A vibrant and diverse culinary kaleidoscope of Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences, Singaporean food has a rich cultural heritage. Every dish tells a story. Every recipe holds a memory of a time and place.
Nazneen Merchant née Jumabhoy grew up in this very cultural melting pot, where some of her happiest moments were spent sampling and savoring delicious Singaporean hawker food. After meeting the love of her life and moving from her motherland, Singapore, to Bombay, she carried with her the treasured culinary inheritance in the form of recipes she had collected and compiled.
Food has the power to connect people, to share heritage, and even to create new traditions. In cooking for her family and friends for over five decades, Nazneen shared with them her joy. The timeless recipes in this book are not just about flavors and techniques but also about history, identity, and community, in addition to being a dedication to those who are less fortunate.
Try these recipes and make them your own. They are dishes sure to capture the palate and heart of your loved ones.
Lai, makan! Come, Let's feast!
Nazneen Merchant née Jumabhoy
Born in Singapore, Nazneen Merchant neé Jumabhoy moved to India when she got married. A degree holder in Social Sciences, Nazneen transformed her passion of cooking and baking into a thriving business by baking cakes for the who's who in Mumbai (then Bombay). Over a period spanning five decades, she introduced the joys of Singapore Hawker food to her guests when she hosted parties at home. Her knowledge of world cuisine and culinary expertise led her to being invited as Food Consultant for the magazine 'Cookery Plus', in addition to imparting training to chefs for certain specialty dishes for a Mediterranean resto-bar.
She held a keen interest in music and was particularly good at sketching, often spending free afternoons with pencil and paper in hand, creating small sketches of anything that inspired her.
Nazneen became immortal in our hearts in October 2022, soon after she delivered the manuscript to the editors. She leaves these timeless Singapore recipes as a legacy for everyone who wants to share her pleasure of cooking and feeding people delicious food!
