Vegetarian beehoon

Vegetarian beehoon (4 persons)

Adapted from Singapore Favourites by Wendy Hutton
¼ cup oil
1 medium onion, halved lengthways, thinly sliced across
5 dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water to soften, caps thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1-2 large red chillies (seeded if preferred), thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into matchstick shreds
200 gm taukwa or firm tauhu, deep fried until golden brown, cut into matchstick shreds (taukwa is better, but not so easy to get, so I tend to use firm tauhu instead)
2 cups taugeh, washed and drained. Remove tails if desired, I don't usually bother.
2 eggs lightly beaten, fried into omelette then cut into shreds
1 tbls light soy sauce (or Thai fish gravy for non-veggie version)
300 gm (10 oz) beehoon, soaked in warm or cold water to soften, drained and cut into 3 inch segments (use cold water if you have the time)
1-2 spring onions (scallions) cut into ½ inch lengths
Bottled chilli sauce or 1-2 red chillies, sliced and lime segments
Procedure
Heat oil in wok, then add onions and stir fry until it starts to soften. Add mushrooms, garlic and chillies and stir fry for 1 minute. Add carrot and bell pepper and stir fry over high heat for 2 minutes.

Add the tauhu and taugeh and stir fry 30 seconds. Add egg shreds and soy sauce, stir.

Add the beehoon and spring onion and stir fry until well mixed and heated through (about 1 minute)

Transfer to a serving dish and serve with chilli sauce or sliced chillies and lime. Pickled green chillies also go well with this dish.

Note
I sometimes add some or all of the following: canned straw mushrooms, each halved, napa cabbage finely shredded, “mock” chicken meat (canned gluten, obtainable in Chinese supermarkets and provision stores), shredded soaked bok yee (cloud ear fungus), mange-tout peas. It is up to each individual cook.

Also, if I find that a tablespoon of oyster sauce added at the same time as the soy works wonders!



Chinese Broccoli with Fish Slices

Ingredients (4 persons as part of an Asian meal)
500-600 gm/1 lb 2 oz-1 lb 6 oz fish fillet (cod, haddock, monkfish)
Oil, for scalding
200-300 gm/7-10 oz Chinese broccoli (kai lan), washed and tough ends discarded
1 piece dried orange peel (chen pi), soaked and shredded finely
2 stalks spring onions (scallions), cut into 2.3 cm/1 inch lengths
1 piece ginger, about 2.5 cm/1 inch, peeled, smashed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and chopped
2 tsp cornflour, mixed with 1 tbsp water
salt and sugar for flavouring

Seasoning - mix together
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
dash of white pepper

Procedure
Season fish with ½ tsp salt and a pinch of cornflour, the sesame oil and white pepper.. Leave aside for a few minutes.

Heat oil in a wok. Scald fish in hot oil very briefly (about 10 seconds) until fish is almost cooked. Drain and set aside.

Drain oil from wok leaving about 1 tbsp. Heat oil and fry broccoli with a pinch of salt, sugar and Shaoxing wine. Add a little bit of water (about 1-2 tbsp) during frying. Maintain a low fire so that the vegetables are cooked through. When the water dries up and vegetables are cooked, dish up and set aside.

Clean wok and heat 1 tbsp oil. When oil starts to smoke, stir-fry shredded orange peel, spring onions, garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add cooked Chinese broccoli and fry for 10 seconds. Add scalded fish pieces and stir in seasoning. Mix to ensure fish and vegetables are thoroughly coated, then stir in the cornflour mixture. When gravy thickens, turn off heat and transfer to serving dish. Serve with white rice.



A simple replacement for ketupat or lontong, whenever compressed rice is required, as for sotos, satay or rendangs.

Nasi Impit
To make this dish you will need to have two rectangular or square tins or dishes, one of which fits inside the other.

