SINGAPORE HERITAGE COOKBOOKS
MALAY
HERITAGE
Cooking
DEDICATION
Lovingly dedicated in memory of my grandparents, Alal Mohamed Russull and
Che Zahara Noor Mohamed.
Grandma, I am honoured to be named after you. Even though I did not get
a chance to meet you, stories of you and grandpa linger and influence what
I do today. It is important to me that you know how grateful I am for the
legacy you left behindyour commitment to the country and community,
your tremendous courage, strength, quiet resilience, wisdom, compassion
and dedication. These things I will always carry with me wherever I go.
I would also like to pay tribute to my beloved late mother, Hajjah Zabidah,
my mentor, best friend, confidante and inspiration.
Mummy, I miss you. You left us in 2008, but not a day has gone by when
I do not think about you. Your humility and world views have guided me. Your
kindness still warms my heart and those of all who knew you. You shared
dreams, inspired love, healed hearts and nurtured minds. You often reminded
me to remain useful, thoughtful and compassionate. I feel this with the
utmost passion in my heart. I thank God every day for having blessed me
with you as my mother. I can only aspire to be the role model that you were.
This book is also dedicated to my father, Haji Mohamed Nazeer Alal Mohamed
Russull. At 71 years old, he is still going strong and I am thankful that he is here
to witness and be part of this project. He has committed his life to nurturing my
sisters and me and for that I am eternally grateful.
My darling Ayah, thank you for being there for our family through every
mountain high and every valley low. Thank you for always pushing us
to do our best in everything we undertake. Without your invaluable
encouragement, support and guidance, we would not be who we are today.
Ayah, you have planted the trees so that we can enjoy shade over our heads.
Your strong leadership, which we are fortunate to inherit, gives us a deep
sense of comfort. We hope that you are happy to share the shade you have
painstakingly created.
To the worlds greatest grandparents and parents, I love you. This book is for you.
SINGAPORE HERITAGE COOKBOOKS
MALAY
HERITAGE
Cooking
RITA ZAHARA
Foreword by MDM ZURAIDAH ABDULLAH
Editor: Lydia Leong
Designer: Bernard Go
Photographer: Hongde Photography
Copyright 2012 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
Reprinted 2013
This book is proudly sponsored by ATeR | ReTA and VisionInc.
The Publisher wishes to thank Noritake and Vantage for sponsoring the tableware used in this book.
This book is supported under the National Heritage Boards
Heritage Industry Incentive Programme (Hi2P)
Published by Marshall Cavendish Cuisine
An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the
prior permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher,
Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196
Tel: (65) 6213 9300 Fax: (65) 6285 4871 E-mail:
Online bookstore: http://www.marshallcavendish.com
Limits of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The Author and Publisher of this book have used their best
efforts in preparing this book. The Publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to
the contents of this book and is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe in this book. While the
Publisher has reviewed each recipe carefully, the reader may not always achieve the results desired
due to variations in ingredients, cooking temperatures and individual cooking abilities. The Publisher
shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not
limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices:
Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 99 White Plains Road, Tarrytown NY 10591-9001, USA Marshall
Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua,
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Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited
National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Rita Zahara.
Malay heritage cooking / Rita Zahara ; foreword by Zuraidah Abdullah. Singapore :
Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, c2012.
p. cm. (Singapore heritage cookbooks)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN : 978 981 4435 07 9
1. Cooking, Singaporean. 2. Cooking, Malay. I. Title. II. Series: Singapore heritage cookbooks.
TX724.5.S55
641.595957 dc22
OCN756147478
Printed in Singapore by KWF Printing Pte Ltd
CONTENTS
Foreword
Food often inspires our creativity and imagination. It is one of the key factors that identifies
communities and brings people together from diverse backgrounds and cultures. It also creates
a common experience such that wherever we are in the world, a familiar smell or name of a dish
quickly reminds us of home and those dearest to us, our family.
In addition, the preparation and cooking of food is an integral process for the transmission of
family values and culture over time. Family recipes are passed on, preserved and modified across
generations. Whats more, cooking together and sharing a meal have always been key activities that
bonded families through thick and thin. This book gives testimony to that. The additional research
and information provided within these pages also add value to our efforts in documenting the
various aspects of the Malay community and its heritage in Singapore.
Most importantly, this book provides a unique insight into the life of one of our pioneers,
Che Zahara Noor Mohamed, who founded the first Muslim womens welfare home in Singapore
in 1947, known as the Malay Womens Welfare Association (MWWA).
May this book be a legacy that will continue to connect us to our heritage, making it relevant
and an inspiration not just for the present generation, but for future generations to come.
Mdm Zuraidah Abdullah
Chairman
Malay Heritage Foundation
MALAY HERITAGE Cooking
FORWORD
Preface
This book is an anthology of my familys roots and a celebration of Malay cuisine, recipes spanning
three generations, passed down from my late grandmother to my late mother, and then to my
sisters and me. For my family, food has always played a big role in preserving our culture and
traditions, bonding people and serving others.
My grandmother is the daughter of Noor Mohamed who over a century ago, together with
Sultan Ali of Singapore and Sultan Abubakar of Johor, were the first few Malays to study the English
language at Cusburys school, then situated at Zion Road. Upon graduation, my great-grandfather
joined the government service. He was also an advisor to Sultan Ali. As one of the leading,
prominent Malay figures in Singapore, he was asked to give a speech in English on behalf of the
Malays, on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. He was also credited as the one