'Kam heong' fried cauliflower recipe

Kam heong (meaning "golden and fragrant") sauce was created by the ever-ingenious tze char (street food) chefs of Singapore, said Shu Han Lee. It perfectly shows off the country's unique makeup, as it brings together ingredients from almost every culture: curry powder, soy sauces, bird's eye chillies and curry leaves. This sauce tastes good with everything, from fried chicken to seafood, and is delicious in this vegan-friendly dish with cauliflower.

Ingredients:

• 150g plain flour 
• 4 tbsp cornflour 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric 
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt 
• 300ml cold sparkling or soda water 
• 1 small head of cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets 
• vegetable oil, for frying 
• 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
• 10 fresh or frozen curry leaves 
• 1 red bird's eye chilli, finely chopped

For the sauce:

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• 1 tbsp curry powder (see chef's note) 
• 1 tbsp taucheo (available from Asian grocers, or online) 
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce 
• 2 tsp light soy sauce 
• 1 tsp light brown sugar 
• 100ml water

Method:

• Whisk together the flour, cornflour, baking powder, turmeric and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and slowly pour in the sparkling or soda water, whisking to form a smooth batter. Add the cauliflower florets and toss through to coat.
• Heat 1cm of oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat. To know when the oil is ready, put a pair of wooden chopsticks into the hot oil – it should sizzle instantly with tiny bubbles. Gently drop the cauliflower into the hot oil, first shaking off any excess batter. Shallow-fry for 5 minutes or until golden, flipping halfway. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels while you finish up the rest.
• After the cauliflower florets are all fried, stir to combine the ingredients for the sauce. Leave a couple of tablespoons of oil in the pan. Add the chopped shallots, curry leaves and chilli and fry until very fragrant. Pour in the sauce. Once bubbling, return the fried cauliflower to the pan and toss through to coat. Serve immediately.
• Chef's note: any store-bought curry powder will work here, but to make up a very simple one out of some basic spices, use 1½ teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon chilli powder (Kashmiri or mild) and a generous dash of black pepper.

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Taken from Agak Agak: Everyday Recipes from Singapore by Shu Han Lee, published by Hardie Grant at £26. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £20.99 (incl. p&p), call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.