IT'S just my opinion, but the so-called Singapore Indian or Indian Muslim grub here is one of the most evolved, most fluid in attitude and interesting makan cultures here.

ORIGAMI: Boss Abdul Latiff (below) took three weeks to figure out the best way to fold the opei leaf boat (above).

Sniff around and keep your eyes open the next time you 'surf' a food centre. Some eateries and hawker stalls distinctly spell Teochew, Hokkien or Malay in what they sell.

But besides the ubiquitous teh tarek, the extremely unique food they created for the folks here in Singapore and Malaysia are usually imaginative stuff.

They literally created things right out of the salty air here.

For starters, some Indian Muslim genius around Beach Road area once stewed bones found at the base of a residual pot of sup kambing, and decided to stir some chilli paste in. The next thing we know, the legendary and truly Singaporean soup tulang merah was born - much to the delight of his late regular supping taxi driver customers.

Of course, you only know how often you need that fix of loudly fried red plate of mee goreng, done by a Indian cook slaving over a Chinese wok, clanging and tonking away with Hokkien mee, tomatoes, cabbage, minced meat and chilli with peas.

It's one of those dishes that won't call for a second reason. You must have it ever so often. It's a fact of living and growing up here.

What joy to have the dish which bravely contributes to our local menu. The Indian Muslims hardly brought any of their own traditional makan here, unlike the Chinese. They observed others, innovated and conquered the palate.

Like how 'Mydin' once came up with the idea of frying potatoes, tofu, tempeh, prawn cake and coconut batter to be dunked into a spicy, nutty yet sweet potato mash sauce, and created Indian rojak, simply because he knew that most people around, especially the Chinese, loved fried but not too spicy stuff.

Then there's mee kuah (sauced noodles). The name, just like other iconic dishes the Indian Muslims created here, such as mee goreng (fried noodle) and Indian rojak, is truly uninspiring.

It's essentially a mee rebus-like noodle dish with a flotilla of ingredients and a 'sunny side up' egg atop, albeit spicier. Most use an enhanced, spicier and thickened sup kambing as a sauce base with the Hokkien noodles.

But there are no rules to this dish. I've had really spicy cancer-curing versions, which burned every cell along the gullet on the way in and rendered me momentarily weak and speechless. I've also had the genteel 'makcik-makcik' renditions.

But this one shines through.

Mamu's simple stall - which looks like the boss did not make much effort to build, just in case he has to close shop and move on - sells three simple Indian Muslim dishes: sup kambing, kachang phool and his superstar item, mee kuah upeh, which I shall sing of in the final chorus in today's story.

His sup kambing (from $4), which comes with a generous plate of soft French loaf slices, has a nicely thick and smooth texture.

Boss Mr Abdul Latiff takes pain to sieve it, so these scratchy residues, often found in lazy hawker versions, are non-existent.

The gaminess is not heavy nor smelly and he has versions like tendons, tongue and bone marrow to jazz up the experiential factor.

Kachang phool

This ex-minimart businessman and relatively newly minted hawker also has kachang phool at $3.50 (a plate of nuts), another uninspiringly named dish done with mashed spicy broad beans with greens, chillies and an egg atop, refreshed with lime and eaten with crispy baguettes. This Middle Eastern-style dish is not so uninspiring.

But what flies off his pan very often is his mee kuah upeh (at $5, mee kuah in opei leaf of the betel nut palm).

The visual is stunning. Look around the eatery and this leak-proof 'sampan' boat cleverly folded from the leaf is seen on many tables.

He insists that it's 'company policy' that he serves you at your table with red prawns, egg, beef pieces, greens, tomato and green chilli over a fragrant and thick orangey sauce sitting in an opei leaf boat.

It is, as its lawless nature dictates, not made with a sup kambing base, but instead has a refreshingly tangy, sweet and gentle spicy spin to it. The flavour of tomatoes in the sauce is distinct.

'Most of my customers are Chinese. So I go easy on the chilli. Also, many younger Muslims today are not too crazy about complicated spices too.'

I love my spices but this mee kuah, in this updated version 2.2, needs not very much spicing up.

FYI

WHAT: Mamu Kitchen

WHERE: Stall 26 Bedok Food Centre (Upper East Coast Rd, opposite Bedok Camp)

WHEN: 1:30pm-10pm (usually), 3pm-10pm (during fasting month), closed on every Monday and Tuesday

 Back to Columnists