Malay Heritage Sweets

Kuih apam is steamed cakes, made in a variety of colors.

Pasar tani means farmer’s market in Malay.

One can always find a big variety of fresh ingredients and food at such an event, which is held throughout Malaysia.

The last pasar tani that I visited was in Larkin, in the state of Johore.

In line with my interest, I was mostly drawn towards the traditional or heritage food.

One was the circular-shaped sweet snack called deram deram. It is made from rice flour and palm sugar which gives it the rich caramel color. There is an art to frying deram deram. The oil has to be at just the right temperature for the rings to be slightly crispy on the outside, while maintaining a soft texture on the inside.

Another favorite is kuih apam, which is steamed cakes. They are usually eaten for breakfast.

I remember my grandmother used to bring home these cakes from her early morning rounds at the Geylang Market. The cakes come in different colors, and as a child, I was attracted to the brighter ones, and would try to grab the pink one for myself.

Kuih apam is often served with grated coconut. As an adult, I realize that much of the enjoyment of this sweet is in the simultaneous play of contrast and complement. The pristine white of the grated coconut contrasts with the bright colors. A pinch of salt is usually added to the coconut, and this little bit of salty tang brings out the sweetness of the cakes.

Deram deram is a popular traditional sweet snack.

There is an art to frying deram deram.

Peanuts are universally popular snacks.

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Favorite Festive Fare

Putu kacang….packed with flavor and memories for me.

A galore of cookies and cakes. That is how Eid, or Hari Raya, as it is known in Malay, is celebrated in Singapore and Malaysia.

Each home welcomes guests with about eight or so varieties of these, to enjoy to one’s heart’s content. There are both modern and traditional cookies, or which I prefer to call heritage cookies. My preference runs to the latter, and one of my favorites is putu kacang.

This is a no-bake sweet, with green bean flour and sugar as the main ingredients. The ingredients are mixed, dampened with a little water, then packed tightly into wooden molds specially-designed for putu kacang.

Then the molds are turned over, tapped or knocked lightly so that the molded pieces will drop from the mold. They are then placed in a tray to be sun-dried or baked by a hot, tropical sun.

I used to help my grandmother make this cookie in my childhood home. The molds she owned had interesting designs, and my imagination was really taken by the ones shaped like a rooster. I couldn’t wait for them to dry so that I could savor the tiny roosters.

Sometimes, to make our anticipation easier, my grandmother would give us the task of keeping an eye on the cookies drying on a table in the backyard, just in case the family cat decided to let its curiosity get the better of it, and jump onto the table.

Today, as most residents in Singapore live in high-rise apartments, there is less home-made putu kacang available, and we buy them in Malaysia.

Making this cookie was one of the highlights of Hari Raya preparations in my kampung or childhood home. I just loved the whole process of making them, the contrast of the textures, and the fresh, creamy taste. And I still do – I guess some things never change.

 

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The Slender King of the Trees

In the tropics, the coconut tree has often been called “king of the trees”. The tree, known in Malay as pokok kelapa, not only provides shade, but also has different uses at different stages of its growth.

People of the tropics know that the juice of the young coconut makes a refreshing drink. It also has a medicinal use. When given to a child afflicted with chicken pox, it is  believed to lessen the ‘heatiness’ of the body.

When the coconut ripens, the flesh is grated, mixed with water, and squeezed to obtain its milk called santan in Malay. Santan is to the Malay cook what soy sauce is to his Chinese counterpart.  It is a base for cooking different types of curries and gravies, as well as for desserts, usually sweetened with palm sugar.

After the coconut gratings were squuezed for santan, we fed them to the family hens.

- excepted from my book Kampung Memories, a semi-memoir of childhood memories and Malay culture.

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A Californian Hari Raya Tradition

The bright colors of the decorations and the national costumes added a tropical touch to the celebration.

One of the most popular events of the Eid season in Southern California is the Hari Raya gathering hosted by the Consul-General of Malaysia.

