Squeeze lime juice over any dish and the flavours come alive straight away.

The Peranakans knew that. So many of their dishes call for a squirt of lime just before serving. Where would mee rebus or mee siam be without that sour finish?

Not many people know, however, that the Peranakans also have a stir-fried chicken dish for which lime juice lifts a soya sauce gravy to mouthwatering heights.

This chicken uses lime juice, caramelised onions and, yes, a sprinkling of cut red chilli. Could anything be more appetising?

I am talking about the Nonya classic - Ayam Tempra, which translates into chicken with a lime-spiked soya sauce.

It is a dish with a history, for this idea of marinating meats in lime juice (or vinegar) was probably borrowed from the Portuguese who lived in these parts in the past and already had a habit of curing meats in this manner.

But despite it being rooted in tradition, Ayam Tempra has very updated qualities. For one, it uses lean meat, chicken breast, in this case, but I remember my grandmother also relying on the same recipe for fish or lean pork.

And you could reduce the fat even further by stripping the skin off the breast.

Secondly, the sauteed chicken relies only on soya sauce and lime juice for flavour. Not much fat and certainly no coconut.

This is quite rare for an old recipe.

It is an easy dish to turn out, taking just minutes, if you rely on those ready packs of chicken breast now available at most supermarkets.

And children love it, for the sweet sour gravy is delicious on plain rice. Just omit the chilli in this case.

I like to team it with an oil-less salted egg and cucumber salad. The match is wonderful, if uncomplicated, but a clean flavour like this is always welcome especially if you've had a spate of rich food.

The dish relies on lime flavours for a lift. And lime is a wonderful ingredient, both for its floral scent and for its health benefits.

The fruit is rich in Vitamin C and dietary fibre. It also contains anti-inflammatory nutrients - Vitamin C, of course, folate and beta carotene.

As lime is a natural flavour enhancer, I like to use it instead of vinegar in my salad dressings, squeezing a bit into sauces and soups or adding it to marinades.

All parts of the fruit can be used, not just the juice, but also the leaves and the lime zest, to pump up the tangy flavours in a dish.

I try to use the old-fashioned marble-sized deep green limau kesturi for this dish, but you can substitute with other kinds of limes instead.

The limes should be shiny, deep-green in colour, feel heavy for their size and have a thin smooth skin. If your limes have such qualities, you can be assured of lots of juice inside.

If you have to substitute with the bigger limes (or Indian limes), just roll them, pressing down on the counter to release the juice, before squeezing them.

In this dish, add the lime juice just before serving for the best aromatic finish. I also like to garnish this chicken with a couple of kaffir lime leaves to max up the lime fragrance.

If not, just scatter some finely shredded lime zest over the dish to get the same fresh effect.

Sylvia Tan is a freelance writer

Ayam Tempura

(Chicken in soya sauce and lime juice)

(For four to six)

1 large purple (or Bombay) onion, sliced
4 chicken breasts, sliced thickly
1 tbs dark soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
Half a cup of water
2 red chillis, sliced
Juice from four kasturi limes or more to taste
Some whole kaffir lime leaves as garnish

Method

Heat 2 tbs oil in a wok and fry onions till soft and browned. This will sweeten the dish.

Brown the chicken pieces. Season with soya sauce, salt and sugar. Allow to caramelise, then pour water over the meat to deglaze the pan - that is, to make a sauce from the pan juices.

When chicken is tender, add the chillis and squeeze lime juice over just before serving. Garnish with some kaffir lime leaves or shredded lime peel for extra fragrance if you like.

Serve with plain rice and salted egg cucumber salad on the side. This is sliced cucumber, salted egg quarters and raw onions, dressed with some lime juice, sugar and a pinch of salt.