Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is another essential Nonya ingredient. Fresh is best but UHT coconut milk works well for practically all Nonya dishes where the coconut milk has to be cooked. The coconut cream used in these recipes is UHT coconut cream which is very thick. Too much coconut milk in a curry or sambal makes a dish too rich besides being a cholesterol nightmare. However, too little will not bring out the flavours properly. The richness can be varied to suit personal tastes.
Fermented Soya Beans: known as dou jiang and usually sold in jars with the soft fermented and salted soya beans doused in a brownish liquid. The beans are usually mashed before using.
Galangal: Often measured by the thumb but it can also be measured by slices. Naturally, the measure can vary depending on the size of the root. However, it is not all that critical to get the quantity spot on.
Kale: Known by its Chinese name, kai Ian, or baby kai Ian for the smaller, rounder version. Kale has a robust flavour and texture and is slightly bitter. Although the lowest, hardest part of the stem may be discarded, the remainder should be cooked and enjoyed for its mild, crisp pith.
Lemongrass: Usually measured by the stalks. However, lemongrass is rarely uniform in size and some stalks can be rather small. Cup measures are therefore given to ensure a constant measure. Only the white bulbuous part of the stalk is used—this is the most fragrant part—the greenish upper part of the stalk is discarded. Trim away the woody root and peel away any dried-up outer layers. Slice thinly first to make blending easier.
Screwpine Leaves: Pandan leaves impart a subtle flavour to many Nonya dishes, both savoury and sweet. The leaves are either tied and left in the pot for savoury dishes, or pounded to extract the green colouring for desserts.
Tamarind: Dried tamarind fruits are often available in the form of a pulp which must be soaked in water, stirred, squeezed and strained to yield a sour yet flavoursome liquid. All forms of solids and remaining pulp should be discarded.
Condiments
Acar Nenas (Spicy Pineapple Pickle)
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh pineapple, peeled
2 tablespoons oil
6 cm (2 1/2 in) ginger, peeled and sliced
1 medium fresh red chilli, deseeded and coarsely sliced
½ teaspoon salt
2-3 drops dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1. Halve pineapple lengthways, then cut each half into 3 or 4 wedges. Remove hard core and cut each wedge into 1 cm (½ in) slices.
2. Heat oil in wok and saute ginger slices and chilli for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add pineapple, salt, dark soy sauce, sugar and vinegar and saute, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes or until the oil rises to the surface and the pineapple looks glossy. The pineapple should still be juicy.
4. Serve with plain rice and any coconut-based dish, or with fried fish.
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Acar Timun (Spicy Cucumber Pickle)
300 g (11 oz) cucumber
1 teaspoon salt for cucumber
100 g (3 ½ oz) carrots 2 tablespoons oil
4 slices ginger
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1. Halve cucumbers lengthwise and remove soft core. Cut into 3 ½ cm (1 ½ in) juliennes.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon salt into cucumbers, set aside for 15 minutes then squeeze to extract as much juice as possible.
3. Cut carrot into 3 ½ cm (1 ½ in) juliennes.
4. Heat oil in wok and saute ginger and mustard seeds until mustard seeds pop. Stir in turmeric and chilli powder, then add the cucumbers, carrot, sugar and salt and saute for a further 2 minutes. Take care not to overcook. Turn off heat, add vinegar and mix well.
5. Cool in wok, then bottle the pickle. Serve only after pickling overnight.
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Sambal Belacan (Fragrant Shrimp Paste Sambal)
25 medium fresh red chillies, deseeded
1 tablespoon shrimp paste (belacan), toasted
1. Toast belacan on the back of a spoon over a naked flame, or dry-fry in a pan, or bake in foil until fragrant.
2. Pound chillies with toasted belacan until fairly smooth and store in a bottle in the fridge.
Note: To prepare Sambal Belacan with Lime, stir 1 tablespoon lime juice into the finished Sambal Belacan and mix well or serve with sliced kalamansi limes.
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Nonya Mee
(Nonya Noodles)
4 tablespoons oil
25 g (¼ cup) shallots, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fermented soyabeans (dou jiang), mashed well
300 g (11 oz) shelled small prawns
200 g (7 oz) mustard greens (cai xin), cut into finger-lengths
200 g (l ½ cups) beansprouts, rinsed and cleaned
800 g (1 lb 12 oz) cooked yellow noodles, rinsed
250 ml (1 cup) pork stock
