Biryani, Indian Rojak among top eight popular foods in Singapore

Biryani is today an everyday meal among multinational Singaporeans, said Syed Kassim, who operates a 50-year-old stall.

Singapore: Biryani and Indian Rojak are among the top eight popular dishes that Singaporeans enjoy and want to preserve it in the multi-racial island nation.

Biryani, still popularly cooked by the third-generation descendants of migrants from South India, is today an everyday meal among multinational Singaporeans, said Syed Kassim. Kasim, 50, operates a wide variety of foods from his stall, which was started 50 years ago by his grandfather, whose ancestors were among the early migrants from Ramanathanpuram in Tamil Nadu.

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Syed Kassim is among the dwindling number of hawkers in Singapore, where efforts are being made to preserve the hawker culture. Another popular dish is “Indian Rojak”, a fusion of Singapore-origin Indian food which is made up of 23 varieties of deep-fried vegetables and meat balls that are consumed with gravy made from crushed peanuts and tamarind.

Sagubarsadiq, 38, is another third-generation hawker of Indian descent who is keeping up the Indian-origin food outlet going in Singapore. It was started by his father 34 years ago.

Other dishes on the list released by local gas supplier City Energy to promote traditional foods were laksa (noodles in gravy of coconut milk), chicken rice and Hokkien mee, as well as char kway teow (Chinese fried noodles).

Also on the list were Malay foods – nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk) and mee rebus (mostly based on thick coconut gravy). City Energy CEO Perry Ong said on Tuesday, “Singapore’s hawker food is more than just delicious cuisine; it holds a special place in the hearts of Singaporeans, transcending race, language, religion, and socio-economic backgrounds.”

“It is a cultural icon that brings us together, reminding us of our shared heritage,” said Ong, whose company is a leading supplier of city gas to the hawkers and food centres across the island state.

A recent survey by research organisation RySense, conducted earlier this year, found that nine out of 10 respondents feel it is important to preserve Singapore’s hawker centre.