Authentic or Typical Singapore Dishes: Chinese Chicken rice; and Indian fish head curry

Chinese Chicken Rice
The Singapore standby dish is chicken rice. My standby dish. Many hawker centres have a kiosk serving chicken rice. 

The dish comes from Hainan in southern China so it is often called Hainanese chicken rice. How does it differ from any old chicken rice? The rice might have the chicken stock added to make the rice tasty and stick together to be easily formed into a ball or half sphere.

I went to the place reputed to have the best, in the food court in Waterloo Street. Nothing remarkable, just a generous portion of well cooked chicken on well cooked rice. If you are not into spicy food, this Chinese dish is for you. It often comes with a piece or two of cucumber or vegetable. It's worthwhile asking for more and paying for more in my view. Or buying a vegetarian side dish of a dish from a vegetarian stall.

In addition to the mean or generous addition of the vegetable garnish, you often get soup, which is supposed to be eaten afterwards, to fill you up.

Fish head curry

Indian Food - Fish Head Curry

On the other hand, if you like spicy food, look for an Indian food. The Singaporean signature Indian dish is the local dish, fish head curry. The fish head is large and requires a casserole and you might have one between four people as the main dish is a group meal in a restaurant.

On the other hand, with Covid-19 meaning organizer discourage sharing, you might want to divide up the food between the diner before starting to eat. 

I like to ask for a serving spoon, or to grab one on my way to the table. The waiter usually brings the green banana leaf platter.

Banana Leaf

The other local feature you will notice is that your white rice and white rice refills are served on a fresh green banana leaf. The banana leaf section is used for each diner instead of a white porcelain plate, or metal thali. 

A thali is a tray with plate and two or three or more tiny bowls of food.

Thali

If in doubt, I order a Thali, ideally one with dessert included. Check the prices. It is usually quicker and cheaper to order a Thali than to keep with waiter waiting whilst you decide between this and that.

Muthu's Branches

Muthu's has expanded from its original restaurant in Little India to other branches in Suntec City and Dempsey Road..

I wrote a review of Muthu's back in 2016. It's quite handy to write a review on Tripadvisor. You can look back at what you liked. I commented that I liked the mango lassi, but thought the cashew nut chicken did not taste much of nuts. I also recalled that you could get our family favourite Indian dessert, gulub jamun.

If you miss out on visiting Muthu's, you can buy packets of gulub jamun in Mustapha's department store. 

UK - and Gulab Jamun

We first discovered gulab jamun in London, England, at our local tandoori restaurant, which has since changed hands. The dessert dish was served cold, which is how we like it.

I have also seen packets of gulab jamun in London, England. Look around any oriental supermarket or the big 24 hour branches of supermarkets. You can also buy packets of gulub jamun on line from Lazada and others. 

Our first attempts at cooking up the paste were not successful. The mixture fell apart into a sludge. We bought ready made gulab jamun for a while, until we had the courage to try again.

Incidentally, to remember the spelling, both words have the letters A and U in a different order. The first word Gulab has the A in the second syllable, like a gull in the LAB. The second word has the A in the first syllable, like JAM. Gulab Jamun.

Gulab Jamun is popular in India, Pakistan and Nepal, as well as in Little India in Singapore, and Indian restaurants in London, England. the ingredients are milk solids deep fried, to make a white or cream coloured ball with a brown outside, served in a sugary syrup. Extra flavours and ingredients could be rose water or pistachio nuts inside or almonds as a garnish.

Gulab jamun dessert with almond garnish.

What's the difference between gulab jamun and ras mulai? The ras mulai is white whilst the gulab jamun has a brown outside.

Gulab jamun looks brown, unlike the white ras mulai.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainanese_chicken_rice

https://www.muthuscurry.com/outlets

https://www.lazada.sg/products/mtr-gulab-jamun-mix-by-sonnamera

http://www.mustafa.com.sg/mustafalocationmap/

About The Author Angela

Angela Lansbury is a British author who has lived in the USA.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.

Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

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