Chai Tow Kueh (Singaporean Fried Carrot Cake)

          Chai Tow Kueh / Kway is a popular traditional Singaporean breakfast dish enjoyed by the locals and found in most of the hawker centres. It is actually an omelette made of radish and egg and it has nothing to do with carrot. Cut into pieces it is served, garnished with chopped spring onions. 

          It is a very simple and a quick recipe, but absolutely yummy in taste. So do give it a try by following an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing street food for your weekend breakfast.
                 

• 1 medium size radish, cut into long strips
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. pepper powder
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. chopped spring onion

          To the eggs, add pinch of salt, pepper, soy sauce and fish sauce. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and saute the garlic for few seconds. Add the radish and continue to stir fry on a low flame till it is well cooked.

          Now pour in the egg mix and cook till one side is done. Flip it over and cook the other side too. Serve, garnished with chopped spring onion. 

                   To the eggs, add pinch of salt, pepper, soy sauce & fish sauce. Keep aside. 

                     Heat oil 7 saute garlic for few seconds. Add radish & stir fry on low 
                     flame till it is well cooked.

                       Now pour in the egg mix and cook till one side is done.

Flip it over & cook the other side too.

                      Serve, garnished with chopped spring onion. 

Singaporean Fish Head Curry

          I usually prepare fish head curry - Bengali style, either with lentils, veggies or rice. But today I tried it the Singaporean style and it turned out simply delicious. This is the Indian version of this popular fish curry, cooked in coconut milk, tamarind water and along with some veggies thrown in. It is best enjoyed with plain steamed rice. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this Singaporean delicacy.

          This dish brought back some lovely memories of my stay in Singapore a couple of years back. I had the privilege of tasting this delicacy at Muthu's restaurant, where it has originated. There are a lot of versions to this dish. It is prepared with lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, chinese cabbage in the Chinese style and in the Malay version, prawn paste and galangal are added.



          I gave some twist to the original version in the sense I have made use of Rohu fish head instead of the Red Snapper fish head that is traditionally used. Moreover I have fried the fish head first, a la Bengali style, before dropping it into the gravy. But one thing is for sure, whatever way it is cooked it is just awesome. 

• 1 Rohu fish head / Red Snapper fish head
• 4 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 3-4 slit green chilies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 1-2 onions, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste mixed with 1 cup water
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 2 baby eggplants / 1 long eggplant, sliced lengthwise
• 4-5 okra, cut into half
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves to garnish

          Marinate the fish head with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 10-15 minutes. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry them till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside.

          Heat remaining oil and temper with mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. Allow it to splutter.

          Add the curry leaves, garlic, asafoetida and green chilies. Saute for a few seconds. Then add the onion and continue to fry till light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry well.

          Add the tomato paste and all the dry spices. Fry on a medium flame till the oil separates. Add the tamarind water and bring it to a boil. 

          Add the okra and eggplants and simmer, covered on a low flame till they are half done. Now add the coconut milk and bring it to a boil. 

          Drop in the fried fish head. Cover and continue to simmer for a further 2 minutes or till the oil starts to rise on the top. Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

                   Marinate fish head with a pinch of salt & turmeric powder for 10-15 min.
                   Heat 2 tbsp. oil & fry them till golden in colour. Drain & keep aside.

                  Heat remaining oil & temper with mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek 
                  seeds & cumin seeds. Allow it to splutter.

                   Add curry leaves, garlic, asafoetida & green chilies. Saute for few seconds. 

                                Then add onion & continue to fry till light brown. 

                                Add ginger-garlic paste & fry well.

                                Add tomato paste &.....

                           .......all dry spices. Fry on a medium flame till oil separates.

                                Add tamarind water & bring to a boil. 

                                Add okra & eggplants.

                                Simmer, covered on a low flame till they are half done. 

                               Now add coconut milk & bring to a boil. 

                                Drop the fried fish head. Cover & simmer for 2 minutes.

                              ......or till oil starts to rise on the top. 

