Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

5 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium red onion, peeled, halved and sliced

2 green chillies, thinly sliced (optional)

2 rounded tbsp medium-hot curry powder spice blend

2 tbsp plain unsweetened yogurt

100ml water

1 large can sardines in tomato sauce, sauce discarded

2 tomatoes, quartered

Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat the vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat.

2 Put in the onions and green chillies and fry for 4-5min, until the onions are golden and fragrant.

3 Add the curry powder spice blend, yogurt and water all at once. Stir quickly until the mixture boils and thickens slightly, about 5-6min.

4 Add the sardines and tomatoes. Stir gently and bring it back to a simmer, about 3min. Season with salt, stir a bit more, then remove from heat.

5 Serve with rice, baguette or flat bread.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

For the curry paste

2 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves and root removed, and remaining stalk sliced

2 knobs blue ginger, sliced

2 red onions

1 clove garlic

2 tsp belacan or shrimp paste

1 tsp thinly sliced kaffir lime rind

5 dried chillies

1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ cup coconut cream

1 cup mixed seafood – snapper fillet, squid (cut into rings) and prawns (peeled and deveined)

¼ cup Chinese cabbage

2 tbsp fish sauce

½ tsp sugar

1 cup young coconut flesh

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp fresh milk

½ cup basil leaves

1 young coconut, with the top removed and juice drained

DIRECTIONS

1 Pound or blend all the ingredients for the curry paste together. Set aside.

2 Heat the oil in a hot wok and stirfry the curry paste for 30 seconds.

3 Add the coconut cream and stirfry for another 30 seconds.

4 Add the mixed seafood, Chinese cabbage, fish sauce and sugar. Cook for 30 seconds.

5 Add the coconut flesh, egg, milk and basil leaves. Cook for another 30 seconds.

6 Transfer the curry into the young coconut to serve.

Read more: RECIPE: Quick and easy seafood kueh pie tee

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

For the curry sauce:

400ml water

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

100ml oyster sauce

80g sugar

60g Mae Pranom Thai Chilli Paste*

20g curry powder

4 frozen soft-shell crabs, thawed

100g corn flour

Vegetable oil for deep-frying, plus 2 tbsp more

5 shallots, sliced

2 tsp chopped garlic

100ml evaporated milk

A handful of coriander, roughly chopped

2 eggs, beaten

*Available at the Thai supermarket and grocery stores at Golden Mile Complex, 5001 Beach Road.

DIRECTIONS

1 Combine the ingredients for the curry sauce in a pot. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

2 To clean the crabs, remove the triangular flap (the apron) at the tail end of each one.

3 Remove and discard the gills on both sides of the crab. Rinse and pat dry.

4 Coat the crabs evenly with corn flour.

5 Deep-fry the crabs over medium heat for about 2min, pushing them occasionally into the oil to submerge them. The crabs are ready when there is less bubbling around them. Drain and place on paper towels.

6 Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the shallots and garlic, and fry for 20sec until fragrant. Add the curry sauce, and cook until the mixture bubbles.

7 Stir in the evaporated milk, then the coriander leaves, then the eggs. Cook for 10sec until the gravy thickens to the consistency of wet scrambled eggs.

8 Pour the curry sauce over the soft-shell crabs, and serve.

Read more: VIDEO TUTORIAL: This is how you clean a crab

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

For The Gravy

1kg onions

750ml water

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste*

100g cashew nuts, ground

Salt, to taste

For The Masala

2 tbsp vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

5 dried chillies

15 curry leaves

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tsp garam masala*

2 cups water

1 medium-sized fish head (about 800g)

50g tamarind, mixed with 100ml water to extract the pulp

50g lady’s fingers, deep-fried

*Ginger-garlic paste is a mixture of ginger and garlic puree with salt and water. Garam masala is a mixture of ground spices like cloves, cumin seeds and peppercorns. These, and all the ingredients in this recipe, can be found at Tekka and Geylang Serai markets, Mustafa and Indian grocery stores.

DIRECTIONS

1 Place the onions and water in a pot. Add the turmeric and cumin powders, and cook for 30min, over medium heat. Remove from heat and puree.

2 Heat the wok with the oil. Fry the ginger-garlic paste and onion puree over low heat for 3min. Mix in the cashew nuts and salt. Remove from heat and set aside.

3 To make the masala, heat the oil in the wok. Fry the garlic, mustard, coriander and cumin seeds, dried chillies and curry leaves over low heat for 3min.

4 Add the red onions and saute for 3min.

5 Add the tomatoes and garam masala and fry for 3min.

6 Add the gravy, water and fish head and bring it to the boil. Simmer for 15min.

7 Add the tamarind pulp and lady’s fingers and mix well.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 duck thighs

2 stalks lemongrass

1 small piece ginger, chopped

2 tbsp chopped shallots

2 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp ground turmeric

3 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp + 2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp water

6 curry leaves

1 tsp chilli paste

300ml chicken stock

1 tomato, chopped

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

150ml coconut milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

A handful of coriander

DIRECTIONS

1 Cut the duck into bite-sized pieces. Rinse and pat dry.

2 Remove the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass and the top 2/3 portion of the stalk. Pound lower portion of stalk with the side of the cleaver to release its aroma. Set aside.

3 In a bowl, marinate the duck with half of the ginger, 1 tbsp shallots, 1 tbsp garlic, 1⁄2 tbsp turmeric, 1 tbsp curry powder and the black pepper. Set aside.

4 To make the caramel sauce, heat 1 tsp sesame oil over medium heat. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add 1 tbsp water and continue stirring until mixture is golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

5 Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in a saucepan. Stir-fry the lemongrass and remaining ginger, shallots and garlic until fragrant.

6 Stir in the duck, curry leaves and chilli paste. In a bowl, stir the remaining turmeric and curry powder

Read more: RECIPE: Pumpkin and sweet potato paste with gula melaka

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 stalks lemongrass

10 basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

4 shallots

2 small ginger knobs

8 chilli padi

4 tsp sea salt

2 glasses fresh orange juice

2 cups shiitake mushrooms, cubed

6 large Russet potatoes, cubed

6 carrots, cubed

2 beetroot, cubed

A dash of black pepper

1 sprig spring onion, chopped

A handful parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1 In a blender, blend the lemongrass, basil leaves, garlic, shallots, ginger, chilli padi, sea salt and orange juice into a paste.

2 Stir-fry the paste over low heat until fragrant.

3 Add the mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and beetroot and fry for 10min, until the potatoes are soft. Add black pepper.

4 Top with spring onions and parsley.