Chinese-Malay fusion at its best

Singapore Takeout, a pop-up kitchen, showcased diverse offerings of Peranakan cuisine in Delhi.

Delhi’s culinary connoisseurs had an opportunity to taste Peranakan Cuisine (one that combines Chinese, Malay and other influences) as acclaimed Chef Benjamin Seck from Singapore’s True Blue Restaurant whipped up some delicious fusion fare in the city at Singapore Takeout, a mobile pop-up kitchen showcasing Singapore’s culinary offerings with its stopover at Delhi.

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After delighting diners in London, Paris, Moscow, New York, Hong Kong and Sanghai, New Delhi was the seventh stop in India for Singapore Takeout, that went on from January 12 to January 15.

The show was hosted jointly by Singapore Tourism Board and International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and SPRING Singapore- the government agency responsible for enhancing Singapore’s productivity.

Delhi’s food enthusiasts got to relish some unique fusion dishes such as Nonya prawn curry with roti jala (net-like rotis), and banana flower salad with fresh lime and palm sugar.

Along with ITC Maurya’s senior executive chef Manisha Bhasin and chef Rajkamal Chopra from WelcomHotel Sheraton Saket, Chef Benjamin Seck treated the guests to scampi (a kind of small lobster) and lemon grass ceviche in a methi dhania papdi and chicken tikka, marinated in laksa paste, and grilled perfectly on a charcoal fire.

The laksa pulao which is chef Rajkamal’s specialty was another fusion dish which was in great demand among the guests. Both chef Manisha and chef Rajkamal participated in the global chef exchange which encourages the sharing of culinary ideas between Singapore and foreign chefs.

For the green half of the city, chef Seck had whipped up a surprise his version of Popiah Goreng cabbage and carrot filled spring rolls, deep fried and accompanied with a piquant vinegar and sugar-based chili sauce.

Chef Seck extensively uses edible flowers to enhance the flavour and appearance of his dishes. Chef Seck’s first visit to India has also convinced him about the huge potential of fusion cuisine in India.