Ingredients
2 cups shortgrain rice
6 cups water
salt to taste

Procedure
Wash the rice and place in a rice cooker or saucepan with the water. Allow to boil, but as the water reduces, stir vigorously from time to time to break up the rice grains, especially towards the end of the cooking stage when most of the water has evaporated or been absorbed. Allow to cook dry (use a very low heat and if possible a heat diffusing mat if using a saucepan), then spread it out evenly in the larger tin/dish. Put a layer of greaseproof paper, clingfilm (gladwrap) or cooking parchment on top of the rice and place the second tin/dish on top of this. Place a heavy weight (such as an unopened kilo bag of rice) on top to compress the rice. Leave overnight in the refrigerator and the next day remove the paper/clingfilm and cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch cubes, wetting the knife as you go to prevent it sticking. Serve the cubes piled on a plate.


This dish, which originated in Moghul India, is very popular in Malaysia and Singapore, especially among the Muslim community. The local version differs from its Indian counterpart in the use of coconut milk rather than yoghurt, but the latter (or evaporated milk) can be used instead if you prefer to avoid coconut milk. As yoghurt is naturally slightly sour, reduce the number of asam gelugor to 1 piece.

Korma, Singapore/Malaysian-style
This recipe is broken down into 3 steps for simplicity, each with its own ingredients. However, it is advisable to have everything prepared before beginning Step 1. This is a very mild dish, as no chillies are used in its preparation.

Step 1
Ingredients
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 cardamom pods
1 tsp white poppy seed
1 stalk lemon grass, sliced
4 cm/1.5 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
4 shallots, sliced
750 gm/1 1b 10 oz lamb or lean beef, cut into cubes (chicken may also be used in place of meat)

Procedure
Dry roast the first 5 spices until fragrant, then grind all the dry spices to a powder. Pound the lemon grass, ginger, garlic and shallots to a fine consistency and mix with the ground spices and a little water to produce a paste. Coat meat with this and leave aside for 30 minutes-1 hour.

Step 2
Ingredients
4-6 tbsp cooking oil
5 shallots, sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and chopped
8 cm/2.5 inch stick cinnamon, broken into 2 pieces
10 cloves
½ star anise

Procedure
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry everything until the shallots are light brown and everything is fragrant. Put in the spiced meat and stir-fry for a few minutes.

Step 3
Ingredients
500-750 ml/2-3 cups thin coconut milk
salt to taste
2 pieces asam gelugor/asam keeping
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 small brown onions, peeled and quartered
250 ml/1 cup thick coconut milk

Procedure
Add the thin coconut milk, salt and asam pieces to the pan and half cook the meat (about 30 minutes). Add the potatoes, stir, and cook until both meat and potatoes are almost done. Add the onions and the thick coconut milk and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings and serve, garnished with fried shallot crisps.



Braised mushrooms, Cantonese-style

Ingredients
20 dried mushrooms, soaked overnight in cold water with ½ tsp sugar and 1 tsp of Shaoxing wine added to the soaking water (see Cooking tips and hints message board)
450 gm/1 lb chye sim (Chinese flowering cabbage), washed
4 tbsp cooking oil
5 shallots, peeled and left whole
5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
3 slices ginger
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing wine
125-250 ml/½ -1 cup chicken stock (replace with vegetable stock if making for vegetarians)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dark soy sauce

Procedure
Drain pre-soaked mushrooms, and squeeze to expel excess water. Cut off stalks, but leave the caps whole.

Wash chye sim. If the plants are small, leave them whole, otherwise cut into shorter lengths.

Heat wok, then add 3 tbsp oil. When oil is hot, add shallots and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until golden. Add garlic and fry for another 2-3 minutes until golden (do not let garlic burn or they will be bitter!). Remove garlic and shallots and set aside, Fry ginger until golden.

Stir in mushrooms. Pour Shaoxing wine down the side of the wok so that it sizzles, then add oyster sauce. Return shallots and garlic to the pan. Mix well and fry for 2 minutes before adding ½ of the chicken stock. Add sugar and dark soy sauce. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. If you like more gravy, top up with more chicken stock.

In a separate pot, boil water and add the chye sim together with the remaining tbsp of oil. Blanch for ½ - 1 minute until the colour changes slightly. Remove vegetables and place on a serving plate. Use chopsticks to place mushrooms neatly on top, cap side up. Pour the sauce over and serve immediately.

Note: during Chinese New Year it is usual practice to add 3-4 tbsp of dried “hair moss” (fa cai) to the mushroom braising liquid.



