Ingredient Guide

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

	Palm Sugar (Gula Malacca, Gula Jawa) ........................................................................... Made from the sap of various palm flowers, the best quality palm sugar is probably that from the coconut palm flowers, It is not as sweet as brown sugar and has a nice fragrant. Comes in various shapes depending on the mould used to make them. Often contains impurities, it is necessary to first melt and filter it before use. Chop into small piece for easy melting. Quality is inconsistant.
	Pandan (Screw Pine) ........................................................................... Long thin fragrant leaves popularly used in desserts, soups and rice. It give food that special fragrance that you'll never do without once you get to know it. Large leaves are used in Singaproe as wrapper for rice dumplings.
	Pang Da Hai (Boat Sterculia Seed) ........................................................................... Used in Chinese herbal medicine for inflammation of the throat and hoarseness in phonation. Valued for its texture, its use in the kitchen is restricted to herbal soups such as the popular Cheng T'ng (in Fujian dialect) found in Singapore. To use, rinse and soak in warm water for about 10 minutes, discard seed and skin. The brownish water is usually added to the dish for its medicinal value.
	Papaya ........................................................................... Unripe papayas are green, slightly bitterish with crunchy white flesh which turns orange, sweet and creamy as they ripen. Unripe papayas are used in pickles and salads while ripe ones are used as fruits. Avoid papayas that are over ripen. Peel, remove seeds and squeeze lemon over and serve. Southeast Asian papayas are several times bigger compared to most available in the West.
	Peanuts ........................................................................... Peanuts are used in making soup, satay sauce and various snacks. Available raw with or without skin. Peanuts are often dry roasted with a few cloves of garlics to give an extra fragrant, (sometimes also fried in oil but taste is different since the burnt bits give extra flavour). To remove skin after toasting, rub peanuts with both palms and blow the loosen skin away. photo: whole peanuts with skin and roasted peanuts.
	Pepper (Green) (see also szechuan pepper) ........................................................................... Unripen green peppers are used mostly in Thai kitchen, it has a peppery taste similar to white pepper but not quite as hot and lack the fragrance of black pepper.
	Pepper (Black) (see also szechuan pepper) ........................................................................... The second most popular spice in India next to chillies, it's called the king of spice. The unripen fruit is dried whole and is more aromatic and less spicy compared to white pepper.
	Pepper (White) (see also szechuan pepper) ........................................................................... Green, black and white peppercorn are the same fruits at different stage of maturity. White pepper is processed from ripen fruits and is preferred by the Chinese.
	Petai ........................................................................... The seed from a pod of a tree. Has a very strong odour and definitely an aquired taste for those not from the region.
	Pig Skin, deep fried ........................................................................... Often used in soups and stews. Some cook easily while others take longer depending on the quality. It soaks up the flavour of a dish and adds a great texture to a dish.
	Pin Tong (Cantonese) ........................................................................... Just natural sugar in pieces, it tastes better then white sugar and believed to have a different effect on the body by the Chinese, it is preferred for making desserts and tea.
	Pine Seeds ........................................................................... A temperate ingredient seldom found in Southeast Asian recipes.
	Plum, pickled ........................................................................... Come soaked in liquid. It is very sourish and is often used in steamed dishes such as steamed fish as well as in soups to add a pleasant sourish taste. Slightly crushed.
	Plum Sauce ........................................................................... A sweet and sour dip sauce good with deep fried, grilled and roasted food.
	Pomegranateseeds, preserved ........................................................................... Pomegranate seeds give a tangy flavour to Indian curries, in other parts of Asia, it is usually eaten as a fruit. Chinese love it as a garden plant.
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