Irene’s Peranakan Recipes: Heritage Cookbook, #2

By Irene Yeo and Elaine Yeo

Peranakan is the term given to descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Indonesia and Singapore and married the native Malays. Peranakan (or Nonya) cuisine combines the best of Chinese, Malay and other Asian influences to offer a unique fusion of exotic food. The food is aromatic, spicy, and herbal. Peranakan cuisine also includes a wide range of desserts that are popular in this region. Irene was born to a quintessentially Teochew family, and married into a traditional Peranakan family. Cooking wasn't always her strong suit, and she had to enrol in cooking classes after her marriage. Then, through trial and error, swapping recipes with friends, gleaning cooking tips from neighbours and friends, and tapping on her husband's discerning taste buds, Irene's culinary genie emerged. As the years simmered and broiled, Irene gained confidence and started her own cooking classes. She taught at classes organised by the Social Development Unit, the Welfare Club of Tan Tock Seng Hospital and other church groups. With all these classes, she was able to fine-tune her recipes even further.

Writing a cookbook had always been on Irene's mind, but she passed away before she could complete it. This book is compiled by her daughter Elaine Yeo.

Irene's Peranakan Recipes is part of Epigram Books' award-winning Heritage Cookbook series, which showcases the best of Singapore's major cuisines through authentic family recipes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Epigram Books
• Release date: Dec 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9789810732714

Book preview

HEE PEOW SOUP

CABBAGE, MEAT AND PRAWNBALL SOUP

Put ingredients (B) into a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Take a lump of the mixture and form into a ball, hitting it onto the palm of the hand till firm (better if your palm is slightly oiled). Repeat for the rest of the mixture. Do the same for ingredients (C).

Pour the stock into a large pot. Add the cabbage and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs (B), the prawnballs (C) and the fried fish bladder. Add salt to taste. Lower the heat and simmer till the cabbage softens. (Meatballs are cooked when they float to the surface.)

Serve hot and garnish with coriander leaves.

SOTONG SOUP

SOUP WITH STUFFED SQUID

To prepare the squid: Remove the head and eyes of the squid, pull out the bone and the ink sac. Discard. Peel off the outer reddish layer of the skin. Rinse well, washing away all traces of ink. Wash in salt water.

Drain and set aside.

To cook: Heat a soup pot till hot, then add the oil. When it is hot, add the chopped garlic and stir fry till golden brown. Remove the fried garlic from the oil and add it to the stuffing (B). Leave the garlic oil for the soup preparation.

Mix the meat stuffing with the soya sauce, pepper and corn flour (B). Stuff each squid with this meat mixture. With the remaining meat mixture, form meatballs, firmly patting each one.

Pour the water into the soup pot (into the remaining garlic oil) and bring to a boil. Add the stuffed squid and meatballs. Next, add the glass noodles and the light soy sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve garnished with spring onions and parsley.

BAKWAN KEPETING

MEATBALL AND BAMBOO SHOOT SOUP

Heat a saucepan till hot, then add the oil. When it is hot, add the chopped garlic and stir fry till golden brown. Remove the fried garlic from the oil and add it to the meatball mixture (A). Leave the garlic oil for the soup preparation.

Place all the ingredients (A) into a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Take a lump of the meatball mixture and form into a ball, hitting it onto the palm of the hand till firm (better if your hand is slightly oiled). Repeat for the rest of the mixture. Set aside.

Using the garlic oil, stir fry the bamboo shoots (B) for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Pour the stock into a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Add the meatballs, then the fried bamboo shoots. Add the salt. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Garnish the soup with coriander leaves and serve with sambal belachan.

AYAM ASSAM TUMIS

CHICKEN PREPARED IN TAMARIND GRAVY

Heat a saucepan till hot, then add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ground ingredients.

Stir fry till fragrant. Add the chicken pieces and stir fry for a few minutes. Next, add the tamarind water and bring to a boil. Season with sugar and salt.

Lower the heat and simmer till chicken is tender.

PETIS HATI

SPICY CHICKEN LIVER