DIGITAL COOKBOOK

Lemak Sweet Potato & KangKong

Ingredients (Serves 3 to 4):

400 g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
200 g kangkong, cleaned and cut into sections
400 ml coconut milk
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
Rempah (pounded)
2 tablespoon dried shrimps
4 shallots
4 fresh chillies

Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients

Peel and cut sweet potatoes into chunks
Wash and cut kangkong
Pound or blend dried shrimp, shallots, and chillies into a coarse paste

Step 2: Cook Rempah

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat
Fry Rempah for 2-3 minutes until fragrant
Stir continuously

Step 3: Add coconut milk and sweet potatoes

Pour in coconut milk
Add sweet potatoes immediately
Bring to a gentle simmer
Cook for ~20 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft
Stir occasionally

Step 4: Add Kangkong

Add Kangkong and cook for 2-3 minutes until just wilted

Step 5: Season & Finish

Add salt to taste
Adjust consistency with a little water if needed
Serve warm

Rationale: This dish pre-dated the war and is still cooked today. However, it is most representative of wartime cuisine, reflecting a predominant use of tubers and filling, leafy vegetables, both of which were easily cultivated. The use of coconut milk is also indicative of wartime cooking; it was a common way to add flavouring to many dishes in the absence of salt and other seasonings.

Credits: Kathleen Woodford, The Eurasian Association, Singapore, taken from Wartime Kitchen: Food and Eating in Singapore 1942-1950

Sweet Boiled Tapioca with Coconut Drizzle

Ingredients (serves 3 to 4):

Tapioca

300g Tapioca (cassava)
Water (enough to cover)
2-3 tablespoon sugar

Coconut Drizzle

Gula Melaka (Grated)
200-300ml coconut milk
1-2 teaspoon tapioca flour
Pinch of salt
Sugar (to taste)
Topping

Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare Tapioca

Peel off the thick brown skin
Remove the inner fibrous core
Cut into chunks and rinse well

Step 2: Boil Tapioca

Add tapioca to a pot of water with sugar
Bring to a boil, then simmer for ~40 minutes, stirring occasionally
Tapioca is read when soft and slightly translucent
Drain

Step 3: Make coconut drizzle

In a small pot, add coconut milk, salt and sugar
Mix tapioca flour with water to form a slurry and add it in
Stir over low heat until slightly thickened
Do not boil vigorously

Step 4: Assemble

Place warm tapioca on a plate
Drizzle coconut sauce over
Top with grated gula melaka
Serve warm

Rationale: Tapioca was the defining staple crop of wartime cooking. By inviting participants to eat and taste the plain, steamed tapioca, it helps them envision the tuber as a replacement for modern staples like rice. Tapioca’s ability to grow in harsh conditions and its relative versatility was invaluable. It was used to replace rice, noodles, and even bread.

Credits: https://www.wartimefoodsg.com/dishes

Tapioca Bergidil (Fried Tapioca Patties)

Ingredients (for 8-10 pieces):

300g tapioca
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
Chinese celery (finely chopped)
1 spring onion (finely chopped)
1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
Oil for frying
1 egg (whisked)

Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare Tapioca

Peel and cut tapioca into chunks
Steam for ~30 mins until soft
Remove any fibrous core if present

Step 2: Mash

Transfer to a bowl and mash thoroughly until smooth

Step 3: Mix

Add salt, white pepper, garlic, spring onion, Chinese celery, and nutmeg. Mix well
If its too dry, add a little oil or butter

Step 4: Shape

Scoop around 1-1.5 tbsp of tapioca mixture
Roll between hands to form a ball and flatten into a patty
Repeat until all mixture is used

Step 5: Fry

Heat oil over medium heat
Dip each patty into whisked egg
Fry until golden brown on both sides (~3-5 mins for each side)
Drain excess oil

Step 6: Serve

Serve hot and crispy

Credits: https://www.wartimefoodsg.com/dishes

Ragi Roti

Ingredients (for 8-10 pieces):

2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tsp salt
1 small onion (finely chopped)
2 green chillies (finely sliced)
2 red chillies (finely sliced)
Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
100g ragi flour
50g rice flour
60g plain flour
Water
Oil for frying

Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare Paste

Pound garlic, ginger, and salt to a paste using a pestle and mortar
Scrape paste into a mixing bowl and add green chillies, red chillies, onion, and chopped coriander leaves, and mix well

Step 2: Prepare Ragi Roti patties

Add ragi flour, rice flour, and plain flour and toss well to mix
Drizzle in water while stirring constantly, adding just enough to make a soft and slightly sticky dough
Knead dough ball little and let it stand, covered with a damp cloth, for 10 minutes

Step 3: Frying

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat
Pinch off lime sized balls and flatten them directly onto the pan
Cook rotis for 1-2 minutes on each side, flipping once, until cooked through and lightly crisp on the edges

Credits: Kathleen Woodford, The Eurasian Association, Singapore, taken from Wartime Kitchen: Food and Eating in Singapore 1942-1950

Wartime Rojak

Ingredients (for 8-10 pieces):

1 large potato
2-4 red chillies (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)
1 large ripe tomato (deseeded and diced)
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp light brown sugar or caster sugar
1-2 tsp vinegar

Instructions:

Peel potato, cut into cubes and steam or boil until soft. Drain water off and set aside
Using a pestle and mortar, pound chillies and garlic into a paste, then add diced tomato and salt and pound until smooth
Add potato and pound unto well blended
Scrape mixture into a bowl and stir in sugar and vinegar for taste.
Serve with sliced salad vegetables

Credits: Good Food by PCB Newington, taken from Wartime Kitchen: Food and Eating in Singapore 1942-1950