Nikesh Asem studied at the Manipal Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration before completing his master’s in Italian Cuisine in Canada. He then worked as a head chef on the Amalfi Coast, Italy, but eventually returned to India to cook food that felt closer to home. He now runs Hentak, a Manipuri restaurant in Delhi’s Humayunpur market, and hosts pop-ups in Delhi and Mumbai to share Manipuri food with a wider audience.
Introduction
Singju is a salad from the Northeastern state of Manipur, built on the same principles as any other traditional salad: a base, a dressing and a handful of toppings for texture. But what defines it is its use of seasonal and local ingredients. The base uses vegetables and boiled beans (called chakhawai in Meitei), which change throughout the year depending on what is available. The dressing is made from toasted and ground perilla seeds, toasted gram flour, chilli flakes and ngari, a fermented dried fish that is first boiled or toasted, then turned into a paste.
Within the Meitei community, there are two common versions of singju. The vegetarian version relies on the earthy flavour of perilla seeds, while the non-vegetarian one centres on the strong, fermented taste of . This difference, Chef Nikesh says, comes from the influence of temple food — on religious days, fermented fish is avoided, so the perilla-forward version is prepared. In the hill regions of Manipur, where 20–30 tribes live, there is a third version that uses smoked meat instead of fish.
ngari
In Manipur, singju is a part of everyday life. Chef Nikesh recalls how every locality had an ene (aunt) who sold singju in cones of newspaper lined with banana leaf. Children walking home from school would stop by, buy a few cones, sit together, and crush the toppings over the salad before eating. He says singju is best enjoyed communally.
Ingredients
For the base
40 g / ½ cup dried rice beans (Vigna umbellata or chakhawai) 150 g / 2 cups cabbage, finely shredded 60 g / 1 cup water spinach (kangkong), destemmed 50 g / ½ cup pea shoots 15–20 g / ½ cup pennywort leaves (gotu kola) 10 g / ½ cup lemon basil, chopped 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and julienned 100 g / 1 cup lotus stems
For the dressing
2 Tbsp whole perilla seeds 1 Tbsp chickpea flour (besan) 1 tsp ngari (fermented dried fish) (optional) ½ tsp chilli flakes Salt to taste
To serve
¼ cup matar (crispy fried green peas) 1 piece (6–8 inches in diameter when cooked) papadum (papad), ready to eat or cooked according to instructions on the packet 250 g uncooked instant noodles (eg. Wai Wai Ready to Eat Noodles) A few leaves of butter lettuce, washed
What you’ll need
Mixing bowls
Sharp knife
Saucepan
Frying pan
Mortar and pestle or spice grinder
Suggested substitute ingredients and instructions can be found in ‘Notes’ at the end of the recipe.
Instructions
To make the base, begin by preparing the dried rice beans (chakhawai). Rinse the beans until the water runs clear, then soak them in plenty of fresh water for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain, transfer to a saucepan, cover with fresh water by an inch, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until tender but still holding their shape. Drain well and spread out to cool completely. Substitute: If unavailable, use dried or canned kidney beans or black-eyed peas (1).
Prepare the vegetables. Start with the cabbage: remove any wilted outer leaves, rinse the head thoroughly under cold running water, and pat dry. Cut the cabbage into quarters, slice out the hard core from each piece, then finely slice the leaves into thin ribbons about 2–3 mm wide. Place the cabbage in a large mixing bowl.
Next, prepare the water spinach. Rinse leaves carefully to wash away any grit. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, and once it is bubbling steadily, add the water spinach. Blanch for 30–40 seconds, until the leaves soften and turn a vibrant green. Immediately transfer the blanched greens to a bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking and preserve the colour. Once cool, squeeze out the excess water gently with your hands and roughly chop. Add the spinach to the bowl with the cabbage.
For the pea shoots, rinse them gently under cold water, taking care not to bruise the tender leaves. Shake off the excess moisture or pat dry lightly with a clean cloth. Trim away any thick stems, keeping only the soft leaves and delicate tips. Add these to the cabbage and water spinach. Substitute: If unavailable, use baby spinach (2).
Prepare the pennywort by picking through the leaves and discarding any yellowed or damaged ones. Rinse the leaves thoroughly in a bowl of cold water, lifting them out so any grit settles at the bottom. Pat dry and slice any larger leaves into halves or thirds. Add to the bowl with the cabbage, water spinach and pea shoots. Substitute: If unavailable, use flat-leaf parsley (3).
For the lotus stems, lightly scrape the skin with a knife to remove any fibres and rinse thoroughly, ensuring the holes are flushed clean. Slice the stems into thin 1–2 mm rounds, and add to the vegetables.
Tips
Slice all vegetables as finely and evenly as possible.
Make sure the vegetables are completely dry before mixing; excess moisture will make the dressing clump.
Add toppings last to retain crunch.
