RECIPES

44 WELLNESS FOR ALL

Singapore boasts a food scene as eclectic as its

ethnic diversity. Celebrate our nation’s birthday by

whipping up some local delights at home!

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Singapore’s  cuisine  is  an  amalgamation  of  all  the  cultures  found  on  the  island  —  from  immigrant  Chinese  and  Indian  traditions  to  indigenous  Malay  practices.  It  is  also  common  to  find  dishes  that  reflect  the  coming  together  of  all  these  cultures  on  one  plate.  One  example  is  rojak,  a  fruit  and  vegetable  salad  that  combines  the  use  of  ingredients  typically  used  in  both  Chinese,  Malay  and  Peranakan  cooking.  

Get  into  the  spirit  of  National  Day  by  whipping  up  these  dishes  and  pairing  them  with    local  beverages!

SINGAPORE ROJAK (SERVES 4)

INGREDIENTS! cucumber, sliced 1 small turnip, peeled, quartered and cut into thick slices 200 g water spinach (kang kong), cut into lengths and blanched in boiling water for 1 minute1 square firm tofu, shallow-fried until golden brown, then sliced into 8 pieces60 g bean sprouts, blanched for 10 seconds, rinsed and drained2 slices pineapple, cubed 1 unripe green mango, peeled and sliced1–2 Chinese crullers (yu tiao), cut into 6–8 pieces (optional)1 wild ginger bud, sliced (optional)

SAUCE2–3 large red chillies, deseeded and sliced 1 Tbsp palm sugar (gula melaka) or brown sugar 1 tsp dried shrimp paste (belacan), toasted2 Tbsp tamarind pulp, soaked in 125 ml water, squeezed and strained to obtain juice1 Tbsp black prawn paste (hae ko)! tsp salt75 g raw peanuts, dry-roasted and coarsely

crushed in a blender or pounder

METHOD1 To make the sauce, grind the chillies, palm sugar and dried shrimp paste, tamarind juice,

black prawn paste and salt to a smooth paste in a blender. Transfer to a bowl, add the peanuts, stir and set aside.

2 Place the rest of the ingredients into a serving dish. Drizzle the sauce on top and toss to mix. Serve immediately.

Recipes courtesy of Periplus Publishing, reprinted from Singapore Favourites.

To complement this light appetiser, try it with a cool, tall glass of Allswell Plum Juice. The refreshing sourness of the drink will go pleasantly well with the salty and sweet sauce of the rojak. You can even substitute the tamarind juice in the recipe with 2 Tbsp of Plum Juice for a quick and easy way to introduce a ‘sour’ element to the tasty sauce.

Jul-Sep 45

TEOCHEW-STYLE STEAMED FISH (SERVES 4)

INGREDIENTS1 whole pomfret or other white fish, cleaned or 700 g fresh fish fillets! tsp salt! tsp sugar1 Tbsp soy sauce2 tsp rice wine 4 cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into slivers2 dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, tough stems discarded and caps thinly sliced2 spring onions (scallion), cut into short lengths2 tsp oil1 tsp sesame oil2 sour plums or 50 g thinly-sliced salted pickled mustard cabbage (kiam chye)Pinch of pepperFresh coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish METHOD1 Make diagonal slits on both sides of the fish.

Place the fish on a plate and rub the salt and sugar on both sides. Drizzle the soy sauce and rice wine over the fish and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

2 Scatter half the ginger, mushrooms and green onions on a heatproof dish, then place the fish with the marinade over it. Scatter the remaining ginger, mushrooms and green onions over the fish and drizzle the oil and sesame oil on top. Place the sour plums or salted pickled cabbage on the fish and put the plate on a steaming rack inside a wok or steamer, half-filled with boiling water.

3 Cover and steam the fish over high heat until cooked, about 10–15 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the fish. Add more boiling water as needed. The flesh should be white to the bone when fully cooked. Season with pepper and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Allswell Longan Red Date Drink is the perfect accompaniment to this classic Chinese dish. Not only does this drink complement the ‘clean’ taste of the fish, it also contains nutritional benefits. Red dates contain a high concentration of vitamins C and A. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is believed that eating or drinking red dates can stimulate the production of white blood cells, which strengthens the body’s immunity. In addition, longan is considered by TCM practitioners to be good for improving blood circulation and digestion.

RECIPES

46 WELLNESS FOR ALL

VEGETARIAN BEEHOON (SERVES 4-6)

INGREDIENTS4 Tbsp cooking oil1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced 5 dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water to soften, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced1 clove garlic, minced1–2 red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely grated or sliced1 medium green bell pepper, deseeded, cored and cut into thin strips 200 g firm tofu, deep-fried until golden brown, then cut into strips 100 g bean sprouts, rinsed and cleaned2 eggs, lightly beaten1 Tbsp soy sauce 300 g dried rice vermicelli (beehoon), soaked in hot water to soften, then drained and cut into 10-cm lengths1 spring onion (scallion), cut into short lengths1–2 red chilli or 1-2 Tbsp fresh chilli sauce 2–3 small green limes, quartered to serve

METHOD1 Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and

stir-fry the onion until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic and chillies, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the carrot and bell pepper, increase the heat to high and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

2 Add the firm tofu and bean sprouts, and stir-fry briskly for 30 seconds. Add the egg and allow it to set a little, about 15 seconds, then stir-fry briskly to mix well. Add the soy sauce and stir-fry to mix well.

3 Add the vermicelli and spring onion, and stir-fry until heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with small sauce bowls of fresh chilli sauce or sliced chillies and lime on the side.

Complement this healthy dish with Allswell Starfruit Juice to beat the heat. In TCM context, eating or drinking starfruit is said to be ‘cooling’. The five-pointed fruit is also believed to relieve sore throats and alleviate hangovers. In addition, the juicy pulp of the fruit is rich in vitamin C and B vitamins such as vitamin B5 that helps lower cholesterol as well as vitamin B9 which helps to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attacks.