With Love, Curry

A few weekends ago, I went over to TJ's to teach her how to make Tammy's Nonya Ayam Curry.

Good job, TJ!

We had to improvise as we did not have the curry powder I normally use, nor fresh coconut shavings to make coconut milk.  Nor did we have a mortar and pestle for pounding the rempah.

I've brought some left-over curry powder from my fridge in Singapore, and thought I'd whip up my curry today, in preparation for lunch tomorrow.

I'm quite fussy with curry because of the kind of curry Popo used to make.  This is the powder we use. I buy it from Bibik Seet in Katong.

Other ingredients I like to add:

The above to be chopped up as finely as possible...

Hmm.  "as finely as possible"

and then pounded up or blended to make a spice paste (rempah)

"Pounding"!

I also add potatoes, carrots, and an onion.

Oops.  I forgot my tomato.  Moving on!

Prepare the curry paste by adding some water to some curry powder.  Stir it up.  Marinate the chopped chicken bits with this paste.  Add a tad of teriyaki sauce.  Set the chicken aside as you prepare the potatoes, carrots, and onions.  In a large pot/pan (which I don't have, hence am not illustrating), fry the rempah up, add the chicken and keep on frying.  Add the rest of prepared root vegetables, add water, add coconut milk.  Bring everything to boil, gently stirring.  Add salt to taste.

I was most nervous about not having freshly grated coconut for the coconut milk.  I had to improvise with this instead.

Ugh.  Doesn't quite do justice to my curry!

In my original curry, right when everything is about cooked, I then add coconut cream to the pot.  The cream is the undiluted milk you get upon the very first squeeze of the coconut shavings.  Alas, this is not going to be possible in London.  So I improvised (poorly) with a slab of butter instead.

Sayang is a Malay word for love.  It is also used in local Singaporean speech as an action word, "to love", or "with infinite care".

There is no other way to describe how best to cook curry, but with love.  So for the next 20 minutes, I stand over my stove, to sayang curry, sayang curry.

(Footnote:  The curry is always prepared at least a day ahead of actual serving to allow it to rest.)

Girlfriend Power- Singapore Style, London-Based

Guilty.  Of moving to a new city and not bothering to make any new friends.  Oops.

In America, I didn't exactly have friends from Singapore.  Maybe because often I was one of the very few Asian students dancing.  If I did encounter an Asian friend, the friend would usually be from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan.  Or my Asian friend would be Asian American, second, third- generation, born on Golden Mountain.  When I moved to New York City, I made my first true Singaporean friend.  We became flatmates.  Then I went on my first blind date.  My blind date became my husband, and he moved me back to his native Singapore.

When I moved back to Singapore in 1995 and 2005, I had of course, my incredible, irreplaceable, forever friend Trace, and a few other friends from childhood whom I admire.

Friendship immortalized in Elle Singapore, 2006 

Friends from childhood become like family.  Family, yes you love, but perhaps don't see as often as you ought to, as life moves on and on.  SF introduced me to S whom I adore and miss, and then while obsessing over horses, I found my Thursday Lunch Table.

photo credit- YL

As a (shy-ish) loner, I have no idea how I have been gifted with so many beautiful friends!  I am even more spoilt here in London.  For the first time in my life, I have moved to a new city and simply not bothered reaching out, because some of my best friends, from would you believe, Singapore, are here as well!

A dark, stormy, Friday night.  I text K:  Heaven-ing?  She replies:  Possibly.  You wanna come?  Just like that, I could be out dancing to the 80s all night long in the company of one of the kindest and most intelligent woman I've ever known.

Superstar K.  

Earlier today and all of yesterday morning, my young, sweet, gorgeous friend TJ gets us both back on horses, and my London mornings re-charge with serenity, purpose, joy.

photo credit- TJ   His name is, Victor :) 

 Not only are we finally riding again, we have repeated with remarkable ease, The Post-Riding Meal; the sort of meal where time is lost and the only conversation heard is an excited, babbling rush!

The Post-Riding Meal

Wednesday, I laid the table for the precious, earth-goddess SF.  

It was SF who explained British Laws, and took me step by step, through the harrowing process of buying a London home.  When I could not physically be in London, she went and did the reconnaissance on my behalf.

Once, BOTH K & SF went- here they are showing me the front door of flat x!

I love CS, my tall, strong, very blond and blue-eyed American BFF.  But this post is really about  Girlfriend Power, Singapore-style, London-based.  When they come over?  Singapore Girls always bring the most thoughtful of gifts- food!  Specifically, comfort food from home!  

Curry powder from Katong!  Thanks, SF!

Instant Laksa, Prima Brand?!  Awesome!

Cooked up immediately to combat Puffy Eyes/Long Distance Marriage Blues.  Thanks, TJ!