Recipes for Hari Raya Puasa Delicacies

This Hari Raya Puasa, whip up a few delicacies for your family and friends with these recipes!

Hari Raya Puasa signifies the end of Ramadan where Muslims observe dawn to sunset fasting for the entire month. Food is an important component in the celebrations of Hari Raya Puasa. Muslim families, like Sha’dah’s, would be busy preparing delicacies for family and friends.

“Sambal Goreng, Ayam Masak Merah, Rendang Lembu and Ketupat are dishes that we will prepare for Hari Raya Puasa,” said Sha’dah Binte Suib, SPD’s senior EIPIC teacher at SPD@Jurong, who enjoys cooking for her family. Sha’dah shares a few recipes that you could also whip up for this festive occasion.

1) SAMBAL GORENG

  • Stir fried bean curd, ‘tempe’ and long beans
(Photo: Highoverhappy) Sambal Goreng is a spicy stir-fried dish
(Photo: Highoverhappy) Sambal Goreng is a spicy stir-fried dish

Ingredients

  • 1 pack of Tau Kwa (beancurd) (400gm)
  • 1 pack of tempe (200gm)
  • 200gm of beef/lung
  • 10 pieces of prawn (remove skin and fry)
Cut into cubes and fry
  • 8-10 long beans
  • 6 green and red chillies
  • 3 red onion
Slice diagonally
  • 1 stalk of lemongrass
  • 1 inch of galangal
Pound lightly to release flavour
  • 10 dried chillies (soak in hot water to soften)
  • 8 shallots
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • ½ inch of ginger
Process into paste
  • 1 cup of coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon of tamarind juice (discard the seeds)
  • Cooking oil
  • Salt and sugar to taste

Instructions

  • Heat up the oil. Deep-fry the beancurd, ‘tempe’, beef/beef lung and prawn in batches. Drain on paper towels.
  • Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a non-stick wok/pan.
  • Fry the paste mixture along with the lightly pounded lemongrass and galangal. Sprinkle some water if it is too dry.
  • Add the beancurd, ‘tempe’, long beans, beef/beef lung, prawn. Stir and mix well. Sprinkle some water if needed, to prevent it from being scorched.
  • Add the sliced onions and chilies. Stir and mix well.
  • Pour in coconut milk and tamarind juice. Add salt and sugar.
  • Toss well and cook until gravy is dry.
  • The flavour gets better as the dish rests.

2) AYAM MASAK MERAK 

  • Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce
(Photo: Expat Living Singapore) Ayam Masak Merah is a chicken dish cooked in spicy tomato sauce
(Photo: Expat Living Singapore) Ayam Masak Merah is a chicken dish cooked in spicy tomato sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg chicken cut into 8 pieces
  • 10 dried chillies (soaked in water)
  • 2 red onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 inch of ginger
  • 1 inch of galangal
  • 2 stalks of lemongrass
  • 2 star anise
Process into a paste
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 piece of cinnamon stick
  • 1 piece of cardamom
  • 1 can of tomato puree/fresh tomatoes puree
  • 200ml of coconut milk /evaporated milk
  • Salt and sugar to taste
  • Cooking oil
  • 1 cup of peas (optional)
  • Chopped spring onions as garnish

Instructions

  • Preparing the chicken – Rub the chicken with turmeric and salt. Set aside for 30 minutes.
  • Heat up the oil in a wok. Deep fry the chicken pieces until golden in colour. Set aside.
  • Roughly chop the red onion, ginger, galangal and lemongrass. Transfer to a blender or food processor. Add in dry chilies and garlic. Process into a paste.
  • Heat up the wok with ½ cup of oil.
  • Sauté the spices (cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamom) until fragrant.
  • Then add in the blended paste. Bring the heat up until the paste bubble then lower the heat.
  • Simmer till the paste is thoroughly cooked, fragrant and the oil separates from the paste (pecah minyak).
  • Add in the canned tomato puree, coconut milk and chicken pieces. Bring up the heat for a quick boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickened.
  • Add peas and season with salt to taste.
  • Garnish with some spring onion before serving.

3) RENDANG LEMBU

  • Beef Rendang
(Photo: Honeycombers) Rendang Lembu is a spicy beef dish cooked with various spices
(Photo: Honeycombers) Rendang Lembu is a spicy beef dish cooked with various spices

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds of boneless beef short ribs (cut into cubes)
  • 1 piece of cinnamon stick
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 star anise
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 3 stalks of lemongrass
  • 5 shallots
  • 1 inch of galangal
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 inch of ginger
  • 12 dried chillies (soaked in water)
Process into paste
  • 1 cup of thick coconut milk coconut cream
  • 1 cup of water
  • 2 teaspoons of tamarind juice (discard the seeds)
  • 6 kaffir lime leaves very finely sliced
  • 6 tablespoons of ‘kerisik’ (toasted coconut)
  • 5 tablespoons of cooking oil
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar or palm sugar to taste

Instructions

  • Roughly chop the shallots, ginger, galangal and lemongrass. Transfer to a blender or food processor. Add in the dried chillies and garlic. Process into a paste.
  • Heat the oil in a stew pot. Add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamom, and stir-fry until aromatic.
  • Add the beef and stir for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
  • Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar or palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
  • Lower the heat, cover the lid and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours or until the meat is tender and the gravy has dried up. Add more salt and sugar to taste.
  • Serve immediately with steamed rice or ‘ketupat’.

Recipe Notes

  • To prepare the kerisik or toasted coconut, just add the grated coconut to a dry wok and stir continuously until they turn golden brown.

4) KETUPAT

  • Rice dumpling
(Photo: Crochet-Republic) Ketupat is a type of dumpling made from rice packed inside a woven diamond-shaped coconut leaf pouch
(Photo: Crochet-Republic) Ketupat is a type of dumpling made from rice packed inside a woven diamond-shaped coconut leaf pouch

Ingredients

  • Young coconut leaves
  • 1kg of rice
  • The amount of rice depends on the number of ‘ketupat’ you will be making
  • Use good and fragrant rice

Instructions

  • Weave the pouches of the ‘ketupat’ using young coconut leaves (can be bought on the market or weave it yourself).
  • Wash and drain the rice.
  • Fill ¾ of the woven pouches with drained rice.
  • Heat up water in a pot but not to boiling point. Put the ‘ketupat’ that has been filled with rice into the water.
  • Make sure all the ‘ketupat’ are submerged in water.
  • Stew the ‘ketupat’ for about 4 to 5 hours.
  • Once cooked, drain the water.
  • Let it rest before serving with sambal goreng, ayam masak merah or rendang lembu.

We hope these appetite-whetting recipes will come in handy when you are deciding what to put on the dining table this festive season. Lastly, selamat Hari Raya Puasa to all our Muslim friends!