HOME RECIPES

GRANDMA FREDA'S DEVIL CURRY

Also known as Kari Debal in Kristang, this dish has roots in 16th-century Melaka when the Portuguese colonists married the local Malay girls. This Eurasian community and their descendents are known as Kristang. The spicy heat of the curry inspired the name ‘Devil’. It is usually served during special occasions. Grandma Freda is a tough old lady with Dutch and Kristang roots. She used to yank out our shaky teeth when we were children.

Serves 4

CHICKEN

1 1kg chicken, cleaned and cut into pieces

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

Pinch of sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon oil for frying

Marinade for 10 minutes the chicken with seasonings and soy sauce. Heat a large wok with oil and brown the chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.

SPICE PASTE (REMPAH)

Chilli Blend:

9 dried chillis, cut into 2cm lengths and soaked in hot water to soften

Shallot Blend:

6 shallots, peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 2cm fresh turmeric

1 3cm galangal, sliced

4 candlenuts, softened in hot water

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

CURRY

2 onions, peeled and quartered

4 potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 stalk lemongrass, bruised

1 3cm ginger, peeled and julienned

2 tomatoes, quartered

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon English mustard

1 tbs sugar

Salt to taste

2 cups water

1/2 cup (or as needed) cooking oil

In the same wok over medium heat, add 2 tbs of oil and fry the Chilli Blend. Lower heat and fry for about 5 minutes till fragrant. Add the Shallot Blend and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, onions, tomatoes, English mustard, ginger and lemongrass and return the chicken pieces to the wok. Gently mix well until fragrant. Add water and simmer for about 25 minutes till the potato and chicken are cooked. Add salt, sugar and vinegar, and simmer for about 10 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. The curry has more depth when cooked a day before serving. Serve with rice or baguette.

ROSE COCONUT CANDY

Serves 15

Note: 1 coconut (brown skin removed) = 3 cups grated coconut

3 cups grated coconut

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup full cream evaporated milk

Pinch of salt

2 pandan leaves, knotted

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons natural rose essence

1 teaspoon red colouring (optional) for pink candy

Muscles for continuous stirring

Prepare 1 disposable silverfoil dish or pyrex dish by coating the insides with butter.

Place all ingredients in a large pot except colouring and rose essence. Bring to bubbling boil over medium heat. Lower heat to gentle simmer and stir until the coconut mixture leaves sides of pot. This takes about 15-20 minutes of stirring. Add colouring and rose essence and stir to mix well. Pour into dish. Cool for at least 30 minutes.

How to Make Edible Rose Oil

Bring a few inches of water to the boil in a saucepan, then remove from heat.

Pour a cup of grapeseed oil into a heat-proof glass jar with a lid.

Place 2 cups of bruised and shredded rose petals into the oil. Gently swirl the jar around to coat the petals.

Cover the jar and place into the hot water. When the water cools, remove jar from pot and set aside for 24 hours

Strain the oil into a clean, dark-coloured (sunlight affects the longevity of the essence) glass jar and cover with lid.

AUNTIE FLO'S BOOZY FRUIT CAKE

Plan ahead as fruit needs to be macerated in brandy for 2 days

Makes 2 loaves

FRUIT

1 cup sultanas

1 cup raisins

1 cup dried apricots, diced

1 cup candied green and red cherries, diced

1/3 cup candied citrus rind

1/3 cup crystallised ginger, diced

1 cup brandy

1 cup apple juice

CAKE

16 tbsp room-temperature butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup golden syrup

1 teasp salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teasp vanilla extract

4 eggs, beaten in a pouring jug

3 cups plain flour

1/2 cup brandy

Place the prepared candied fruit into a glass bowl and pour over the brandy and apple juice. Set aside in refrigerator to soak for 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 150°C. 2 standard 9 x 5in. loaves, buttered and lined with baking paper. Drain the fruit and pat dry with paper towel.

In a large bowl beat the sugar and butter until the colour turns paler and sugar has dissolved. Fold in the spices, salt and baking powder. Beat in the egg a little at a time to incorporate well. Add in the flour and combine well. Add the golden syrup and candied fruit, mixing all well.

Spoon the batter into the pans, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven for 2 hours. The cakes are done when a knife or skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven to cool. You can brush the top of the warm cakes with a little marmalade mixed with brandy.