This is a classic dish from the Peranakan kitchen, and one that can keep well under refrigeration.

Rebong Masak Lemak (Chicken and Bamboo Shoots in a Coconut Sauce)

Ingredients
1.5 kg/3 lb 5 oz chicken, washed and cut into bite-size pieces, skin retained
300 gm/10 oz cooked bamboo shoot, sliced finely (the Ma Ling brand of canned winter bamboo shoot is recommended)
250 ml/1 cup thick coconut milk
1 litre/4 cups thin coconut milk (dilute 500 ml/2 cups thick milk with equal amount of water)
125 ml/½ cup cooking oil
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar

Rempah
5 buah keras
1 thumb-size piece galangal
3 stalks lemon grass
1 thumb-size piece turmeric
15 dried chillies, soaked in hot water to soften
5 cloves garlic
1½ tbsp belacan
150 gm/5 oz shallots, peeled
1 tbsp white pepper
4 tbsp dry roasted coriander seeds

Procedure
Pound or grind coriander seeds until fine. Pound or grind the rest of the rempah ingredients except the white pepper. When mixture is pounded or processed well, add white pepper and coriander powder.

Heat oil in a wok or pot. Add rempah and fry until fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Add chicken pieces and bamboo shoots, and stir until well-coated with the spice mixture. Add thin coconut milk and bring to the boil.

Simmer until the chicken is tender, then add thick coconut milk, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Serve hot, with rice.


Har Loke (Cantonese-style fried prawns in tomato sauce)

Ingredients
10-15 large prawns with shells, heads trimmed of whiskers
0.75 litre/3 cups vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 stalks spring onions (scallions) washed and cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch lengths

Sauce - mix together
3-5 tbsp tomato ketchup (depending on your preference and quantity of prawns used)
1-1.5 tsp pounded taucheo
1-1.5 tsp oyster sauce
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
½ tsp salt

Procedure
Heat oil in wok and deep-fry prawns until they turn red. Remove and drain.

Pour out oil, leaving only 2 tbsp in wok. Heat again and fry chopped garlic until fragrant. Add sauce ingredients and stir. When sauce thickens, add spring onions and mix well.

Dish out prawns on a wide shallow dish and pour sauce over. Serve with plenty of paper napkins!


Tea-smoked Duck Breasts

Ingredients (serves 2, or 4 as part of an Asian meal)
2 duck breasts with skin
2-3 tbsp Singapore-style curry powder
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
115 gm/4 oz/½ cup raw long grain rice
115 gm/4 oz/½ cup white sugar
2 tbsp black tea leaves (wolong, tieguanyin/Iron Buddha or if unobtainable, use Earl Grey)
Stir-fried baby Chinese cabbage, to serve

Procedure
Pat the duck breasts dry with kitchen paper. Rub the curry powder all over the meat, making sure they are well-coated. Set aside.

Pour water into a wok to a depth of 5-5.75 cm/2-3 inches and bring to the boil. Place the duck on a steaming rack over the water. Cover the wok and steam the duck breasts for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. Remove the duck and sprinkle with the soy sauce. Set aside.

Wash and dry the wok and line with a double thickness of kitchen foil. Mix together the raw rice, sugar and tea. Spread the mixture in the bottom of the lined wok. Replace the steaming rack above the tea mixture, and place duck breasts on it. Put the lid on and seal the rim with a strip of kitchen foil.

Place the wok over a medium heat. As soon as you can smell that it has started smoking leave it, undisturbed, for 10-15 minutes. Turn off or remove from heat at the end of that period and leave, covered, for 15 minutes more, then open, remove breasts and discard the burnt contents by bundling it all up in the foil lining.

Cut the duck breasts into thin slices and serve warm or cold with the Chinese cabbage.

Note: chicken portions, fish steaks/fillets and small game birds (pigeons, quail, partridge) can also be prepared using the above method. For fish, reduce the steaming time to 10 minutes.



This recipe is from the local Hokkien community in Singapore. It can be prepared relatively quickly provided all the pre-soaking is done in advance.

