road (near Kent Ridge Bus Terminus)
Recipe
Ingredients:
• 3 Cups flour
• 5 tbsp Melted ghee or margarine
• 3 - 6 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 Cup warm milk
• 1 tsp Salt
How to make Roti Prata:
Sift the flour and salt into a big bowl, add ghee and stir till mixture looks crumbly.
Slowly pour in the milk and mix properly.
Knead the dough without adding extra flour till it pulls away from the bowl and forms a soft ball.
Continue kneading till the dough is slightly sticky, for about 10 minutes.
Cut the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball, flatten it slightly and massage it with ghee.
Put the flattened balls on a tray and cover it with a wet cloth.
Let the dough rest for about 5 hours.
Now evenly oil a rolling pan and work surface with ghee.
Roll out each ball and extend it into a paper-thin circle, about 9 inches in diameter.
Heat a skillet on medium flame and grease it with 1 tsp each of a vegetable oil and ghee.
Fry the roti gently for about 2 minutes till the bottom is properly browned. When the bottom is golden brown and speckled and the roti is puffy, take out it and drain on a paper towel.
