Home Recipes & Cooking Tips

Contents

Part one: Recipes

1. Roti jala & curry

2.Beef rendang

3. Prawn mee (noodle)
4.Singapore Chicken rice (3 versions)
5. Mee Rebus

Part Two: Cooking Tips

1. Glossary of Herbs and Spices For Culinary Use

Artwork by H Saban

The quantity of the ingredients listed in the recipes given below are estimates. The success of Eastern dishes are by and large dependant on the skill and experience of the cook. In that sense cooking is an art as exact measurement is cultured from the West .

This recipe collection will give particular attention to cooking tips. That additional spice or ingredient added or a particular cooking method improvised, may make all the difference to a dish we usually associate with mum's cooking, A home-cooked meal will usually have that extra ingredient (for want of a better word) called love, which makes it stand out on its own - unrivalled by the handiwork of commercial chefs, ( with the exception of course, of those chefs who have a passion for their work.)

This complilation will feature traditional home recipes some of which may have long been forgotten by athe present generation weaned on burgers and pizzas. These home recipes may not have graced banquet tables but they are no less gourmet dishes. The occasions for which these dishes are traditionally prepared will also be described where applicable.

This page will be regularly updated every six months or so. Earlier recipes will be taken off to make way for the new ones.

Bon apetit.

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Roti jala & curry
(Singapore dish)

Ingredients for roti jala (crepe)

1.2 cups plain flour
2. 2 eggs
3. Water & pinch of salt.

Ingredients for curry gravy

1. 4-5 dessert spoonfuls curry powder
2. 1 Chicken, (beef or mutton if preferred)
3.1 cup Coconut milk
4.3 large potatoes (quartered)
5.1 large onion,
6. 4 cloves garlic and salt.

Method

1. The ingredients for the roti jala (crepe) are all beaten together to a flowing consistency.
2. Using the roti jala scoop, cook the crepe in rounds on a hot grid or flat frying pan on both sides until golden.
3. Fold the lacy crepe into 1/8 pie section so that it takes on a triangular shape.
4. Fry the onions & garlic (chopped) with the curry powder.
5. Add water and coconut milk and quartered potatoes (skinned) and meat ; - bring to boil and simmer.
6.Season and serve hot with the roti jala.
Tips
• To get a consistent well-formed lacy-looking roti jala, the crepe mixture should flow well and not too thick. When placing the scoop over the wrought iron grid make sure that the scoop is held low and close to the suface of the grid and moved in a continuous circular motion. Otherwise if the scoop is held too high the effect will be a spotty-looking roti jala and not one with a delicate lacy effect.
• The roti jala scoop is a special cylindrical ladle with six tapered spouts extended outwards at the bottom of the scoop. In Singapore, these scoops are available from various market stalls including the stalls at the Haig Road market. They come in brass and plastic; the brass piece is preferable. The scoop is essential to the making of the roti jala.In places where is scoop is not available one may have to contend with the usual crepe folded into wedge-shaped pieces.
• The gravy for the curry should be of a fairly smooth consistency and not thick as otherwise it will be too rich to be taken with the roti jala. The flavour of the curry gravy can be further enhanced by adding ground cummins and sticks of cinnamon if a more spicy flavour is preferred.
• The coconut milk can be substituted with assam water (thin) if a less rich gravy is preferred.(Assam water is usually used in fish curry but it tastes just as good in meat curries.)
• The Ayer Bandung or the Bandung drink complements this dish. This drink is simply made with rose-flavoured syrup mixed with some condensed milk and is served cold. This combination gives the drink its distinctive taste. It is not quite uncertain where this drink originates, but it is also popular drink in Indonesia where it is sold at street warungs (stalls) as well as in restaurants.

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Ingredients

1, 1 kilo shin beef
2. 10 shallots
3. 10 cloves garlic
4. 1/2 cup candle nuts
5. 2 cups coconut milk (the type sold in tetra-packs will do if fresh coconut milk is not conveniently obtained; 1 pack is
sufficient)
6. A few sticks of serai (lemon grass) -crushed
7. 2-inch long lengkuas (galanggang)-crushed
8. Salt to taste
9. 1-2 teaspoon ground chillie powder (optional)

Method

1. Cut beef (along the grains not across) into large bitesize.
2. Grind (or pound) shallots, garlic and candlenuts and mix into a paste.
3. Fry the paste in some cooking oil in a wok till aromatic.
4. Put in the beef and pour in coconut milk.
5. Simmer until fragrant and the coconut oil starts to separate from the paste and until beef is tender. (This may take
up to 80 minutes)
6. Serve hot or cold with rice.

Tips

• To give the rendang a distinctive taste, add fried dessicated coconut (pounded); (this is called "grisek"). This ingredient may be added at the time the beef is put into wok with the coconut milk to simmer.
• To give the rendang an exotic aroma, lime leaves may be added to the rendang gravy while it is simmering.
• Beef rendang may be served with the following complementary dishes: sayor lodeh, cucumber & onion achar.
• Chicken can be substiuted for beef. However, chicken cooks over a shorter period than beef and to avoid having the chicken looking mascerated, it is suggested that the chicken piece be removed while you continue to simmer the rendang gravy. The chicken pieces may be added in later when the rendang is ready to be served.

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Ingredients

1. 4-6 medium size to large prawns
2. Yellow (Hokien mee) noodles (sufficient for two servings).
3. Kangkong or Chye Sim (if not available, substitute with lettuce leaves)
4. Finely shredded ginger (fried crisp)
5. Finely shredded garlic (fried crisp)
6. Spring onions.

