10 recipes on each page | Peranakan association link
Peranakans, or Babas ( Nonya/Nyonya), refer to the descendants of inter-marriages between Chinese pioneers and local women of the Malay Archipelago. As a result, the community drew inspiration from Malay-Indonesian and Chinese tradition, as well as colonial English customs. This syncretic and vibrant character of the community is discernible in their furnishings, clothings, accessories and way of living.
Even though the Peranakans dominated the Malay Archipelago with their wealth and influence, beginning of the 20th century, their people and distinctive culture have virtually disappeared in the 21st century. Perhaps, they have finally fallen victim to their own ethnic characteristic: to blend with the culture of time.
The Peranankan culture is one of the first fusion Asian-Western cultures. To most people, a living style as such described below, is difficult to imagine in the 19th century. But to the Peranakans, dressing in Malay-Chinese-Indian-British influenced fashion, living in a house roofed with intricate Chinese tiles and supported on stilts of Malay fishermen' s houses, drinking tea out of British teacups: is an absolutely normal way of life.
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Contrary to the norms of society then too, the societal structure is matriachal. Much of its ideas on race, language and religions were radical in its time. As seen in the influences of his food, the Peranakan delights in mixing as many different cultural influences into his language. Thus, it is common that English and Pidgin Malay, becomes the language of choice at home, together with a dose of some Chinese dialect. His religious stand is at best described as ambiguous, living in a society of Islam, hodge-podge of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, and fervent British Christian missionaries. |
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The only aspect of Peranakan culture that remains strong is, perhaps its cuisine. The Peranakan cuisine evolved in several centuries. Traditionally, Peranakan women as children, were trained from dawn to twilight, to perfect their art. I certainly do like their food. I am seeking to record some Peranakan recipes, before the knowledge disappears along with its culture and people in the next decade.
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Sarong Kebaya The Sarong Kebaya used by the airlines SIA to dress their reknown Singapore Girl air stewardesses, is a name borrowed from one of Peranakan traditional garbs. Oh well, the SIA Sarong Kebaya is actually the handiwork of the French Haute Courier Pierre Balmain, but the print and cut are still Peranakan.
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Famous Peranakans
Lee Kuan Yew The founding figure of modern Singapore.
His mother's no-frills cookbook, Mrs Lee's Cookbook: Nonya Recipes and Other Favourite Recipes, is still the bestselling cookbook in the Malay Archipelago, after thirty years.
Goh Keng Swee Chief architect of post colonial Singapore economy.
Dick Lee, musician, whose nickname is the Mad Chinaman, is not a Chinaman, but a Peranakan Baba. As one of his most famous singles said it : "I am Baba" (Which most of Japanese fans erroneously think is related to the Arabian fable Ali baba). An executive with Sony Asia (Pony Canyon), ex-owner of the" Boom Boom Room" and a chain of bars/nightclubs along Boat Quay.
Ingredients
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Method
Pound pandan leaves till fine, add enough water to bring it to 210ml. Add salt and green colouring. Strain and set aside.
Boil tapioca flour with 85ml water over low heat, stirring till almost transparent.
Pour the tapioca mixture immediately into the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl. Stir till well absorbed and gradually add in the pandan water to form a paste.
Place paste on a flat surface. Rub well to form a firm smooth dough. If dough is too soft, add in a little flour. Divide dough in 4 parts. Roll each part into a longish roll and cut into 12 pieces. Keep uncut dough covered with a piece of cloth.
Bring a big saucepan of water to boil. Take 1 piece of cut dough and roll with palms of hands till well rounded. Fill with one and a half teaspoons of the grated sugar in center. Put into the boiling water. Repeat process with the remaining dough and boil till each ball surfaces. Keep boiling for 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
Remove each ball with a tea strainer, dab strainer over dry cloth and roll ondeh ondeh in grated coconut. repeat with the rest of the dough.
Note:
It is very important
to keep the balls well sealed to prevent cracking whilst boiling.
When ondeh ondeh floats to the surface keep boiling for at least
2-2.5 minutes.
This will keep the ondeh ondeh soft and at the same time turns the grated sugar syrupy.
2. Otak Otak
Enclosed in a coconut leaf or banana leaf wrapping, this mixture of minced fish, spices and thick coconut cream is slowly barbecued over glowing coals. It is either eaten as a snack between meals or forms part of a nasi lemak meal (rice steamed with coconut milk) and eaten with a variety of seafood dishes.
Part of Singapore's Malay and Nonya heritage, otak otak can also be cooked in a baking tray in the oven.
Ingredients
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4 candlenuts
20 dried chillies
40 grammes galangal or 3 tsp powdered galangal
One thumb length fresh turmeric root or half to three-quarter tsp powdered turmeric
One stalk lemon grass
2 square inches by quarter inch thick piece of shrimp paste (belacan)
10 shallots
One Tbs toasted coriander seed powder
Fillet fish. Grind the meat finely in a food processor. Put into a large bowl.
