In Singapore, what distinguishes one curry from another is the ‘rempah’, or the curry paste. Each family has its own recipe for rempah, with vocal comparisons made at get-togethers. Here is the recipe for my mother’s rempah:
Pound together 10 or more dried chillies, some seeded (half may be fresh), 2 dessertspoons corriander seeds (dry fried until slightly darker), 2 stalks serai (lemon grass) sliced thinly 4 to 5 inches from root end, 1 inch piece fresh tumeric sliced thinly, and salt. Don’t be alarmed at the amount of chilli – the large red ones are not as hot.
If substituting corriander and tumeric with powder, do not pound but add to the already pounded mixture. If you don’t have a pounder, use a food processor, but make sure that the rempah is mixed well.
(To improve my mother’s recipe, I add a handful of shallots, a clove of garlic, galangal the size of a golf ball, and a small handful of candlenuts or macademia nuts to the mixture to pound.)
Fry gently in half a cup of oil until aromatic and mixture begins to separate. Cool before storing. Store in an airtight container in the fridge to keep for up to a week; or freeze in smaller quantities for future use.
To make laksa gravy, use the above quantity to add to 4 cups liquid (3 cups water and 1 small packet santan). To make laksa, add beehoon (soaked and drained), beansprouts and 2 spoons dried prawn sambal. After adding santan, heat on very slow fire, taking care not to boil.
To make chicken curry, use a rounded tablespoon of rempah mixture to coat 4 chicken thighs, then fry slowly in a skillet over a medium heat. (There should not be a need to use oil as there should be plenty present in the rempah.) After 10 minutes, add shredded cabbage, sliced tomatoes and courgettes (all these vegetables should be able to fit into a pint jug) and fry together. When all the vegetables are coated in some rempah, add a jug of hot water and stir in a teaspoon of coconut powder. (If using coconut slabs, grate a small amount to use.) Cover and simmer for another ten minutes or until chicken is cooked. Add Thai fish sauce (do not use fish stock cubes to substitute!) and Thai basil or holy basil, and – if you’re lucky enough to get it – some ‘daun kusum’. Mix well and leave to stand for another ten minutes, then serve on rice and garnish with fresh corriander leaves and a swirl of sweet soy sauce.
To evoke appreciation, make a comment such as “Of course, this won’t be as nice as your grandmother’s, but enjoy anyway”.