Hokkien-style Fried “Glass” Vermicelli

Ingredients (serves 2-3)
300 gm/10 oz chicken breast meat
250 gm/8 oz mung bean or “glass” vermicelli (fensi/tanghoon)
80 gm/2½ oz dried shrimp
8 dried Chinese mushrooms, pre-soaked until soft
200 gm/6 oz Chinese cabbage (either Tianjin/Napa rather than bok choy)
100 gm/4 oz carrot
Few stalks of Chinese celery (daun sup) or the tops (small stalks and leaves) of Western celery
4 stalks spring onions (scallions)
2 tbsp coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 red finger chilli, sliced
500 ml/2 cups stock

Marinade
1 tsp light soy sauce
¼ tsp white pepper
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)

Seasoning
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp light soy sauce
½ tsp dark soy sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp white pepper

Procedure
Cut chicken breast meat into shreds, mix well with marinade ingredients and set aside for 15 minutes.

Soak glass vermicelli and dried shrimps separately until soft. Cut mushrooms, carrot, Chinese cabbage and chilli into shreds and spring onions and celery into short sections.

Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry chicken shreds until fragrant, then remove and set aside.

Heat another 2 tbsp oil and fry minced garlic until fragrant. Add dried shrimps and mushrooms. Stir to mix, then add cabbage, carrots, glass vermicelli, seasoning ingredients and stock. Stir to mix well.

When the gravy is fairly dry, stir in chicken shreds and mix well. Sprinkle celery, coriander, spring onion and chilli shreds on top and serve.



This is a very simple recipe for chicken innards fans, from the Hainanese community in Singapore.

Fried Chicken Giblets with Pineapple

Ingredients
250 gm/89 oz fresh or canned pineapple in quartered slices
4 chicken gizzards, cleaned
4 chicken livers
6 chicken hearts
2 red chillies
2 stalks spring onion (scallions)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pc ginger, about 2.5 cm/1 inch in length, peeled and shredded
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
50 ml/3 tbsp + 1 tsp water
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Procedure
Cut and score chicken gizzards, cut livers into slices and hearts in half. De-seed chillies, then cut into slivers. Cut spring onions into sections.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok and fry ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add all chicken giblets to fry evenly.

Add Shaoxing wine (if using) by pouring in a circular motion around the wok on the wok surface. Add salt and sugar, stir quickly, then add pineapple pieces. Gradually add the water, stirring all the time. Add red chilli shreds and sliced spring onions to mix well just before serving.

Here is the so-called "tiger prawns" recipe (actually for lobster but can be adapted for prawns)

Lobster Fu Rong

This dish can also be made with the giant tiger prawns which average about 20 cm/8 inches in length and are commonly available in Singapore’s wet- and supermarkets. In the West, use the normal sized prawns but keep them whole, shelled and deveined and split down the back to obtain a “butterflied” effect.

Ingredients (serves 4 as part of an Asian meal)
450 gm/1 lb lobster meat, cut into large bite-size pieces (or equivalent in prawns)
3 tbsp Shaoxing wine (replace with stock if preferred)
3 tsp finely chopped ginger
1½ tsp salt
6 egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar (optional)
oil for deep frying
125 ml/1 cup chicken stock
¼ tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 stalks spring onions (scallions), sliced into fine rings
2 stalks spring onions (scallions), green tops only, sliced into slivers
Optional vegetables: 225 gm/8 oz of any of the following: chye sim, spinach, mange tout, bok choy

Procedure
Put lobster pieces in a large bowl with 1 tbsp of the wine (or stock), 1 tsp of the ginger and ½ tsp of the salt and toss lightly to coat. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff. Put the lobster in the egg white mixture.

Fill a wok or deep fryer with oil until one quarter full. Heat the oil until hot (test with a piece of bread – if it sizzles rapidly and turns brown within 10 seconds of being dropped in the oil. Take batches of the lobster and place carefully into the oil using a slotted spoon or strainer. Do not stir the lobster, otherwise the coating will break off and scatter, but gently ladle oil over it so that the lobster pieces cook evenly and the egg white layer adheres to each piece. Remove each batch as soon as it is set, without letting it go too brown, and drain on kitchen paper. Pour the oil from the wok, leaving 3 tbsp.