This year, members of the Malaysian community here as well as guests from other Southeast Asian countries made their way to the Arcadia community centre in Los Angeles county for the festive event. Some came from as far as Las Vegas and San Diego.

There was a great spread of three kinds of rice: steamed rice, nasi minyak (ghee rice), and tomato rice served with curries and and a variety of cakes and cookies, including traditional Malay desserts.

People took the time to catch up with each other. And this time, it was also a chance to meet the new Consul-General Mr Nekmat Ismail and his wife Madam Ramlah Hamid.

Malay songs filled the air, mixed with the social chatter as another Southern California celebration and tradition marked the year.

The Consul General and his wife surprised the guests with a song.

Two young men from the community who volunteered to serve the food.

I'm always delighted to find traditional Malay desserts in California, especially my favorite, putu kacang (top,middle) made from green bean flour.

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The Briyani Trail

Hyderabad briyani is often garnished with boiled eggs.

Okra masala...a great dish.

I’m on the briyani trail again. This time in Northern California.

The Sunnyvale/San Jose area has a big population of Indian expatriates working in the IT industry, and there is a big selection of Indian restaurants. I went online to see opinions about the best briyani in the area, and a couple of restaurants always received the best ratings.

I decided to try one of them, Taste Buds, which uses halal meat.

The manager, Ram, told me that the cook is from Hyderabad, and the briyani is Hyderabad briyani cooked dum style, which is the authentic way of cooking briyani. In the dum method, a layer of rice is alternated with a layer of briyani spices and meat. The layers are repeated, then the pot is tightly covered and cooked over a low fire to fully integrate the flavors.

The goat briyani was rather good: the flavors were more subtle, buttery and fragrant. If there was one complaint, the meat was a little dry.

What turned out to be the winner, though, was the fish curry. So far, it was closest to the Southern Indian fish curry that I enjoy in Singapore and Malaysia. This style of fish curry has a delectable tang to it.

I think the Southern Indian fish curry in Singapore and Malaysia has been a little “Malayanised” or “localized” to suit the local flavors or taste. It has a complex, bold taste with that unmistakable tang. Roti prata (or roti canai as it is called in Malaysia), a grilled flour pancake, eaten with freshly cooked fish curry is one of my favorite breakfasts. You have to try it if you are in this region.

Well, Back to California: Taste Bud’s fish curry was very satisfying. Ram explained that the restaurant makes its own curry spices from scratch. I also like that they use sea bass for the curry. Quite a few restaurants use tilapia which is the least costly fish but tastes rather flat in curries.

On another visit, I sampled a few other dishes, and another clear winner was the bindi/okra masala. The okra was cooked just to the right texture. An interesting appetizer that found its way to the table was the egg bajji which is boiled eggs dipped in chickpea flour and deep fried. Egg lovers would certainly enjoy this dish.

Ram also recommended another of their specialities, the chilli shrimp appetizer. I’ve yet to try it, but I will visit Taste Buds gain as the restaurant scored high points for good food at very reasonable prices.

To read about my favorite briyani place in Southern California, more at http://buildingbridgesworld.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/big-on-briyani/

There's nothing like a freshly-cooked, good fish curry.

Egg bajji...dipped in chickpea flour and deep fried.

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Reading Coffee Grounds

I’m ordering local coffee in a Singapore coffee shop.

The black coffee, known as kopi, is thick and dark, almost as dark as the night.

The woman who makes the coffee pours in sweetened condensed milk. It turns the coffee a unique brown color. The color reminds me of small rivers in Southeast Asia.

It’s been two years since I last had this drink. This time, I’m not so brave. I ask the woman to add extra milk, so that the color will be closer to the kind of coffee that I imbibe in the United States, where I now spend more of my time.

I guess this episode sums up the analogy of my feelings and expectations when I’m back in Singapore and Malaysia for a visit. Some things are still familiar, some are not. Some things may appear the same, but the old spirit or texture is missing, or vice versa.

All this revolves around the adage that “you can’t go home”. Sometimes, I can be stubborn. I keep believing that you can, often preferring to overlook the permutations and adjustments that I know have to be made.

