Indonesia grows goats rather than sheep, yet “mutton’ was the meat of choice in the wet market of Little India in Singapore, so I can only assume that this delicious, curry-like soup can be made from either lamb or goat meat. The recipe is courtesy of Mrs. Devagi Shanmugam of the Thomson Cooking Studio. Find more recipes and read about Dave DeWitt’s Singapore trip in the article Singapore Fling By Dave De Witt

Ingredients

5 small green chillis, stems removed

5 small red chillis, stems removed

2 pounds lamb or goat meat, cubed

3 quarts water

2-inch piece of ginger, peeled

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

2 teaspoons anise seed

2 teaspoons cumin seed

5 cardamoms (or 2 Tablespoons car-damom powder)

3 cloves

3 tablespoons coriander seed 1 stick cinnamon

1 star anise 5 bay leaves

1 cup fresh mint leaves

4 pieces lemon grass, crushed

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

4 curry leaves (optional)

1 cup water

4 tomatoes, diced 2 sticks cinnamon 3 cardamoms

5 doves

5 tablespoons vegetable oil Spring (green) onions for garnish

3 teaspoons rice flour for thickening (optional)

 

Instructions

Put the mutton in the water in a pot. In a food processor, coarsely grind together the next 16 ingredients along with the cup of water. Using a strainer, strain this mixture into the pot with the mutton. Save the residue, tie it up securely in a muslin or cotton cloth, and add it to the pot.

Fry the tomatoes, cinnamon, cardamoms, and cloves in the oil until the tomatoes are soft, and add the mixture to the pot.

Boil the soup until the mutton is tender and nearly falls apart. Remove the spice bundle, thicken the soup with rice flour if necessary, and garnish with the spring onions.  Serve the soup with Nasi Kunyit ( recipe).

Look for veal with a fine grain and creamy pink color, any fat covering should be milky white. At the market, packages should be securely wrapped with no signs of leakage, and should be cold to the touch, without any tears or punctures.

Ingredients

 3 tablespoons chopped pitted green olives
3 tablespoons chopped pitted black olives
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon  
2 tablespoons chopped parsley plus additional for garnish
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 half-pound veal steaks
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the green and black olives, tomato, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Mix well and set aside.

To serve, top each steak with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.

A Singapore Nonya favorite, this dish is cooked in a wok and can also be served with the Nasi Kunyit recipe found here. Find more recipes and read about Dave DeWitt’s Singapore trip in the article Singapore Fling By Dave De Witt

Ingredients

10 dried red chillis, such as Piquins, stems and seeds removed, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, then coarsely chopped

2 cups grated coconut (fresh preferred)

5 cups water

5 almonds or cashews

l large piece ginger, peeled

3 stalks lemon grass

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

5 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon shrimp paste

10 shallots, peeled

1 tablespoon white pepper

1 tablespoon coriander

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 pounds chicken, cut up

10 ounces cooked bamboo shoots, sliced lengthwise

2 tablespoons soy sauce 3 teaspoons sugar

Salt to taste

Instructions

Add 1 cup of water to the grated coconut and squeeze through cloth to make thick coconut milk. Reserve this milk. Add the rest of the water to the grated coconut and squeeze through cloth to make thin coconut milk. Reserve.

In a food processor, puree the next 7 ingredients to make a spice paste. Mix the pepper and coriander with this paste.

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the paste for about five minutes until it is fragrant. Add the chicken, bamboo shoots, and the thin coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat slightly and cook until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Add the thick coconut milk, soy sauce, sugar, and salt and cook for another 10 minutes.