Makan

Singaporean food resists being tied to a single place. Its dishes grew from the many migrants who settled across Asia, and their traditions blended into something richer than any one origin. Asked to define Singaporean food, the author's answer is playful: it is simply the delicious kind.

Makan is a Malay word meaning to eat or dinnertime. Elizabeth Haigh gathers recipes passed down through her family over many generations, from one Nonya cook to the next, forming a record of a cuisine across time. Her mother showed her love through food, and that devotion runs through every dish. The book is a tribute to family cooking and the traditions it carries.

The collection includes Nonya-spiced braised duck stew, pickled watermelon and radish salad, beef rendang, Singapore chilli crab, fried tofu with spicy peanut sauce, spicy noodle soup, nasi goreng, and miso apple pie, along with many more. The recipes have been adapted so their ingredients are easy to find in the West, bringing the flavours of Singapore into home kitchens.