Malaysians look forward to a more meaningful Hari Raya with family and food

Teaching assistant Azlina Ariffin, 46, from Sarawak is truly wanting forward to celebrating Hari Raya as this yr, she will get to spend it with her extended spouse and children. For two a long time, due to the fact of the pandemic, the Serian-based mom of 4 has celebrated Hari Raya on a tiny scale.

Because of interstate travel restrictions to control the distribute of Covid-19, she and her spouse and children could not spend the festivities with their relations.

But, this 12 months, the family is lastly ready to reunite for Raya and Azlina is anticipating the exciting they will have.

“We are psyched that we can at last have a grander celebration with our family and shut close friends at my husband’s hometown in Kuching. We will be acquiring a potluck, and our family’s costume concept is eco-friendly. So we have acquired two sets of outfits, each and every satisfying the colour code,” claims Azlina.

The family’s potluck lunch has been a custom practised for a long time. The overall household will come collectively to celebrate the conclude of the fasting thirty day period, and welcome Syawal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. It is a time when anyone showcases their culinary prowess by generating mouth-watering treats.

Azlina is tasked with making ready kelupis – glutinous rice cooked in santan and wrapped in lover palm leaves – for the celebrations.

Kelupis is a single of the delicacies served throughout Hari Raya in Sarawak. Azlina strategies to put together about 30 items of these delicacies for the festive time.

“Kelupis is served with hen curry, and rendang. Some folks choose to have it with kaya,” she shares.

Kelupis – glutinous rice cooked in santan and wrapped in admirer palm leaves – is a should have for Hari Raya celebrations in Sarawak. Image: Azlina AriffinThe weekend ahead of Hari Raya was put in making the delicacy and Azlina put in all of Saturday sourcing elements to make her kelupis.

On her grocery list ended up merchandise wanted to put together her other signature Hari Raya dishes for the potluck: Rooster curry, beef cooked with dim soy sauce and black pepper, and kaya, a sweet spread produced from coconut milk, blended screwpine leaves, eggs and sugar.

Azlina’s two daughters, profits govt Nur Izatti Kamal, 23, and Nur Syfiqah Kamal, 20, were roped in to assistance to prepare the goods for the festive year.

She thinks it is crucial to instruct them to prepare dinner these dishes as they are component of their family’s heritage.

“The kaya recipe has been handed down the generations. So I’m training my daughters to make it too, working with our family’s standard techniques.

“I will prepare the pandan juice from scratch and use fresh coconut milk. These outdated-fashioned means are time-consuming, but it’s critical to protect and honour them,” claims Azlina, who was born and elevated in Sarikei, a city that’s a six-hour travel from the state’s money.

It is a tiresome process to put together the kaya. Initially, ingredients these as eggs, coconut milk, sugar, and pandan juice extract are cooked until thick, and the sugar caramelised.

For her homemade kaya, Azlina insists on making use of gula alongside (palm sugar) and refreshing coconut milk, eschewing boxed coconut milk. – AZLINA ARIFFIN

“The magic formula is in the new coconut milk, gula apong (palm sugar) and clean eggs. They have to have to be cooked in a drinking water bath till the kaya thickens to a easy consistency. It’s challenging work but the ultimate product or service is merely tasty.”

One particular of Azlina’s biggest regrets is not studying to make her late mother’s rendang tok, a dry beef dish with chilli, spices, and coconut milk.

“My late mother was from Taiping, Perak, and she applied to prepare this tasty dish every Hari Raya. Sadly, she passed absent when I was 15 several years outdated and I under no circumstances obtained a probability to study to get ready this dish from her. I’ve attempted to find out it from my family and I’ve even attempted to find out it from watching YouTube videos but absolutely nothing comes shut to my mother’s rendang,” Azlina laments.

Thanks to time constraints, Azlina has requested quite a few Hari Raya sweet treats like Sarawak layer cake, kuih bahulu (a spongy egg cake), and kuih jala, a crispy and crunchy snack manufactured from rice flour, sugar, and drinking water.

“Usually, I’d prepare most of the cookies and cakes from scratch. This 12 months, I’m pressed for time as I have been active with work commitments. But, I’m satisfied to be instructing my daughters some of the family’s traditional recipes. My would like for Hari Raya is for happiness and that we can share superior food among cherished ones.”

Treasured traditions

From remaining: Haslinda, her daughter Wan Nur Haira Wan Azhar, 15, and her mother Hadijah, function as a staff to prepare spera (spicy mini puffs). Photo: Wanis YaacobHari Raya is a distinctive day for Haslinda Yaacob, 43. No matter how active she and her family members are, they normally make time for spouse and children traditions. This weekend, her mom, a few siblings and her two little ones will come together to put together spera, spicy mini puffs loaded with dried prawns, for Hari Raya.

Haslinda, who life in Alor-Setar, would like to make 15 containers of spera. The mini delight is manufactured from wheat flour, oil, drinking water, dried prawns, grated coconut, chilly and spices. These deep-fried crescent-shaped savoury treats are a have to-have for Haslinda’s relatives through Hari Raya.

“We discovered to make this kuih from our late aunt in Singapore. It’s portion of our household tradition, and we have been generating it for decades. Ibu (mother) will help put together the filling although my more youthful sister Wanis will make the dough. Then, another sister Lelawati, my daughters and I aid shape and make the mini puffs,” clarifies Haslinda, a widow. She operates a dwelling enterprise selling nasi lemak, pulut kuning (yellow glutinous rice) and tea-time treats.

It is a painstaking process to prepare these deep-fried crescent-formed savoury treats. Picture: Wanis Yaacob 2 Kelupis – glutinous rice cooked in santan and wrapped in enthusiast palm leaves – is a ought to have for Hari Raya celebrations in Sarawak. – AZLINA ARIFFIN3 Ketupat palas jagung is ready with glutinous rice and corn. – FilepicHaslinda admits it normally takes time earning the little treats and it requires both endurance and perseverance. So alternatively of hand pleating the puffs, they use a personalized-purchased stainless metal mould to crimp the mini puffs.

“It’s just also a great deal work to pleat the puffs. And we don’t have much time as Hari Raya is a several days away,” shares Haslinda.

It is section of Haslinda’s family tradition to share the do-it-yourself treats with their neighbours and close friends on the first day of Hari Raya.

This 12 months, their Hari Raya menu contains ketupat palas (a rice dumpling very similar to kelupis), beef rendang, tomato rice, black pepper beef and sweet treats like pineapple jam tarts, almond London cookies and their do-it-yourself butter cake. Of training course, it is also a need to to share their do-it-yourself spera with cherished ones.

“Sharing food items is aspect of our custom. We are content that we can last but not least celebrate Hari Raya on a a little grander scale this calendar year, right after the two-years of limitations owing to the pandemic,” she suggests.

In the times foremost up to Hari Raya, Haslinda’s mother, Hadijah Hamid, 62, has also been busy preparing components to make the rendang paste which has galangal, lemongrass, chillies and spices.

“Today, the eve of Hari Raya will be really festive in our household. Ibu will prepare dinner all over the evening, while the rest of us will take charge of decorating the residence and baking a couple biscuits and cakes.

“Our household is generally crammed with plenty of laughter.

“I would like for a blessed celebration stuffed with pleasure amongst my relatives customers and buddies,” claims Haslinda.