What do you think about when you think of wartime food? Sweet potatoes? Well, during World War II in Singapore, it was not just that.

According to “Wartime Kitchen: Food and Eating in Singapore 1942 – 1950”, a book published by the National Museum of Singapore some years ago, wartime food boasts an appetising variety even in today’s context. Because many of the recipes recorded during the war were written by the expatriate community, who in the 1940s constituted the majority of those who could read and write, there are quite a handful of western-influenced dishes featured in this book.

Foogartti, for example, has a British Raj origin, involving a combination of butter-fried grated coconut and blanched cabbage. On paper it looks heavy and rich but the actual dish is rather refreshing (the trick is to tip the ratio of coconut and cabbage towards the vegetable). The light spiciness, saltiness and aroma of the coconut make it a good complement to the sweet cabbage.

Which makes us wonder: If war were to happen today, can the present generations demonstrate the some creativity?

Ingredients

120g grated coconut

1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced

2 red bird eye chillies, seeded and thinly sliced

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter

1 cabbage, shredded

Method

Stir fry coconut, chilli, onion and salt in a dry wok over medium heat for 5 minutes, until coconut is almost dry. Add butter and continue to stir fry for 5-6 minutes more, until coconut is golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and leave it to cool. (Store in an airtight container once cool. The mixture can be kept, in a fridge, for several days.) Blanch shredded cabbage for about 30 seconds until crisp-tender. Drain well and toss with coconut mixture. Serve immediately.

*Note: we have made minor changes to the recipe in accordance to what we feel is a more practical flavour intensity today.