Method

1. Fry the shredded ginger and garlic separately in the oil till golden brown
2. With the oil which has been used to fry the ginger and garlic, fry the prawn head till golden brown, crushing the prawn head as you fry.
3. Add water and salt to taste and put in the prawns (with skins) to boil. When prawns are cooked take them out and shell them.
4. Add vegetables to the soup.
5. Yellow noodles can be blanched with hot water.
6. Place the noodles in a bowl; laddle over the soup and vegetables.
7. Garnish with prawns, spring onions, shredded garlic and ginger,
8. Serve with light soya sauce with sliced red chillies.
Tips
• It is crucial that the prawn heads are fried till they are aromatic and golden brown. Otherwise you will not get the rich reddish looking soup. The distinctive flavour of this recipe is dependant on the prawn heads being fried just right.
• The crisply fried ginger and garlic as garnish also give additional flavour to the soup.

This is the unofficial Singapore national dish. The original version of the Singapore Chicken Rice was the steamed chicken version also known as the Hainanese Chicken Rice. This was originally a local Hainanese dish but is now enjoyed by people of all ethnic origins in Singapore for its simple non-spicy appeal. The fried chicken version is a Malay variation of the original Hainanese Chicken Rice. The fried chicken dish is more tasty on account of the assam marinade. The Singapore Chicken Rice was traditionally served in neighbourhood coffeeshops and hawkerstalls but has now found its way into the 5-star hotel coffee houses although it is still not generally considered a gourmet dish.The complete dish comprises the following counterparts/complements:

1)Three versions of the chicken dish:

steamed

sauced(braised)

and fried

2)Steamed Chicken Rice

3)Ginger/garlic chilly sauce

4)Clear Chicken Soup

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Steamed Chicken

Ingredients

1. Whole chicken
2.Ginger
3.Sesame oil
4. Light soya sauce
5. Corriander leaves
6. Cucumber

Method

1.Rub whole chicken with sesame oil.
2.Stuff with crushed ginger and steam till tender.
3.Cut into desired pieces
4.Lace with light soya sauce and serve with sprigs of corriander leaves and sliced cucumber.

Tips

1.This original Chinese version of the dish is steamed just so that the meat is still tender and juicy when it is taken out of the steamer. Take care not to over-cook the chicken as the meat would otherwise turn out dry.

2. The crushed ginger which is stuffed into the insides of the whole chicken is used to enhance the flavour of the chicken.

Sauced /Braised Chicken

Ingredients

1. Whole chicken
2, Ginger
3.Black soya sauce, suger and sesame oil
4.Corriander leaves
5.Cucumber

Method

1.Braise whole chicken (stuffed with some crushed ginger) in black sauce mixed
with a little sugar, water and sesame oil.
2.Cut chicken into desired pieces and lace with some of the chicken juices.
3.Serve with sprigs of corriander leaves and sliced cucumber.

Fried Chicken

Method

1.Whole chicken - plucked and cut into quarters
2. Marinade in assam water, salt and tumeric powder or crushed fresh tumeric.
3. Deep fry the quartered chicken in vegetable oil until golden brown and drain
4. Cut into pieces of desired size and serve garnished with sprigs of corriander leaves and sliced
cucumber.
5)Serve hot.

Tips

1)There is no need to leave the quartered chicken too long in the assam marinade as the marinade may prove too strong. Ten minutes is sufficient.

2)The chicken is quartered and is not cut into little pieces for frying so as to retain the juice of the meat. If the chicken pieces are fried in small pieces, the chicken will turn out hard and somewhat dry. The chicken should be fried until the skin is crispy but one must take care with the heat so as not to fry till the chicken meat is overcooked; the meat should be moist and succulent.

Steamed Chicken Rice

Ingredients

1. Rice - (estimate about 3/4 cup for each person)
2.Shallots
3.Crushed garlic
4. Ginger
5.Chicken fat (obtained from frying chicken skin) or vegetable oil

6.Pandan leaves or corriander leaves.

Method

1. Wash rice, drain and dry.
2.Fry uncooked rice in some hot oil from the chicken skin or vegetable oil or a mixture of both for approximately 2-3 minutes.
3.Fry ground shallots in some oil until transparent.
4.Place the rice and fried shallots, some pieces of crushed garlic and slices of ginger
into the electric rice cooker and cook the rice in the usual way in some water,
together with a bundle of corriander leaves or pandan leaves and a little salt to
flavour the rice.
5.When rice is ready remove the pandan/corriander leaves, ginger and garlic and serve rice
in individual bowls; howver, serve the chicken pieces in a separate dish.
6.This dish is traditionally accompanied by clear chicken soup and garlic/ginger chilly sauce.(see recipes below).
Tips
1. The bundle of corriander leaves or pandan leaves (as preferred) will give the rice a delicate flavour.

Garlic/ginger chilly sauce

Ingredients

1. Fresh chillies (about 10)
2. Garlic (8 cloves)
3.Ginger (2-inch knob)
4.Lime juice/vinegar
5.Salt
6.Sugar
Method
1.Place fresh chillies, garlic and ginger in a blender and grind to desired texture with some water.
2.Add lime/juice, salt and sugar to taste.
3. The chilly sauce should be of a consistency thick enough for dipping.

Tips

1.Sesame oil may be added to the chilly sauce for flavour if preferred.
2. Adding or using fresh lime or lemon juice to the chilly mixture will give the sauce a refreshing taste although using vinegar alone will do if the lime/lemon juice is not readily available.
3. Ground ginger, to which some sesame oil is added for flavour, may be served as a separate condiment.
4. Sweet soya sauce is also served separately as an additional dip.

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