FOODIE SPECIAL......PERANAKAN CUISINE

PERANAKAN CUISINE Peranakan Flavours   Singapore's fusion cuisine can truly tickle the palate Did you know that the little red dot on the map called Singapore has over 8,000 registered food outlets in its folds! The main reason being that the average Singaporeans do not cook at home. They prefer having all their meals outside. This is what prompted the Singaporean food trail! A trip to Singapore is incomplete without relishing at least some of their traditional Peranakan delicacies, Singapore's original fusion food which is sadly overlooked by many . Peranakan cuisine is a unique amalgamation of Malay and Chinese culinary traditions. Key ingredients of the Peranakan cuisine include coconut milk, galangal (from the ginger family), candlenuts, laksa leaf,  pandan leaves, belachan (shrimp paste), tamarind juice, lemongrass,  torch ginger, jicama (type of yam), fragrant kaffir lime leaf, rice or egg  noodles and cincalok (made from fermented shrimps or krill). Do visit the Peranakan Museum on Armenian street to get a glimpse  into this unique culture and the best way to round up the experience  is to dine in the restaurant called True Blue right besides it. Flowers of  varied hues and colours in assorted pots welcome you into cosy interiors  of True Blue; made warmer by the smiling faces that serve you. True Blue  was started by Chef Benjamin Seck with the help of his mother Daisy  over a decade ago. Both zealously cook up dishes that are served in their  beautiful traditional crockery on your table. True Blue's signature dishes include classics such as Banana Blossom  salad, Rendang and Ayam Buah Keluak which is cooked differently by  every family; using their own special secret traditional recipe passéd down through generations. Ayam buah keluak has come to be seen as representative of Peranakan cuisine, as it combines a host of Southeast Asian spices and the long simmering process of Hokkien cooking. Daisy can cook up a storm with the black nut or the Buah keluak also referred to as Asia's Truffle. These nuts, native to Indonesia, are poisonous when picked. They are then buried under volcanic ash for around hundred days after which  they arrive in True Blue. They are then soaked and broken and scrubbed to remove the poisons and pounded with a secret mix of spices. This paste is then pushed back into the empty shell of the nut and cooked with chicken to produce the famous Ayam Buah Keluak which has a woody, earthy flavour and colour. If you don't have time for an entire meal, step into some shops that specialise in Peranakan nibbles. Head to Kim Choo on East Coast Road  which has been on Singapore's culinary scene from 1945. They make wide use of the Pandan leaf. Pick up ready­to-eat spicy dumplings (both veg and meat variety available) and plunge into their rich taste, disguised by the mild fragrance of pandan leaves. You can also take home a wide variety of delicious cookies, pineapple tarts, papery folded pandan love letters, Kaya paste (which is used as bread spread), different types of dips and pickles. Another outlet called Tong Heng Pastries awaits you on the Southbridge Road. They serve a wide range of traditional pastries and deserts. All their pastries are handmade and baked fresh daily . They have different types of cakes on the menu in addition to some  interesting items like Icing Lotus Shortcake, Candied Melon Crisp, Green Bean Paste Crisp, Lotus Seed Paste Crisp, Dragon Phoeonix Cake,  Mini Mooncake with Lotus Paste, Golden Coin to name a few. They also stock different types of Kaya pastes. And if you have had no time at all to catch up on the Peranakan cuisine while in Singapore, don't forget to pause at one of the Bengawan Solo outlets at Changi Airport for a few take-aways. They have an assortment of Peranakan desserts and confectionaries on display . Pick up their  feather light Pandan cake or the layered Kueh Lapis Cake that melts  the moment it sits on the tongue, in addition to other Peranakan delicacies. Pallavi Gaitonde ETTR 24SEP15