Wash candlenuts, cut off stalks of the dried chillies. Soak in warm water till softened for about 30 minutes. Remove and drain.
Cut off the skin of the galangal and turmeric root and peel shallots. Trim lemon grass. Cut all the spices into pieces.
Pound or grind the first 7 ingredients of the spice mix till fine.
Add the shallots last as a binding agent. Add the coriander powder.
Squeeze the grated coconut for cream. Strain cream. Or use one packet of coconut powder, adding enough water to make one cup. Or one-and-a-half cups processed coconut milk.
Heat wok, add oil, then add spice paste. Stir fry 5 minutes till oil exudes and the mixture is fragrant.
Add coconut milk, stir fry well till just under boiling point. Turn off heat, cool. Add egg and mix well.
Remove central vein of the double-leafed kaffir lime leaf and slcie very finely.
Mix the spices with the minced fish meat, salt and sugar.
Add the kaffir lime leaves. Grease an 8-inch cake tin and put the fish mixture in. Smoothen the top with the back of a grease spoon. Bake in a bain marie (loaf tin) in a pre-heated oven at 150-175 degree Celcius (300-350 degree F) for 20-25 minutes till skewer comes out clean when it is put into the centre of the fish cake. Traditionally, the fish mixture is wrapped in banana leaves or coconut leaves and barbecued over glowing coals.
Serve hot or cold as a snack or part of a meal with rice and other Nonya dishes.
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Method:
Sift rice and plain flour into a mixing bowl. Add in sugar and slowly add the coconut milk. Stir until smooth then add the eggs and egg yolks. Whisk until well blended. Strain the batter.
Lightly grease love letter moulds with a piece of muslin cloth dipped in oil. Heat mould over charcoal fire.
When heated, place the moulds open over a bowl of batter and pour a ladelful of batter onto the mould. Close the mould tightly and bake over charcoal fire for about half a minute on each side.
When golden in colour, remove and immediately roll into a perfect circle (see picture). Press lightly with a tin cover to level the surface.
Cool and store in an air-tight container or tin.
(You need love letter moulds to make this beautiful kuih that is served during Chinese New Year.)
4. Pandan Chiffon Cake
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Pandan (pandan is also known as screw pine or pandanus amaryllifolius, its biological name) leaf is a kind of flavoured grass grown in the South East Asia, it is very often used as an ingredient in cooking. Like the renowned Hainanese Chicken Rice, the aromatic pandan leaves are the reasons for its popularity! |
Ingredients
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Method :
BatterPre heat the oven to 160c.
Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and add the castor sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring slowly to dissolve the sugar. set aside to cool.
When the coconut mixture has cooled, sieve the cake flour, baking powder and salt. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, coconut mixture, pandan juice and pandan essence. Whisk lightly, then add the flour to the egg yolk mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth. Set aside.
Whisk the egg whites lightly and seive in the cream of tartar and castor sugar. Continue to whisk until the mixture is stiff.
Do not overheat or allow the mixture to become dry. Set aside.
Gently fold half the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and blend well. Fold in the remaining egg whites and work very lightly with a spatula.
Make sure the mixture is well mixed. Place the finished mixture in an ungreased chiffon cake mould. Level and bake in the oven until golden brown (about 45 minutes).
Remove the cake from the oven and invert the mould. Allow it to cool for 1 hour. Do not remove the mould while the cake is still hot.
When it has cooled, use a long, fine palatte knife to loosen the sides of the cake to remove it from the tin.
5. Rainbow Cake - Kueh Lapis Rainbow
Ingredients
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Method:
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6. Thousand Layer Cake - Kueh Lapis
One of the variations of mouth-watering kueh is Kueh Lapis also known as layer cake.
It is often seen in dessert shops and hawker centres. It has a very unique taste and every layer is very smooth which tests the skill of the maker. A common colour for the Kueh Lapis is yellow and brown sheets that lie one after the other but the topmost layer is always coated in red. Kueh Lapis can be found at the stalls (Chinese and Malay) or any Nonya kueh seller. You can get it for only 20-30 cent.
Kueh Lapis can be served during breakfast, as a tea-time snack, or even supper. Anyone looking for a different taste in food, should consider Kueh Lapis for its exotic flavour. Making kueh Lapis is very time consuming due to the alternate layers with different colours.
Its preparation is similar to that of making agar agar, meaning making each layer at a time. This process may take as long as an hour depending on the amount required. The product is a delicate, soft and brown dessert that gives off a very appetizing aroma. Despite the fact that it is difficult to cook, many Nonyas would still spend time making it just for their families as they believe the more effort you spend in preparing your food for your families, the more blissful and happy you will be.
