Singju is our classic crunchy salad, literally bursting with herbs! It's made of finely sliced cabbage, lotus stem, and perilla leaves, all tossed with ngari (fermented fish) and a fiery roasted chickpea powder paste.
Honestly, the tourists talk about the ingredients, but the real thing is that smoky heibi chilli burnt over charcoal—my Ma says that smell is the soul of it.
We eat it straight, as a side with meals, or just bundled in a lettuce leaf for a quick burst of flavour while at the market. From my own life, every Friday at Ima Keithel with my grandmother, we'd get it packed in banana leaf—that earthy taste with the sharp ngari is my favourite memory of shopping trips.
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