In A Straits-Born Kitchen

Lee Geok Boi

Description

While researching the Straits-born community for this cookbook, Lee Geok Boi realised that the culinary delights typically classified as Peranakan were more than just Straits Chinese. It is also Eurasian, Chetti Melakan, Indonesian Chinese, Malay and Indonesian. The trove of salads, curries, soups, stews, kueh-kueh, cakes and biscuits are all found in the different branches of the Straits-born communities who were drawn to this island at the crossroads of world trade. They show the histories of exploration, economic imperatives and colonisation that go back to the days of the Maritime Silk Road. Although there are differences, Straits-born cuisines share many common elements and dishes. Fragrant local roots and leaves, chillies originally from Central America, and spices from the famed Spice Islands and South and West Asia were ground up to prepare iconic dishes that became family favourites through the generations. Discover the rich history and unique culinary flavours of the Straits-born communities with Lee Geok Boi In A Straits-Born Kitchen.

Sujets

• Cooking

Informations

• Publié par: Marshall Cavendish International
• Date de parution: 11 mai 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814974424
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

L
e
e
G
e
o
k
B
o
i
L
e
e
G
e
o
k
B
o
i
In a
Straits
-
Born
Kitchen
Some of the recipes in this collection were first published in other titles by Lee Geok Boi:
Classic Asian Noodles,
Marshall Cavendish, 2007;
Classic Asian Salads,
Marshall Cavendish, 2009;
Classic Asian Rice
, Marshall Cavendish, 2010;
Asian Soups, Stews Curries,
Marshall Cavendish,
2014;
Asian Seafood,
Marshall Cavendish, 2017
2021 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
Published by Marshall Cavendish Cuisine
An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Requests for permission should be
addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited,
1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Website: www.marshallcavendish.com
Limits of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The Author and Publisher of this book have
used their best efforts in preparing this book. The Publisher makes no representation or
warranties with respect to the contents of this book and is not responsible for the outcome
of any recipe in this book. While the Publisher has reviewed each recipe carefully, the
reader may not always achieve the results desired due to variations in ingredients, cooking
temperatures and individual cooking abilities. The Publisher shall in no event be liable
for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special,
incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices:
Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 800 Westchester Ave, Suite N-641, Rye Brook,
NY 10573, USA Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd, 253 Asoke,
16th Floor, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech
Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Marshall Cavendish is a registered trademark of Times Publishing Limited
National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing in Publication Data
Name(s): Lee, Geok Boi.
Title: In a Straits-born kitchen / Lee Geok Boi.
Description: Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifier(s): OCN 1232438545 | e-ISBN 978 981 4974 42 4
Subject(s): LCSH: Cooking, Peranakan. | Cooking, Malaysian. | Cooking, Singaporean. |
Cooking, Indonesian. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.
Classification: DDC 641.5959--dc23