Ingredients
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Method:
Place the egg yolks, granulated sugar and vanilla into mixing bowl. Beat to very high soft peak. Stir in the layer cake extract, flour, powdered milk, condensed milk and butter.
The batter should be very thick. Place wax paper at the bottom of a 8x8 inch buttered baking pan. Spread butter on top of the wax paper as well. Pour 3-4 Tbs. of batter into the wax covered pan and bake in a preheated 350°F oven (gas oven is better than electric oven) for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and press the cake evenly. Pour another 3-4 Tbs. of batter and bake it again for five minutes. Keep doing this step until the batter is finished.
Cool for a while when you have finished. Whilst the cake is still warm place absorbent paper towel on top and underneath, weight slightly and allow excess butter to flow through the cake and into the towel.
Serve when cool.
7. Two Layer Cake - Kueh Salat
More pictures of the famous Nonya Kueh. See whether you can spot Kueh Salat (white glutinous rice with green custard on top) in the plethora of items.
Ingredients
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Method
Cook glutinous rice in rice cooker with one cup coconut milk and pinch of salt. Use the usual recommended amount of water including the cocounut milk. No pre-soaking of rice is necessary.
Combine sugar and eggs and mix till sugar dissolves. Add and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
Get ready steamer.
Oil a metal baking container, put in cooked rice and compress the rice, then roughen the surface and pour in the liquid mixture.
Steam for about 10 - 15 minutes, break the cooked top layer and let the liquid flow to the top. Steam for a further 30 minutes.
Let it cool completely before attempting to cut.
8. Red Bean-paste Ricecakes - Ang Gu Kueh
Ingredients :
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(A)
(B)
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Ingredients for the filling :
300g Split Beans
300g Castor Sugar
Method
Wash beans and soak for 2 hours.
Drain and cook with about 3-4 bowls of water until soft.
Stir over pot until mixture is quite dry and add in sugar, continue to stir until mixture is thick.
Method
Mix (A) and (B) together and knead well.
Wrap with filling and steam for about 7 minutes.
Remove and oil 'Ang Ku Kueh'.
9. Nonya Pancakes - Kueh Dadar
Makes 8 pancakes.
Ingredients
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Pancakes
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Filling
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup water
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Sauce
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Method
Getting Ready
In a bowl, blend egg, water, and milk with a wire whisk. Add flour and salt; mix until smooth. Add color to tint batter pale green. Pour batter through a strainer into a bowl.
To make filling Melt butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add coconut and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add water, brown sugar, vanilla, and nuts. Continue to cook until water has evaporated and mixture is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
Cooking
Heat a nonstick 8-inch frying pan over medium heat. Brush with about 1/4 teaspoon butter. Add 1/4 cup batter to pan; tilt pan in all directions so batter covers entire surface. Cook until pancake is set and bottom is lightly brown, about 2 minutes; turn over and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute longer. Remove from pan; repeat to make remaining pancakes.
To prepare sauce In a small pan, combine coconut milk, water, and sugar. Cook, stirring, over medium--low heat until sugar dissolves. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens slightly. Remove sauce from heat.
To assemble, place about 1/4 cup filling in center of each pancake. Roll to enclose filling; place on a serving plate. Drizzle sauce over pancakes; garnish with chopped nuts, if used.
10. Rice cookies- Kueh Bangkit
Symbolism also comes in the shape of flower and animal motifs - such as goldfish (prosperity), butterflies (afterlife), peonies (faith) and chrysanthemums (fortune). These rice flour cookies are sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds that symbolise numerous progeny. Kueh bangkit are typical of the evolution of the cultural osmosis from mainland China to overseas Peranakan communities; their origin being rice cakes baked in the shape of currency as an altar table offering for the departed to spend in their next life. .
Ingredients
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Method
Take 2 pandan leaves and cut up into 2 cm pieces. Dry-fry sago flour in wok (preferably non-stick) with the cut-up pandan for about 10 minutes over a low flame until very dry. Remove to cool. This removes most of the moisture and renders the flour light-as-air.
Put sugar, coconut milk and remaining pandan leaves to simmer over medium heat. Do not overboil or the milk will turn oily. Remove from heat once sugar is melted and allow to cool completely.
Beat 2 egg yolks and 1 egg white till frothy and add to cooled coconut milk. Beat lightly for 3 minutes and sift flour in with baking power. Knead into a soft, pliable dough with floured hands. Add a little more flour if mixture is too soft.
Roll out dough to about 1 cm thickness. Use cookie cutters or traditional bangkit cutters, usually paisley-shaped or as stylised flowers, and punch out the shapes. Dust a baking tray with a little sago flour and place bangkit in this, without touching each other.
Brush with a little beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds on each bangkit. Bake in a pre-heated oven (gas mark 4, or 200 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes until light brown. Cool and store in air-tight containers. They keep for up to a month.
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Last revised: April 26, 2002.