Combine the chicken stock, remaining Shaoxing wine if using, and salt, white pepper, sesame oil and cornflour.

Reheat the reserved oil over high heat, then stir-fry the remaining spring onions and ginger for 10 seconds or until fragrant. Quickly add the vegetable of choice, and stir fry for about a minute or less, depending on the type of vegetable used. Add the stock mixture and cook, stirring constantly to prevent lumps, until thickened. Add the cooked lobster mixture and carefully toss it in the sauce. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with the sliced spring onion and serve.


This is one of many recipes provided by celebrities in a new book I have just picked up in Singapore entitled Food from the Heart: Malaysia's Culinary Heritage, which contains many unusual and exciting recipes! This particular recipe is a contribution from Anita Sarawak, who surely needs no introduction to most Singaporeans. It is based on her memories of her mother's recipe, and in her own words, "This was my mother's favourite thing to cook and it was the very first dish I ever prepared."

Siput Sarawak’s Oxtail Stew

Ingredients (serves 4-6 as part of an Asian meal)
2.5 kg/6 lbs oxtail, cut into 4 cm/1 ¾ inch chunks
1 large onion, cut into wedges
4 dried bay leaves
½ tsp whole black peppercorns
200 ml/ ½ cup + 4 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
100 ml/7 tbsp white vinegar
300 ml/1 cup + 4 tbsp thick coconut milk
6 litres/24 cups water
salt and pepper to taste


Procedure
Remove fat from oxtail and boil in 6 L of water

Remove scum from surface with a skimmer

Add onion wedges and bay leaves to the boiling water

Turn heat down to a slow boil and cook for 2½ hours until meat is tender and starting to fall off the bone

Remove oxtail pieces and bay leaves. Discard bay leaves

Continue to boil stock until only 1.5 L/6 cups liquid is left and soup is thickened

Add the sweet soy, black peppercorns, salt and vinegar

Bring back to boil. Add coconut milk and turn off heat. Stir to mix.

Place the oxtail in a serving plate and pour the gravy over. Serve.

Note: if you prepare your own coconut milk at home, you can add it to the gravy just at the time of serving. The original recipe has been modified to take into account that for most of us outside Asia, coconut milk comes in canned or powdered forms. Evaporated milk can be substituted for coconut milk if preferred.


Pukkam Pasala Keerai (Kidneys with Spinach)

This recipe is from the Indian community in Singapore, and is also prepared by people in India!

Ingredients (serves 4 as part of an Asian meal)
8 lambs’ kidneys
4 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped

Pound into paste (or use food processor)
2.5 cm/1 inch pc ginger, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled

½ -1 tsp Asian chilli powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp tomato puree
4 tbsp plain yoghurt, whisked well with a fork
450 gm/1 lb frozen spinach, thawed or 1 kg/2 lb 4 oz fresh spinach leaves
salt to taste
lemon or lime and tomato wedges for serving

Procedure
Clean kidneys, removing the white core, then soak in lightly salted water for 1 hour. Drain kidneys and put them with fresh water and a pinch of turmeric into a pot. Bring to boil, then turn off heat and remove kidneys. Pat dry and cut into cubes once cooled.

In the meantime prepare spinach. If using frozen spinach, squeeze out excess water. If using fresh, rinse well, then place wet leaves into pot and cover (do not add any more water). Turn on heat to low – spinach will gradually cook in the steam and the mass will reduce dramatically in size. Turn off heat and when spinach is cool, squeeze into a compact shape (this will also remove excess water) and then chop it.

Mix chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala into a paste with 2 tsps water.

Heat oil in a large pan or wok and fry onion and ginger-garlic paste until fragrant. Add chilli turmeric masala paste and fry until water has evaporated. Add tomato puree, kidney cubes and 4 tbsp water and simmer until kidneys are tender, then stir in the yoghurt and mix well. Add spinach and some salt and cook until the spinach has absorbed the gravy.

Garnish with lemon or lime and tomato wedges and serve.






http://www.overseassingaporean.sg/forums/index.php?showtopic=99&st=80