Contents
The Straits-Born: An Introduction
6
Tracing Straits-Born Cooking
8
Basics
12
Time Saving Tips for Preparing
Straits-Born Meals
12
Sambal Belacan
14
Vindaloo Spice Mix
14
My Grandmother s Curry Powder
15
Kurmah Spice Mix
15
Asam Rempah
16
Asam Pedas/Lauk Pindang/Singgang
16
Raw Dried Red Chilli Paste
17
Cooked Dried Red Chilli Paste
17
Making Fresh Coconut Cream (Santan)
18
Coconut Cream and Coconut Milk
from Grated Coconut
19
Coconut Oil Lees
19
Krisek (Toasted Grated Coconut)
20
Serunding (Coconut Sambal)
20
MSG, Seasoning Powders, Bouillon Cubes
21
The Agak-Agak Method: Measurements
and the Taste Test
22
Slow Cooking Methods
23
Cooking Oil
23
Rendering Lard
23
Serving Sizes
23
Kerabu, Acar and Vegetables
25
Vinegar Acar
26
Petai and Prawn Kerabu
28
Bean Sprout Kerabu
29
Kerabu Kay (Chicken Salad)
30
Cabbage, Wood Ear and Prawn Kerabu
32
Belimbing and Prawn Kerabu
34
Green Mango Kerabu
34
Penang Fruit Rojak
36
Hae Ko Dip
36
Chetti Urap Timun (Cucumber Salad)
38
Pineapple Kerabu
39
Pineapple Chutney
39
Mushroom Stem Sambal
40
Sambal Belacan Vegetables
41
Rich Spicy Kangkong with Sweet Potato
43
Rice and Noodles
45
Nasi Lemak (Rich Rice)
46
Nasi Ulam (Rice Salad)
50
Chetti Nasi Kebuli
51
Prawn Biryani
52
Nasi Kunyit (Yellow Rice)
54
Penang Laksa (Rice Noodles in Fish Soup)
56
Penang/Singapore Char Kuay Tiao
58
Penang Prawn Mee Soup
60
Penang Birthday Mee Sua
62
Seafood
65
Squid Asam Pedas with Pineapple
66
Lauk Pindang
68
Asam Fish Head Curry
70
Sambal Ikan Bilis (Spicy Anchovies)
72
Fried Fish with Dark Soy Sauce
72
Fried Fish
73
Fish Balls and Fish Cakes
74
Grilled Fish in Banana Leaf
76
Steamed/Boiled/Grilled Prawns
77
Steamed/Boiled Crabs
77
Chilli Crabs
78
Crab Cakes
80
Mum s Sambal Hae Bee (Dried Prawn
Sambal)
81
Grilled Stringray
82
Otak-Otak Panggang (Grilled Spicy
Fish Custard)
84
Meats
87
Buah Keluak Curry with Chicken and Pork
88
Preparing and Stuffing Buah Keluak
90
Ayam Tempra (Chicken in
Sour-Spicy Sauce)
92
Too Kah Sui (Sour Pork Trotters)
94
Babi Pong Teh (Pork and Cinnamon Stew)
96
Devil Curry
98
Too Torh Tng (Pig s Stomach Soup)
100
Chap Chye (Mixed Vegetable Stew)
102
Stir-fried Chap Chye
103
Kiam Chye Arh Tng (Duck Soup
with Salted Mustard Greens)
104
Chicken Curry with Potatoes
106
Inchee Kebin (Penang Nonya
Fried Chicken)
108
Penang-Style Roast Chicken
108
Mutton Kurmah
109
Beef Rendang
110
Pig s Lungs with Pineapple
112
Pork Vindaloo
113
Duck Vindaloo
114
Light Bites and Sweet Treats
118
Kueh Pie Tee
120
Hae Bee Hiam (Spicy Dried Shrimp)
122
Sambal Lengkong (Spicy Fish Floss)
123
Roti Jala (Lacy Pancakes)
124
Pulot Rempah Udang (Glutinous Rice
Rolls with Spiced Prawns)
126
Nonya Rice Dumplings
128
Kee Chang (Soda Dumplings)
132
Pengat Pisang (Bananas in Coconut Milk)
134
Pengat Durian (Durian Cream)
134
Jemput-Jemput aka Kueh Kodok
136
Banana Agar-agar
137
Kueh Ee (Glutinous Rice Dumplings)
138
Sago Pudding
140
Kueh Salat
142
Kaya (Coconut Egg Jam)
144
Coconut Candy
146
Rose-flavoured Coconut Candy
147
Pulot Hitam (Black Glutinous
Rice Porridge)
148
Pineapple Tarts
150
Java Jades
152
Indonesian Kueh Lapis (Spekkoek)
154
Almond and Cherry Cake
156
Christmas Fruit Cake
158
A Select Glossary of Ingredients
160
Bibliography
166
Dedication
167
Acknowledgements
167
Weights and Measures
168
6
Straits-born cuisine shows the histories of
exploration, international trade, migration
and colonisation. It is the story of unique
communities formed at the cross-roads of
the fabled Maritime Silk Road. Although
many think of Straits-born as Peranakan
Chinese , the Malay word Peranakan means
local born , and the Peranakan community
consists of Penang Chinese, Melaka Chinese,
Eurasians (Portuguese, Dutch and English),
Chetti Melakans aka Chetti/Chitty, Singapore
Straits Chinese and Indonesian Chinese, when
spoken in the context of colonial era Singapore.
The communities were defined partly by their
cultural practices such as their womenfolk
wearing the
sarong kebaya
on formal occasions and
the use of a Creole dialect but not necessarily.
Today, they are defined by their heritage recipes.
Straits-born cuisine could only have come about
because of where the cooks were from, the
essential ingredients that were on hand easily,
and where there were already established ancient
culinary traditions in the use of these ingredients.
It is a cuisine that grew out of the multitude of
natural resources and plenty enjoyed by ancient
Island South East Asia of which Singapore is a
part. Straits-born cuisine bloomed in Singapore
because it became the meeting place of the
Straits-born diaspora whose cooking was further
shaped by the prosperity created on the island.
When modern Singapore was founded by
the English East India Company in 1819, it was
the last of the three Straits Settlements and it
attracted migrants from the older established
Straits-born communities. Melaka had been a
fabled trading emporium in the 15th century
and Penang had been founded in 1786.The
hotly contested Spice Islands (once Moluccas,
today Maluku) and the rest of the Indonesian
Archipelago were coming together as part of the
Dutch colonial empire. The bazaars of Melaka
saw silks from China, cottons from India and
edible and non-edible products from all over
the region - what the history books called
Straits produce - were the trade goods of the
ships that flocked to the port. The arrival of
the Europeans in South East Asia starting with
the Portuguese and Spanish in the 16th century
brought produce native to Central and South
America, the most significant being Central
American chillies. Introduced by the Portuguese
to South India when they captured Goa, and
Melaka, chillies changed the culinary flavours of
not just South Indians and South East Asians,
but also far-flung Korea. Imagine South Indian
curries, kimchi or
sambal belacan
without chilli?
The people of Island South East Asia
were not devoid of fabulous flavours. There
was pepper (
Piper nigrum
) originally native to
India, but which was already being grown
in the Indonesian islands since the days of
the Buddhist-Hindu kingdoms in Java and
Sumatra in the 12th and 13th centuries.
Turmeric (
Curcuma longa
), cardamoms (
Elettaria
Cardamomum
), two members of the ginger family,
were originally native to India, as were tamarind
(
Tamarindus indica
) and mangoes (
Mangifera
indica
). The trade connections that brought
Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism to South East
Asia also introduced these essential ingredients
to Straits-born cooking. The Indian and Arab
trading ships also carried the seed spices from
further afield: coriander (
Coriander sativum
),
Italy; cumin (
Cuminum cyminum
), West Asia;
fennel (
Foeniculum vulgare
), southe