Malaysia: Ramadhan Food Festival Liven up KL

Jakarta, Indonesia - Millions of Muslims spend the daylight hours avoiding food during Ramadhan. It makes sense that the food awaiting them at iftar (end-of-day breaking of the fast) should be good, hearty, usually traditional food that warms the soul and rewards the assiduous Muslim after his day of sacrifice.

As in Indonesia and many other Muslim-majority countries across the globe, the fasting month of Ramadhan in Malaysia is always an interesting time when it comes to food. Roadside stalls and markets sprout up almost everywhere like mushrooms after rain, selling a variety of seasonal delicacies.

Ramadhan bazaars in KL are full of such Malay dishes - curries, rendang, porridge, roasts and rice cakes in endless varieties, together with sweets, pastries and traditional juices. A few of the most common and most beloved traditional dishes follow below.

Bubur lambuk is rice porridge with a variety of ingredients, including sweet potatoes, shrimp, beef and herbs. It is comfort food, favored more for its easy-to-digest constitution than its flavor. Bubur lambuk is traditionally served free to the public during iftar, at sunset when Muslims are free to break their fast. It is usually prepared in huge batches to feed whole communities and distributed at mosques or even hotels.

Another unique Malay dish at Ramadhan is lemang, made of glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt, all cooked in a hollowed bamboo stick lined with banana leaf. The usual or traditional way to cook this special Malay delicacy will usually take a few hours and involves cooking the rice in bamboo containers over an open fire. Malays usually eat it with chicken curry or beef rendang.

Another favorite is nasi kerabu. Literally meaning “rice salad”, nasi kerabu is made of blue-colored rice (cooked with the bunga telang flower that colors the grains blue) combined with bean sprouts, cucumber, salted egg, fish crackers, pickled garlic, fish fillet and chili, tossed in a coconut-based gravy.

Nasi kerabu is a regional specialty from the state of Kelantan on the east coast of Malaysia. Some people also call it nasi ulam or herbal rice.

Another specialty from Kelantan is nasi dagang. It literally means “trading rice”, and it’s anyone’s guess why people call it that. It is flavored with fenugreek and coconut, usually served with toasted grated coconut, curry (locals call it gulai – the Malay version of curry) and pickled vegetables. It has become a popular Malaysian breakfast dish in states near Thailand such as Terengganu.

When it comes to Eid Fitri, as in Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines, Malays also prepare ketupat, a dumpling made of rice cooked in a woven coco leaf container. The coco leaves used in wrapping the rice are always shaped into a triangular form and stored hanging in bunches in the open air. Ketupat is never eaten on its own but usually accompanies a dish of rendang or satay.

There are many varieties of ketupat, with two of the more common ones being ketupat nasi and ketupat pulut. Ketupat nasi is made from white rice and is wrapped in a square shape with coconut palm leaves while ketupat pulut is made from glutinous rice and is usually wrapped in a triangular shape using the leaves of the fan palm. It is also called ketupat daun palas in Malaysia.

To see the glorious food festival in KL, visit Jl. Raja Alang in Kampung Baru, Jl. Tuanku Abdul Rahman or Datuk Keramat. And don’t miss the market in Section 14, Section 16 or Kelana Jaya in Petaling Jaya. You can also find impressive food bazaars in Taman Melawati, Hulu Kelang; the stadium grounds in Shah Alam; and Precinct 2, Putrajaya.

Make this Ramadhan the most interesting month in your food experience and eat your way around Malaysia. Also check out Ramadhan buffets at hotels and restaurants throughout KL and share this special time in delicious way.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com
Photo: http://www.cultureledger.com

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