Naksha and Singapore Tourism Board serve up three Singapore-inspired recipe kits with top Michelin star chef

Homegrown Dubai food brand Naksha ties up with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to launch the delights of gourmet Singapore food to kitchens across the UAE.

24 January 2022, Dubai, UAE – Naksha and STB have launched a collection of three Singapore-inspired recipe kits developed in collaboration with Michelin star Singapore chef Haikal Johari. Aiming to transform mealtimes, the kits give UAE foodies a quick and easy solution for cooking delicious Singapore food at home.

Each of the easy and intuitive kits contains specialist ingredients and step-by-step recipes for home chefs with any level of experience to cook up an authentic Singapore-style feast. Singapore boasts an incredibly vibrant food culture, and this carefully curated collection means that UAE food-lovers can now experience its culinary marvels in their own kitchens.

“Singapore’s food scene packs a huge punch”, says Nisha Ramisetty, co-founder of Naksha. “Singapore food is popular worldwide, but it can be challenging to make at home, especially if you lack experience and can’t find the required ingredients. Our goal is to make extraordinary cuisines more accessible through our recipe kits. We are thrilled to be launching our first country-specific collection in association with STB, and our aim is for the kits to unlock the joys of home-cooked Singapore food and burnish Singapore’s reputation as the ultimate gastronomic destination”.

The collection builds on the popularity of Naksha’s other recipe and baking kits, which give adventurous diners innovative do-it-yourself food options from around the Indian Ocean, Caribbean and Middle East. The Singapore Collection is the first to focus on one place, and it has been created in association with the STB, who’s SingapoReimagine campaign brings together both homegrown and global communities to revive tourism and build anticipation for future travel to Singapore. The collection includes three recipes which highlight the best of Singapore cooking:

§  Lemak Cili Padi: Creamy coconut curry with lime leaf and turmeric (+ rice noodles)

§  Ngoh Hiang: Crispy baked summer rolls with five-spice and paprika

§  Asam Pedas: Spiced tomato stew with tamarind and lemongrass (+ jasmine rice)

Designed by Haikal Johari, executive head chef at Singapore’s Michelin-starred Alma restaurant, the three recipes add a cool contemporary twist to tried-and-tested Singapore favourites. Recipes have been simplified and modernised so that the users just choose their kit, source basic fresh ingredients, and follow easy step-by-step instructions. All recipes are gluten free and are suitable for vegans and non-vegans. The result is a gourmet, chef-designed, healthy, home-cooked meal which delivers a vivid taste of Singapore every time.

Chef Haikal Johari explains the selection of dishes:

“Singapore food is a melting pot. Our food has many influences – Malay, Peranakan, Chinese, Tamil, European and more – and this is what makes it so interesting”, he says. “The three recipes included in this collection are all classics, much loved in Singapore, but they are not always well known in the wider world. We want to change that. The recipes taste delicious, which is most important, but they also offer an immersive Singapore cooking experience which is fuss-free, authentic and results in an impressive meal”.

The Singapore Collection was revealed at a special event in the stunning Singapore Pavilion at EXPO 2020. As part of the broader ‘Singapore Day’ programme, the launch (titled ‘Stories of Taste and Passion’) gave guests an exclusive opportunity to taste the three dishes, explore their origin stories, and hear the vision for this unique collaboration directly from Naksha, STB and Chef Haikal Johari himself.   

“We are excited by this collaboration because it allows us to showcase Singapore food by targeting our audience’s tastebuds”, says Beverly Au Yong, Area Director, Singapore Tourism Board, Middle East. “Naksha is a homegrown UAE brand that tells the stories of the world through food, and our partnership is a highly effective approach to telling Singapore’s, giving consumers the fun opportunity to cook and enjoy Singapore flavours at home. Singapore food is wonderfully varied and STB is proud to have helped bring three popular dishes to life in the UAE, allowing people to reimagine Singapore in a totally new way”.

As well as providing perfect portions of specialist ingredients, the recipe kits are beautifully designed with bright colours and original hand-drawn artwork. Celebrated Singapore artist Tan Zi Xi has produced a series of images and patterns exclusively for the collection, applying a whimsical lens to some of the most lovable icons of Singapore’s lifestyle and heritage, including key landmarks and traditional foods. These collectible images feature on the kits and recipe cards and add rich visual texture to the overall user experience.

A winner of the Spinneys Incubator scheme, Naksha launched its first collection of recipe kits (covering the Indian Ocean) in November 2020. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the lead development agency for tourism whose mission is to shape a dynamic tourism landscape for Singapore in partnership with industry and community. This initiative from Naksha and STB takes the concept of recipe kits to a new level, continuing to disrupt the home-cooking market, giving UAE foodies a unique Singapore food experience, and encouraging people to reimagine their visit to Singapore for themselves.

Kits in the Singapore Collection are on sale in Spinneys and Waitrose stores across the UAE, and at www.nakshacollection.com, from 24 January 2022. They are priced at AED 39 for a meal for two.