Sunday, November 30, 2003

It is Sunday, the Raya atmosphere is slowly fading, the TV and radio are still airing Hari Raya special, perhaps a repeat....so we would still be in a sort of a Hari Raya mood....it is always like this with this special Aidil Fitri....there are still plenty of cookies and cakes left and still display on the main table for those that come to visit on a later date.. The rendang is still there but the ketupat and lemang [ ketupat is rice cook on container made of woven coconut leave whereas lemang is rice with coconut milk, cook in bamboo on slow fire, both are traditional and we still cook the ketupat as part of an on going tradition, for rendang [beef or chicken cook with traditional herb, a specialty of the Malay, the only non spices dish that the Malay cook during this festival].It is not a curry because it does not contain spices of any kind, as such it has remain one of the really tradition dish pass down from generation to generation. The rendang is a must for the ketupat, it goes together all the time, thus the saying 'ketupat and rendang'...It is one of most tasteful combination and no Aidit Fitri would be complete without the ketupat and rendang...If ever you visit Malaysia, try the rendang at the Malay buffet section in the hotel food buffet and I am sure you would love it, but the ketupat might not be there since ketupat is only made at this special festival of Aidil Fitri.....Any way if you are having Satay [special Malay beef of chicken kebab] then some time it is served with the traditional ketupat, but most of the time it would be served with another type of pressed boiled rice, it look almost the same but it do not have the flavor of the coconut leaves, anyway it is always eaten with satay and the satay's gravy....one should not miss trying the satay when dining out in Malaysia, for satay is available throughout the year....it is a delicious food, that is traditional Malay....you would love it, I am sure......

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