ETHNIC COOKING : Singapore Soup

“A lot of people feel intimidated by cooking Asian food,” says Sylvia Lim. “They think it’s too elaborate and too difficult.”

Lim, a Singaporean, hopes that the cookbook on which she is working will change this attitude. She is a newspaper editor with the Straits Times Group and has been in Los Angeles for the past several months. This has given her the opportunity to test her recipes with products available in American markets.

Lim is married to actor Kay Tong Lim, whose credits include “Noble House,” “Shanghai Surprise” and “Off Limits.” They’re both Peranakans--descendants of Chinese who settled in the lands around the Straits of Malacca. These people used to wear Malay dress and speak a Malay-Chinese patois, Lim says, but maintained certain Chinese customs. The Peranakans have their own distinctive style of cookery, which incorporates Malay flavors. It’s also known as nonya cookery.

A Peranakan celebration brings forth such a breathtaking assortment of food that the display is known as tok panjang (long table). One table will be laden with various meat and seafood concoctions; a roast meat such as five-spice pork, salads, vegetables, sambals (highly seasoned condiments), rice and noodles. Intricate Peranakan cakes, made with glutinous rice, coconut milk, shredded coconut, palm sugar and other ingredients will be set out on a separate dessert table, along with sweet longan tea.

Lim’s Pong Tauhu Soup is the sort of complex dish that might be served at such an occasion. Flavored with shrimp shells, the broth contains bamboo shoots and “meatballs” of minced shrimp, pork, tofu, egg and fried garlic. “It’s a really rich soup that gives substance to the meal,” Lim says.

PONG TAUHU SOUP

1 (14-ounce) package firm Chinese tofu, well drained

2 cups canned bamboo shoot strips, drained

4 cloves garlic, chopped

Oil

1/2 pound small shrimp, in shells

1/2 pound minced pork

1 egg, beaten

1 green onion, finely chopped

Salt, pepper

4 to 5 cups water

1 tablespoon bottled Chinese ground bean sauce

1 sprig cilantro, chopped

Mash drained tofu thoroughly. Let stand so that excess liquid accumulates. Drain again. Drop bamboo shoot strips into boiling water, boil few seconds and drain. Set aside.

Fry half of garlic in small amount of oil until light brown. Set aside.

Peel and devein shrimp, saving shells for stock. Mince shrimp and place in large bowl with tofu, pork, egg, green onion, fried garlic and garlic oil. Mix until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Form into walnut-size balls. Set aside.

Fry shrimp shells in small amount of oil in small saucepan. Add water and bring to boil. Strain and reserve stock.

Saute remaining garlic in small amount of oil in pot. Add ground bean sauce and saute until fragrant. Add bamboo shoot strips and shrimp stock and boil 15 minutes. Add shrimp-tofu balls slowly to prevent from breaking up. Simmer until balls float to surface, then simmer 5 minutes longer. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro and additional browned garlic bits, if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings.