One of the major exports of Singapore is food. Singapore black pepper sauce is different from all the other black pepper sauces because of the addition of fermented yellow bean paste (taucheo) and curry leaves. This gives the sauce an extra layer that is unique to the region.
I love to have this Singapore black pepper sauce with battered cauliflower and spaghetti. The noodles take up the sauce nicely and are so smooth and slurp-worthy. You hardly notice that it’s vegan because, honestly, who misses the mess of eating crab carcasses?
Of course, being a Singaporean dish, there has to be some kind of spice somewhere, and this recipe not only shines with the toasted peppercorns but with the addition of chilli padi or bird’s eye chilli. The heat and spice paired with the sweet sauce and the crisp cauliflower is great.
Tips
- If you can’t get fermented yellow bean paste, you can use black bean paste.
- If you think the peppercorns are spicy enough, just leave out the bird’s eye chilli or replace them with a less spicy variety.
- Instead of cauliflower, you can make this with mushrooms, tofu, or seitan.
- Battering and deep-frying the cauliflower is not compulsory. I just find it improves the complexity of the dish.
There is a constant debate on whether black pepper crab or chilli crab is the most iconic Singaporean crab dish. If you want to check out the competition, try my vegan Singapore chilli crab recipe.
Ingredients
- Batter
- Seasoning
Instructions
-
Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets.
-
Mix the batter and whisk till well blended, it should turn out something like a thin yoghurt consistency.
-
Heat about 800ml or four fingers depth of oil in a large and deep sauce pan. Drip a small amount of batter into the oil, if the batter cooks and rises immediately, the oil is hot enough. Dip your cauliflowers in the batter and carefully drop them into the pan. When they are floating and not too brown, you can remove them and drain. We don't want them too brown otherwise it will not absorb the sauce well. Drain and set aside.
-
Toast the black and white pepper over medium heat in a non-stick pan, WITHOUT oil. When you can smell the pepper aroma, remove and set aside.
-
Mix the vegan oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a separate bowl. Chop the onions, finely dice the garlic and bird's eye chilli, and remove the stems of the curry leaves.
- Start cooking your spaghetti now in a large pot of salted boiling water.
-
Heat 3 tbsp of oil on a non-stick pan over medium heat, and fry the onions. We need a bit more oil in for this one otherwise the pepper texture will feel gritty. When the onions are slightly translucent, add the garlic.
-
When the garlic is fragrant, add the fermented bean paste, bird's eye chilli, curry leaves, and toasted pepper. Mix well. The aroma should be crazy good now.
-
Add the cauliflower back into the pan and toss with half of the sauce, making sure each piece is well coated.
-
Move the cauliflower to the edges and put the cooked spaghetti in the center. Pour the rest of the sauce over the spaghetti and mix well. Toss everything together.
-
Serve hot with a sprig or two of blanched vegetables.
This dish is so so good and easy to make too! It has a real depth of flavor and a wonderful variety of textures. Highly recommend that you make this dish and share it with your loved ones. We will definitely be making this dish again and again!
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback, Sasha! This recipe is definitely on regular rotation in my household.