For two weeks from February 20 until March 2, audiences across the UAE will be able to enjoy all the best of Singaporean cuisine during the Singapore Food Festival, being hosted by Lulu Hypermarkets. As well as featuring a variety of food items there will also be a chance to witness first hand some tips and tricks from a professional chef about how to bring Singapore’s cuisine to life in your kitchens. We spoke to visiting chef Violet Oon about the dishes she loves to prepare and the wonders of those Far Eastern flavours.
Can you tell us about Singapore cuisine and some aspects that make it unique?
Established as a trading port in 1819, Singapore attracted an influx of migrants and merchants over the years from China, the Malay Peninsula, the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East. Along with their cultures, languages and customs, these migrants brought with them their food traditions. The result of this vibrant mix of cultures is something that Singaporeans cherish daily: their food. A bite from a well-loved Singapore dish is in actual fact, a taste of the Singaporean way of life.
What are your essential Singaporean kitchen ingredients?
Lemongrass, garlic and chilli peppers are essential. It’s also important to balance those flavours with some sweetness. You’ll find palm sugar in a lot of our recipes.
When did you first start cooking professionally?
I hadn’t planned to become a professional chef – let’s say it found me! I used to love cooking for my colleagues and friends, and was told that my food was exceptionally tasty. Making others happy through cooking brought me great pleasure and was very exciting for me. There is nothing like creating and sharing good food and I don’t think I’ll ever stop cooking!
What are the most popular dishes from Singapore?
I would have to say that the most popular dishes are chilli crab, chicken rice and Singapore satay – and it is these same dishes that I will be cooking live at the upcoming festival. Chilli crab is considered one of Singapore’s greatest culinary inventions, and something that really shouldn’t be missed! Chicken rice is a signature dish with Chinese influences, made of succulent bites of chicken served on fragrant rice. Singapore satay are tasty spiced meat skewers served with a velvety peanut-based sauce.
What are your expectations for the festival in Abu Dhabi?
I am really looking forward to introducing UAE consumers to the unique Southeast Asian flavours found in Singaporean cuisine. Abu Dhabi is such a diverse city, with a vibrant blend of nationalities in one place, and I believe that consumers will thoroughly enjoy this culinary journey of Singapore. What I hope people take away from this festival is a peaked interest, a sparked curiosity and most of all, a growing desire to cook Singaporean food at home and try infusing Southeast Asian flavours in their own traditional dishes.
What is the hardest dish to prepare and why?
The hardest part of any dish is creating the right balance of flavours, which is difficult for anyone to master. I will be sharing cooking tips that will help even the most amateur chef prepare delicious and authentic Singaporean cuisine at home. The festival is launching some of Singapore’s best ready-made sauces, noodles and marinades that will be available across all Lulu Hypermarkets.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you like to do?
I would probably go back to my old stomping ground of journalism. Or, I would love to just be a full-time grandmother!
What is your personal favourite dish?
One of my personal favourites is a signature Singaporean staple: chilli crab. Considered a Singapore institution with sweet yet savoury gravy, created from a base of chilli and tomato sauce. It is absolutely delicious!
To find out more about the Singapore Food Festival go to www.facebook.com/LuLuHypermarket/events.
Chilli Crab
Singapore’s famous chilli crab is arguably one of the country’s greatest culinary creations. For extra oomph, enjoy this dish with mantou (toasted buns) or fresh baguette on the side to scoop up the thick gravy.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
Sauce
1 cup water
5 tbsp tomato ketchup
1½-3 tbsp sugar, or according to taste
1½ tsp cornflour
1 tsp pounded brown preserved soya beans or dark miso (optional)
¼ tsp salt
Crab
8 cloves of garlic
8 fresh red chillies
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large crab, prepared for cooking
1 egg
2 spring onions (scallions), cut into finger lengths
1 tsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 small bunch coriander leaves (cilantro), cut into 2cm long pieces
Method
Whisk all ingredients for the sauce together and set aside. Pound or grind garlic and chillies to a rough paste. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and chilli paste and fry until fragrant. Add crab and stir fry until the shells turn slightly red. Add sauce. Stir well, cover the wok and simmer until the shells turn bright red, indicating that the crab is cooked. Break egg into the sauce and mix well. Simmer for another ten seconds. Turn off the heat and stir in spring onions and lime or lemon juice. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