Substitution Summary
Rice beans – kidney beans or black-eyed peas, canned or dried
Pea shoots – baby spinach
Pennywort – flat-leaf parsley
Lotus stems – jicama
Perilla seeds – perilla seed powder or black sesame powder
Ngari – shrimp paste (or omit)
Notes
This recipe relies on local and seasonal ingredients; many elements in the base can be substituted.
Chakhawai, or rice bean, is a Manipuri legume featured in many popular dishes such as eromba and kangsoi. If difficult to source, it can be substituted with kidney beans or black-eyed peas. If using dried beans/peas, rinse thoroughly, soak overnight, then boil until tender but still intact (follow cooking time instructions on the packet). Drain well and cool completely before using. Alternately, you can use canned beans/peas, but make sure they are drained well.
If pea shoots are unavailable, they may be replaced with baby spinach, which has a similarly tender flavour and follows the same preparation method.
If pennywort is unavailable, it may be replaced with flat-leaf parsley, which can be prepared the same way.
If fresh lotus stems are unavailable, jicama may be used. To prepare, start by peeling and discarding its tough skin, leaving the crisp, white inner flesh. Julienne the flesh into thin matchsticks.
If fresh whole perilla seeds are difficult to find, perilla seed powder or black sesame seed powder may be used. Perilla seed powder can be found at large Asian or Korean supermarkets, for example, Kmall08 Korean Supermarket (Eastwood and Lidcombe, NSW).
Shrimp paste may be used instead of ngari in the non-vegetarian version. Prepare the shrimp paste by first wrapping it in foil. In a heavy-based pan, dry-toast for 4–5 minutes over medium-high heat until fragrant, turning regularly. Set aside to cool. Grind in mortar and pestle. Please note that the shrimp paste version might appear paler than the dish in the photograph, which contains ngari. As many shrimp pastes contain salt, check the seasoning before adding any additional salt.
There are three main variations of singju:
The vegetarian version is made without ngari and relies entirely on the flavour of toasted perilla seeds and gram flour, often using more greens and a slightly higher amount of perilla to build depth.
The non-vegetarian version, more common on regular days, includes ngari, which gives the salad its distinctive fermented aroma and taste. In this version, the perilla is sometimes reduced so the flavour of the ngari can stand out.
The third variation replaces fish with smoked pork. This version keeps the same base and dressing but uses more ginger to balance the smokiness of the meat, resulting in a heartier salad suited to the colder climate.
Speciality ingredients can be sourced from most Asian or Indian supermarkets, for example: Radhe Indian Supermarket (Harris Park, NSW), Patel Brothers Supermarket, (Harris Park, NSW) and Thai Kee IGA Asian Supermarket (Haymarket, NSW).
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Measure out 4 Tbsp of the cooked rice beans (chakhawai) and set aside.
Wash the lemon basil and pat it dry. Remove any thick stems and roughly chop the leaves. Peel a small piece of ginger and julienne into thin slices. Set aside the lemon basil and ginger.
To prepare the dressing, place the perilla seeds in a dry frying pan set over medium heat. Toast for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they release a nutty aroma and start to pop slightly. Remove the seeds from the pan and allow to cool, then grind them to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Substitute: If unavailable, use 2 Tbsp perilla seed powder or black sesame seed powder (5).
In the same pan, add the chickpea flour (besan) and toast gently over low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring continuously, until the flour turns a pale golden colour and smells warm and nutty. Transfer the toasted flour to a plate and allow to cool completely.
If you wish to use ngari, prepare it using one of two methods:
For a milder flavour, place the ngari in a small pan with a tablespoon or two of water and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until softened. Drain and pound into a paste using a mortar and pestle.
For a stronger, smokier flavour, dry-toast the ngari directly over low heat for 2–3 minutes until crisp, then grind into a coarse powder. Substitute: If unavailable, use shrimp paste (6).
In a small bowl, combine the ground perilla seeds, toasted chickpea flour, chilli flakes and salt. Add the ngari and mix together thoroughly until evenly combined.
To assemble the singju, add the cooled boiled rice beans (chakhawai), lemon basil and ginger to the prepared vegetables. Sprinkle the dry dressing mixture over the prepared vegetables. Using clean hands, lift and fold the vegetables repeatedly to ensure that the dressing coats every ingredient evenly. Singju should remain dry and lightly textured, so continue mixing until everything is well coated but not clumped together. Allow the mixture to rest for 3–5 minutes so that the ingredients and dressing meld and macerate together, and the flavours of the salad become more pronounced.
Just before serving, prepare the toppings. Lightly crush the fried matar using your fingers. Break the fried papadum into small, bite-sized pieces. Crush the uncooked instant noodles directly from the packet. Scatter all the toppings over the dressed salad and give it one very gentle toss to preserve the crunch.
Line a serving plate with a few fresh butter lettuce leaves and pile the singju neatly on top.
Singju is best enjoyed with Manipuri red tea and potato fritters.
