Mini Singapore Favourites. Wendy Hutton

      Popiah (Fresh Spring Rolls)

      2 tablespoons crushed chilli flakes or 6-8 red finger-length chillies, deseeded and ground

      8 cloves garlic, crushed with a little salt

      4 tablespoons tim cheong or kecup man is

      6 large lettuce leaves

      1 small cucumber, peeled and finely shredded

      100 g (2 cups) beansprouts

      1 cake tau kwa (pressed tofu) 100 g (3 1/3 oz), deep-fried until golden, diced

      2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

      2 lap cheong, simmered 3 minutes, thinly sliced

      Filling

      1 ½ tablespoons oil

      1 small onion, halved, thinly sliced across

      2 cloves garlic, minced

      4 teaspoons tau cheo

      (salted soy beans—page 19), lightly smashed

      100 g (3 1/3 oz) pork loin, very thinly sliced

      100 g (3 1/3 oz) prawns, peeled, heads removed

      250 g (8 oz) boiled or canned bamboo shoot, finely shredded

      1 bangkuang, (300 g/10 oz), finely shredded

      1 tablespoon soy sauce

      ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

      Wrappers

      125 g (1 cup) plain flour

      ½ teaspoon salt

      300 ml (1 ¼ cups) water

      5 eggs, lightly beaten

      2 teaspoons oil

      Tim cheong, or sweet black Chinese sauce, is a fragrant sweet sauce used in many marinades and sauces; substitute kecup man is.

      1 To make the Wrappers, place the flour, salt and water in a bowl and mix to form a smooth batter. Then add the eggs and mix well. Heat a 20-cm (8-in) skillet, add 1/2 teaspoon of the oil to grease the skillet. Add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the batter and swirl the skillet to spread the batter in a thin layer. Cook over moderate heat until the batter sets, about 30 seconds. Flip the batter and cook on the other side for a few seconds. Remove from the skillet, place on a serving plate and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat to make 10 Wrappers.

      2 Heat the oil for the Filling in a wok or saucepan. Stir-fry the onion and garlic over low to moderate heat until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the tau cheo and stir-fry 1 minute. Increase the heat, add the pork and stir-fry until it changes colour, about 1 minute. Add the prawns and stir-fry 1 minute, then add the bamboo shoots, bangkuang, soy sauce and pepper.

      3 Stir the mixture and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until cooked through. Add 1 tablespoon of water if needed. Transfer the cooked mixture to a bowl and allow to cool.

      4 To serve, transfer the Filling and Wrappers to the dining table. Place the chilli, garlic and sweet black sauce in small sauce bowls on the table. Arrange the lettuce leaves, cucumber, bean sprouts, tau kwa, boiled eggs and lap cheong on a large plate.

      5 Smear one side of a Wrapper with chilli sauce, garlic paste and sweet black sauce. Add half a lettuce leaf, some of the Filling, cucumber, bean sprouts, tau kwa, egg and lap cheong. Tuck in the sides of the Wrapper and roll it up. The Popiah can be sliced into 3-4 pieces if preferred. Repeat to make the rest of the Popiah.

      Serves 4

      Preparation time: 50 mins Cooking time: 50 mins