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Voices
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Foodnotes
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Of
Rendang,
Assam and
Sambal
By
Edvarcl Heng
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Tucked
away in a quiet corner of Kandahar Street, right behind the
legendary Sultan Mosque, is a restaurant that has been dishing
out the best in Minangkabau cuisine since 1943. Hailed as one
of the most important provincial cuisine types of Indonesia,
the word Minangkabau stems from a territorial dispute, some
600 years ago, involving a 'cow bout' between the Javanese and
the Sumatrans; the word 'Minangkabau' literally means 'winning
cow'.
Besides dwelling on dishes that invoke the humble bovine, the
Malay restaurant, Rumah Makan Minang serves a plethora of authentic
Minangkabau cuisine that delights the palate with its trademark
rojak assemble of flavours. One of their more popular signature
dishes, the Beef Rendang ($2.00) is a hallmark of the restaurant's
culinary expertise. Unlike run-of-the-mill rendang pretenders,
their version is a concoction that is more savoury than sweet.
Firm and slightly chewy, it does not disintegrate into pieces
like the average version.
Another dish of note is the Ayam Bakar ($2.00 per piece), characterised
by generous slabs of chicken nestled in a scrumptious gravy
of turmeric and coconut milk, with the meat both succulent and
tender. Where most renditions of the batang fish are often bland
and dry affairs, Rumah Makan Minah adds a playful punch to its
Asam Pedas ($2.00 a piece), using a spicy tomato-ish asam that
does not in anyway overpower the soft white flesh of the fish.
The Ikan Bakar ($2.50 per piece) is another representative of
Minangkabau's gourmet artistry, coated with a black sauce of
the chef's own secret recipe. This grilled fish is literally
stuffed at the gills with a tasty mixture of garlic, turmeric
and salt which permeate through the flesh during the barbeque
process. |
Besides the meat, the restaurant also serves up an array
of vegetable items like the Tauhu Goreng ($2.00), a chewy
affair of fried bean curd drenched with a ladleful of
sweet and spicy sauce. The Sambal Goreng ($1.50) is another
worthy mention. Comprising French beans, penpeh and fried
bean curd, it has a slightly nutty flavour with an infusion
of lemongrass for an added fragrance.
A quaint little place for that next business lunch or
that idle afternoon, don't forget to ask for their house
serving of Sambal Lado and Sambal Belachan; it's bound
to add a little zest to your day.
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Rumah
Makan Minang
No 18 & 18A Kandahar Street. Tel: 6294
4805,
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| This
restaurant is part of the Central Singapore Food
Fable Trail. Do visit www.centralsingapore.org.sg/foodfable
for further details. |
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It's
worth a visit | Can bring all your friends | Deliciously
addictive | Makan Heaven!
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Hot
Potatoes to Go
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A
piping hot potato oozing sour cream and topped with
an assortment of crispy, savoury bits and bobs. When
you are tired and worn after a hard day's work, it can
become serious comfort food. Plus, you won't have to
worry about scrubbing up pots and pans. And, it's good
healthy food - and fast.
All you need is a microwave, lots of aluminium foil,
your favourite topping and lashings of sour cream or
well-chilled yoghurt, if you are counting the calories.
The secret to a good hot baked potato is in choosing
the right spud. I always go for the huge, earthy Russets
that come in a large bag which costs about $3.50. You
should get 10 or more potatoes of a nice decent size.
Russet
potatoes "fluff" up and don't have the sticky,
dense texture of our local yellow potatoes (which are
good for curries). New potatoes also don't bake well
for the same reason.
All you need to do is to give the spuds a good scrub,
prick them all over with a fork and microwave them on
HIGH for 15 minutes.
Wrap the potatoes in aluminium foil and let them cook
in the residual heat while you prepare the topping.
For this recipe, I discovered some great beef bacon
from Carrefour's Halal deli section. They were full
of flavour and went especially well with the potatoes.
Or try going vegetarian with a topping of baked beans,
or creamed corn and fried shallots. My favourite is
still that decadent topping of smoked salmon with avocado
and freshly cracked black pepper.
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| By
Pauline D Loh, food writer, deputy editor of Today & resident
in Ang Mo Kio |
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Ingredients:
(serves four)
4 large potatoes, scrubbed well
1 pkt smoked salmon
1 pkt beef bacon, fried till crisp
1 avocado, sliced
1 small can creamed corn
1 tub light sour cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives, fried shallots
Method:
1. Prick potatoes all over with a fork and microwave
on HIGH for 15 minutes. Remove and wrap in foil.
2. Roll smoked salmon into "roses".
3. Cut up beef bacon into short lengths.
4. Cut a cross on top of each foil-wrapped potato and
pinch in the bottom between thumb and forefinger. This
will make the cut across the top of the potato open
up and "smile".
5. Top with sour cream and salmon, avocado, beef bacon
or creamed corn according to taste. Garnish with chives
or fried shallots.
Note: Reheat left-over spuds in
the microwave but remember to take off the foil wrapping.
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cooking and inventing your own dishes?
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Send us recipes and photos of your invention.
Articles may be edited for length and clarity. Email to: voices@centralsingapore.org.sg
Or mail to: Toa Payoh Central Post Office,
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