There’s something intimate and special about cooking a meal from scratch for someone you love. And who better to cook for than mum, who is typically the one doing all the feeding. And while you certainly don’t need to wait for a special occasion like Mother’s Day to treat mum to a feast, there’s no harm in surprising her with a delicious lunch or dinner at home to make her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
And as dining out isn’t possible this year due to circuit breaker measures, why not opt for a homecooked meal instead? For mums who prefer Asian cooking, we’ve rounded up some easy recipes you can try for a more intimate Mother’s Day celebration this year.
Serve up this local comfort food that uses a whole spring chicken instead of pork ribs for less fat (which makes it “chik kut teh”). It’s also really easy to cook once you have all the ingredients at hand.
Brown and crispy outside, tender inside, impress mum (or mum-in-law) with this roast duck recipe by local chef Pamelia Chia that can rival her favourite Chinese restaurant’s. Once the duck is prepped (note: you’ll need at least two days advance prep for best results), it just takes an hour to cook.
Noodles are a great option as they’re super versatile (and commonly associated with longevity). Here, local actress Constance Song shares her homecooked mee sua recipe, which she always eats as her first meal on the first day of Chinese New Year for the past 30 years.
Laksa is one of our favourite local comfort foods. Here, Actress Selena Tan shares her mum’s laksa steamboat recipe, which has been a staple in her family’s reunion dinner for the past 30 years.
Chicken rendang is another absolute comfort food, especially when served with turmeric rice. Impress mum with this popular Indonesian dish using our easy recipe.
For a starter, consider this fresh and vibrant salad that’s delicious on its own, or with cooked prawns, cooked chicken or steamed fish fillets.
This is a hearty, Indian-influenced pie that incorporates tender, slow-cooked beef chunks, massaman curry and self-made roti (Indian flatbread).
Infuse Western and Eastern elements by cooking pak choy (a type of Chinese cabbage) and udon (thick Japanese wheatflour noodles) in a peanut butter mixture.

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Text: Atika Lim and Elizabeth Liew
This post was updated on May 7, 2020.
- TAGS:
- Cooking
- Food
- mother's day
- Mum