Freelance journalist Clarissa Wei stirred up significant controversy last week with her rendition of “Singapore Chicken Curry,” featured in The New York Times (NYT) and its Instagram reel. Singaporean netizens were quick to condemn the dish’s murky appearance, with some likening it to “drain water” and “spice water.”

Following the backlash, NYT removed the Instagram video and posted a clarification on February 11, admitting that the video did not accurately represent the recipe. The actual dish, based on Singaporean home cook Shila Das’s family recipe, was intended to be nasi biryani, a traditional rice dish, not the misinterpreted curry.

Shila expressed frustration over the misrepresentation, explaining that she had shared her late father’s chicken biryani recipe, not anticipating it would be split into two separate recipes. She reached out to Clarissa, requesting the removal of the inaccurate video, but was initially told it would remain.

Cookbook author Shermay Lee, also quoted in the article, joined the criticism, calling the recipe “laughable” and a missed opportunity to showcase Singapore’s culinary heritage on an international platform like The New York Times.