                                Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

Chili Sambal Fried Rice with Prawns & Sausages - Oriental Style

          A wholesome fried rice dish can be made in no time with some leftover rice. So here is just that with sliced bell peppers, spring onion, few prawns and sausages thrown in. I added 2 tbsp. of the spicy chili sambal for an extra added flavour. You can relish on its own or with a fried egg as an accompaniment. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe of both fried rice and chili sambal.

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup coloured Bell Peppers, sliced
• 1/2 cup spring onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. chili sambal paste  (recipe is given below)
• 1/2 cup prawns
• 2 sausages, sliced
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
• 2 tbsp. tomato ketchup
• 1 fried egg to serve

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the red chilies, garlic and ginger till they changes colour. Then add the onion, sausages and prawns. Sauté till light brown.

          Now add the cooked rice and sambal paste. Mix well and add the bell peppers, spring onions, salt and pepper powder. 

          Continue to fry for 2 minutes. Add tomato ketchup and give it a mix. Serve hot with a fried egg.

                           Heat oil & sauté dry chilies, ginger, garlic till they changes colour.

                                Add onions, prawns & sausages. Fry till light brown.

                              Add cooked rice, salt & chili sambal. Mix everything well.

                       Add bell peppers, spring onion & pepper powder. Sauté for 2 minutes.

                                Add tomato ketchup & give it a mix.

                                Serve hot with fried egg.

Chili Sambal -

• 15-20 dry red chilies, soaked for an hour
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 lemongrass, sliced
• 8-10 shallots
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 2 tbsp. dried anchovies, cleaned, drained & pat dry

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the anchovies till crisp. Drain on a kitchen towel. When cool, grind along with chilies, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, salt, vinegar and sugar to a smooth paste.

          Heat the same oil in which the anchovies were fried. Sauté the prepared paste on a low flame till it turns slightly dark brown in colour and the oil starts to separate from the sides of the pan. Serve along with fried rice.

Sweet & Sour Sausages with Bell Peppers

          This is a Chinese style sweet and sour recipe, where I substituted chicken with sausages. Absolutely yummy and very quick to make, it can be dished out in no time, if all the ingredients are available. It goes very well with either plain rice, noodles or Chinese fried rice. 

          I added some chili sambal and chili sauce to make it more spicy and appetizing. The addition of the assorted bell peppers and green peas gives this dish a very colorful appearance. So check out the recipe of chili sambal too.

• 1-2 cups sausages, chopped into 1" pieces
• 1 1/2 cups coloured Bell Peppers, chopped into large chunks
• 1 onion, chopped into large chunks
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1-2 whole dry red chilies
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
• 1 tbsp. chili sambal paste
• 2 tbsp. red chili sauce
• 1-2 tsp. vinegar
• coriander leaves to garnish

         Heat oil in a pan and fry the sausages till light brown. Drain and keep aside.  Temper the same oil with the dry red chilies and garlic.

         Saute till the garlic changes colour and add the onion. Saute for a few seconds. Then add the chili sambal and give it a stir.

          Add the chopped bell peppers, green peas, salt and pepper powder. Saute on high heat for a minute and then add the chili sauce and vinegar. Mix well and serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

Chili Sambal - 

• 15-20 dry red chilies, soaked for an hour
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon grass, sliced
• 8-10 shallots
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 2 tbsp. dried anchovies., cleaned, drained & pat dry

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the anchovies till crisp. Drain on a kitchen towel. When cool, grind along with chilies, garlic, lemon grass, shallots, salt, vinegar and sugar to a smooth paste.

          Heat the same oil in which the anchovies were fried. Saute the prepared paste on a low flame till it turns slightly dark brown in colour and the oil starts to separate from the sides of the pan. Serve along with Nasi Lemak, noodles, Nasi Goreng, etc.

Mee Goreng (Noodles - Malaysian Cuisine)

          Mee Goreng is a spicy and flavoured Malaysian fried noodles. It is basically a street food and a comfort food, which is also popular in Singapore and Indonesia. Very easy and simple to prepare, this delicious one-pot meal is relished by the locals any time of the day at various hawker centres / food courts and at home too.