GRANDMA MADGE'S TOM YAM TALAY

My paternal grandmother, who is half Thai half British, makes this non-spicy Tom Yam Talay (seafood) she picked up from a friend in Chiangmai. Its subtlety shows off the freshness of good seafood unlike the mind blowing spicy versions. This is an ancient recipe as chillis were unknown in Thailand until the Portuguese brought them to this part of the world from South America during the 1500s.

Serves 2

6 whole fresh prawns, deveined, heads and shells removed and reserved

1 fresh squid, cleaned and sliced

Handful oyster mushrooms

1 teasp palm sugar

2 tbsp fish sauce

4 tbsp lime juice

Salt to taste

3 stalks coriander, roots crushed, leaves for garnish

STOCK

3 cups clear unsalted chicken broth

1 stalk lemongrass, bruised

3 slices galangal, sliced

3 kaffir lime leaves, torn

Coriander roots

Place the chicken broth in a pot over medium heat with the prawn heads and shells. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until fragrant. Remove prawn heads and shells and any scum floating on top. Add the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and coriander root. Bring to simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add a little water if you need to. Stir in the fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice. Add the straw mushrooms, squid and prawns and simmer for about 2 minutes until prawn is pink and cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning to a fine balance of sweet, sour and salty. Discard coriander roots and lemongrass. Dish out into serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

CORNED BEEF CUTLET S

Serves 4

1 tin Libby’s corned beef

2 sprigs spring onion, sliced

2 bunches of coriander, minced

5 shallots, fried till golden

2 potatoes, boiled

1 egg, beaten

Pinch of salt

2 cups bread crumbs or panko

1/4 cup peanut oil for frying

Mash the corned beef with the boiled potato. Mix in the other ingredients except the oil and breadcrumbs, and combine well. Form little patties (cutlets) and coat with bread crumbs. Heat a large frying pan and add oil. When the oil bubbles around a chopstick and is well heated, gently put in the corned beef patties. Fry on both sides till golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Served immediately. Good with rice and Soy Limang

Accompanying sauce

Soy Limang

Soy lime sauce

Soy Limang is a Kristang term that means soy lime sauce. The Kristang of Malaysia and Singapore are offspring of the colonial Portuguese and indigenous Malays – with other ethnic additions along the way. They speak a creole dialect of Malay, Portuguese and English

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 onion, sliced

1 green chilli, sliced

2 limes

1 tbsp sugar

Salt

3/4 cup water

Oil for frying

SPICY TAMARIND PRAWNS

Serves 5

500g prawns shells on, cleaned and deveined

2 tbsp tamarind paste, extracted from tamarind pulp mixed with a little water

Salt to taste

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

3 tbsp cooking oil

Mix tamarind paste, sugar and dark soy sauce together. Marinade prawns with the mixture and set aside in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Heat a wok on medium heat and add oil. Cook the prawns till they turn a vibrant pink and slightly charred on the shells. Note food will continue to cook even off the heat. Lay the prawns on a platter, garnish with coriander and serve immediately.

AUNTIE DEVI’S CRAB CURRY

Serves 4

4 Sri Lankan crabs, cleaned and cut into pieces

5 garlic cloves

1/2 inch ginger, minced

3 onions, sliced

1/4 cup grated coconut

1 tbsp tamarind juice

2 teasp fennel seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Bunch of coriander leaves

1 green chilli, sliced

1/4 cup fresh grated coconut

1 teasp red chilli powder

1 tbsp garam masala powder

1 teasp turmeric powder

1 teasp coriander seed

1 tomato, quartered

1 tbsp cooking oil

2 cups water

Salt to taste

Heat a small pot with a little oil and add the fennel seeds and cumin seeds. When they start popping, add the onion, garlic, 1/4 cup grated coconut, ginger and green chilli. Sautee until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Put the whole lot in the blender together with the coriander leaves and a little water and blend to a paste.

Heat a wok or large deep pan on the stove, add a little oil and sautee the paste mixture. Add the tomato, salt, tamarind juice and the rest of the spices and sautee for about 8 minutes until fragrant. Add water if it gets too dry. Add the crabs and combine well. Add a little more water, and cover with a lid and let cook for about 5 minutes. Check if crab is cooked and check taste. Serve in a dish with a few coriander leaves for garnish. Best eaten with white rice.

FRIED BRINJAL

Serves 4

2 brinjals, sliced

2 cloves unpeeled garlic, bruised

1 teasp light soy sauce

1 teasp dark soy sauce

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

Peanut oil for frying

Toss the sliced brinjal with the sauces, salt and sugar. Heat a wok on medium heat, add oil and fry the garlic until fragrant. Add the brinjal slices and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove and drain on paper towels.