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Cook A Pot of Curry
Maureen
August 17, 2011
August 17, 2011
Recently, I was invited to a Facebook event “Cook A Pot of Curry”. It is actually a request for you to cook a pot of curry on 21 August 2011, in silent protest of what a Singaporean Indian family has had to put up with, due to a request from their neighbor, who has just recently moved in from China.
The following paragraph provides some of details (extracted from Today) :
When Neighbours Disagree …by Quek Sue Wen CarolynCase 1: A family, who had just moved here from China, had resorted to mediation because they could not stand the smell of curry that their Singaporean Indian neighbours would often cook. The Indian family, who were mindful of their neighbour’s aversion, had already taken to closing their doors and windows whenever they cooked the dish, but this was not enough.“They said: ‘Can you please do something? Can you don’t cook curry? Can you don’t eat curry?’,” said Madam Marcellina Giam, a Community Mediation Centre mediator. But the Indian family stood firm. In the end, Mdm Giam got the Indian family to agree to cook curry only when the Chinese family was not home. In return, they wanted their Chinese neighbours to at least give their dish a try.
As a Singaporean, I feel very strongly about this. We live in a multi-ethnic society with different cultural background. There should be respect and understanding between the different nationalities. I welcome foreign talent, and I understand that they are important for Singapore’s growth. But since they have moved to Singapore, they should be more tolerant to our culture and not tried to change it.
Video by Mr Brown
Curry is the traditional dish of our Indian community. If our foreign guests do not accept our tradition, then I don’t think they should be here. It is not just an issue of our Indian fellow citizens, it is a beautiful symbol of what co-existence can create. It’s all about ACCOMMODATING.
I strongly urge every Singaporeans to take part in “Cook A Pot of Curry”, not to pissed off our foreign neighbours, but to spread the message of love, tolerance and acceptance. Cook curry on 21 August 2011 and let the aromas of curry permeate through the whole nation. Share your curries with your foreign friends and neighbors, get them to appreciate curry and also appreciate the cultures of the various ethnic groups in Singapore.
Event: Cook A Pot of CurryDate: 21 August 2011, SundayTime: 1:00pm – 11:30pmLocation: Everywhere in SingaporeMore Details HERE
I can’t cook well but I want to do my part for the “Cook A Pot of Curry”. Here, I share with you my curry chicken recipe. There are many variations of chicken curry in Singapore: Indian, Chinese, Nyonya and Malay. To make the cooking simpler, my family would usually head to the wet market nearby, buy a $1 curry paste from an indian spice stall instead of mixing the different spices and powder together.
Ingredients: (for 6-8 pax)
1 pack curry paste (I bought $1 from the spice shop)
8 oz peeled potatoes
1 packet of chicken wings (you can replace with chicken drumsticks or ribs)
1 fresh coconut, grated
6 shallots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic, peeled and chopped
2 lemongrass
Method:
1. Deep fry the potatoes.
2. Squeeze the grated coconut dry. Leave aside.
3. Heat the wok and add 2tbsp of oil. Saute the shallots, garlic and lemongrass until fragrant. Add the curry paste and mix together.
4. Add the potatoes and mix together. Pour half the coconut milk and mix well. Bring the curry to boil. Cover the wok and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the chicken and the remaining coconut milk. Cover the wok and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Transfer to a pot, simmer for another 15 minutes or so until the potatoes turn soft. Add salt to taste. Serve hot.