          There are many versions to this dish, where the ingredients used, differs. I have added some prawns, sliced fish balls, mushrooms, bok choy, egg and bean sprouts. In fact you can go ahead and add anything according to individual preference, like tofu, beans, carrots, chicken, etc. Chili sambal forms the base of the sauce in this noodle dish which gives it a very authentic aroma.

• 1 pack noodles (150 gms.)
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 egg
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 8-10 shrimps / prawns
• 5-6 fish balls, sliced
• 8-10 mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp. chili sambal paste (see recipe below)
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. red chili sauce
• 1 bunch bok choy, shredded
• handful of bean sprouts
• 1 tbsp. spring onions, chopped 

          Boil the noodles in plenty of water till al dente. Drain and run under tap water. Add 1 tbsp. oil and mix well. Keep aside.

          Heat 1 tsp. oil in a pan / wok and break an egg. Scramble well by adding a pinch of salt. Keep aside. 

          Heat remaining oil and fry the garlic, followed by the onions. Saute for a few seconds. Then add the prawns, fish balls and mushrooms. Fry for a minute.

          Add the sambal paste and mix well. Add the boiled noodles and combine so that everything is coated with the sambal. 

          Now add the salt, red chili sauce, bok choy, bean sprouts and the scrambled egg. Give it a mix. Sprinkle some water if the noodles turns dry. Serve, garnished with spring onion.                   

Chili Sambal - 

• 15-20 dry red chilies, soaked for an hour
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon grass, sliced
• 8-10 shallots
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 2 tbsp. dried anchovies., cleaned, drained & pat dry

           Heat oil in a pan and fry the anchovies till crisp. Drain on a kitchen towel. When cool, grind along with chilies, garlic, lemon grass, shallots, salt, vinegar and sugar to a smooth paste.

          Heat the same oil in which the anchovies were fried. Saute the prepared paste on a low flame till it turns slightly dark brown in colour and the oil starts to separate from the sides of the pan. Serve along with Nasi Lemak, noodles, Nasi Goreng, etc.

Laksa (Noodle Soup - South East Asian Cuisine)

          "Laksa" or "Noodle Soup" is a very popular South East Asian cuisine. It is a signature dish of both Singapore and Malaysia, with a slight difference in the choice of ingredients. It is basically a street food, found at most of the hawker centers. People relish it any time of the day as it is a very satisfying one-pot meal. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

          Laksa is basically a tangy and a spicy soup made out of a paste of shallots, ginger, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, candlenuts, shrimp paste, tamarind paste and dry red chilies. 

         Coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves and chicken stock are also added to give the soup a refreshing and a rich flavour. 

          The gravy is then poured into individual bowls containing boiled noodles. This is then topped with fish balls, prawns, chicken, boiled egg, tofu puffs, bean sprouts or coriander leaves. 

• 10-12 prawns
• 8-10 fish balls
• 1 cup noodles, boiled al dente
• 2 eggs, hard boiled & halved
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1" galangal, chopped
• 1 stalk lemon grass, chopped
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste
• 8-10 whole dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. shrimp paste / 2 tbsp. deep fried shrimp
• 1-2 tbsp. macadamia nuts / peanuts
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 8-10 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 cup coconut milk
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Grind to a paste the onion, garlic, ginger, shrimp paste, lemon grass, nuts, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, dry red chilies and the coriander-cumin powder with required quantity of water.

          Heat oil in a pan and sauté the paste till the oil leaves the sides of the pan. Add the stock and lime leaves. Gently simmer on low flame for 8-10 minutes.

          Now add the prawns and the fish balls and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the flame and add the coconut milk and salt.

          Bring it back on the flame and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Keep aside. While serving, place the boiled noodles into individual bowls and pour some of the Laksa soup over it. Top it up with boiled eggs and garnish with coriander leaves.

                                 Heat oil & sauté ground paste till oil separates.

                                 Add stock & lime leaves. Gently simmer for 8-10 minutes.

                                  Add prawns & fish balls. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.

                          Switch off the flame. Add coconut milk & simmer for 1-2 minutes.

                   Pour gravy over boiled noodles. Serve, garnished with boiled eggs & 
                   coriander leaves.