Hello everyone! I am Lalitha originally from Singapore and presently residing in Gold Coast, Australia. I came to Gold Coast as a student in 2006 and the first wave of homesickness hit me quite badly. It was my first ever experience staying away from home. The one thing I missed most besides my gorgeous family of course was the food. Being a typical Asian, I devour our local delights: nasi lemak, kaya toast with half boiled eggs, hainanese chicken rice, hokkien prawn noodles, roti prata to mention a few. Alas, I found none of these foods here on the coast. For someone coming from a food paradise, you can imagine how devastated I was. I have grown accustomed to Western food over the years but it can never replace the love and fondness I have for our local dishes.
Lalitha Kirsnan
Kampung Singapura is therefore my humble effort to introduce Singaporean and other South East Asian cuisine to the world and I truly hope that you will enjoy reading and cooking using the recipes provided. Singapore’s food is an indicative of cultural diversity heavily influenced by the native Malays, Indians, Chinese and Eurasians. In the early days, Singapore’s strategic location was used as a trading hub for neighbouring countries. This is where the multi cultural interaction began between our forefathers from Indonesia, China and India. Subsequently, these intercultural interactions played a significant role in shaping the ethnicity diversity in our cuisine. For an example Fish Head Curry is an Indian dish with Malay and Chinese influences. The fish head used is ‘Ikan Merah’ (Red Snapper) a favourite of the Chinese and it is stewed in coconut sauce and tamarind juice. The vegetables commonly added are brinjals and okras- vegetables commonly used by the Malays.
Most of the recipes that I am going to provide on my blog are family recipes. My grandmothers and my aunts are fantastic cooks. I’ve watched them work in their kitchens with such speed and ease. I also never fail to get so amazed by their precision in taste. They do not have standard measurements for anything be it from salt to the amount of flour you will need. The dishes always turn out so mouth wateringly delicious! I have acquired so much knowledge from them and many tips as well. I cannot wait to share them with you all. It’s all these little things to look out for when cooking that actually bring your dishes to a whole new level. So what are you waiting for, hop on board with me on Kampung Singapura and let us explore the tasteful Singaporean palate. : )