I think anyone who has two homes, or two countries, in his or her identity can relate to this. We want things to remain the same. At the same time, we have changed and evolved. And it’s pretty unrealistic to expect other people and things not to be touched by changes as well.

And which brings us to the role of nostalgia. Nostalgia is not mere fluff as some people may think; it actually acts as an anchor in our lives. I notice that this time around more people that I encounter in Singapore like to talk about it.  Even the younger folks want to talk and learn more about the past. Nostalgia blogs in Singapore have a sizable following.

Perhaps when changes come fast, we need something familiar; that unseen anchor.

Sometimes, we lament the loss of the past. Sometimes, we seek the solace of familiarity in an old building, an old song.

And sometimes, when we are lucky, we see reflections of the past and the present in a cup of strong, dark local coffee.

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On the Road to My First Book

It’s been quite a learning curve.

I’ve been on the road to completing my manuscript during the last few months.  I’ve considered several options including self-publishing. Lots to learn, some challenges, but exciting and satisfying as well.  And one of the best things about the experience is the generosity of help and advice that I have received.

The book is  about  an aspect of everyday life in the earlier days of modern Singapore. So far, I’ve been lucky to get favorable reviews from folks who help out in reading the manuscript. Wish me luck:)

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Top Taste Dishes

This venison dish is a family favorite.

A favored restaurant: tasty dishes. That should describe Kai Xuan, a halal Chinese restaurant at the Puteri Pacific Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

One of the dishes that we inevitably order is the venison cooked with green onions and ginger. The meat, as usual, was tender and the flavors subtle enough to enhance, but not overpower, the taste of the meat.

Chatting with the staff, I picked up a tip about its preparation. Coating the meat with a little cornflour gives it an attractive sheen and texture. Both thin and thick soy sauces are used, plus a pinch of sugar. It’s interesting to learn this, though I don’t think I’ll venture to cook venison any time soon.

Another dish we tried was the prawn noodles. It was tasty, and the secret was in the carefully-prepared stock.

As usual, the service was quite impeccable, and the restaurant continues to remained a favored choice.

The prawn noodles was also very satisfying.

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Welcoming and Anticipating Hari Raya

Each of us has a special memory of a festival which we celebrate. The memory can come from any stage of our life, and like a piece of favorite jewellery, it is always bright and meaningful, at least in our eyes. Here, I would like to share my special memory of Eid or Hari Raya as it is known in Malay. Best wishes for a Joyous Eid:

Anticipation is a powerful feeling. As a child celebrating Hari Raya in my kampung or neighborhood, the eve of Hari Raya was an equally important day as the first day of Raya itself.

Each family stayed up late to cook food for the next day. There were noise, activity and lights in every garden. In our garden, near the jambu tree, a fire was lit, and over it, my grandmother stirred a boiling pot of ketupat (rice dumplings). From our neighbor’s yard, the aroma of chicken curry wafted from their pot and fire.

The children had put on new pajamas bought especially for Raya. The younger children would light up the sparklers, while the older ones created their own din with  firecrackers.

People strolled around the kampung greeting each other, or just to enjoy the atmosphere. It was like a fairyland to me, and I did not want to go to sleep, hoping that the night would metamorphose into the next day, Hari Raya itself. But, or course, I did eventually fall asleep, waking up on Raya morning to all the cakes, cookies and all the other fun things that came along with it.

But somehow, the night before, with all the easy fellowship, the aromas and the glow of the fires, cast a special magic for me, and will always be a wonderful memory of Hari Raya that I carry within me wherever I go.

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A Bite of Heritage

 

 

Some of the ingredients for apple-shaped pineapple tarts.

With Hari Raya or Eid, the festival marking the end of Ramadan drawing near, baking season will soon be in full swing in many parts of the world.

Here, in California, my Malaysian friends bake both modern cookies and traditional Malay goodies, from family recipes or those via the Web. I hope they know that their resourcefulness and efforts are appreciated.

In Malay homes, there will be several varieties of kuih (a Malay word which collectively refers to cakes and cookies) set at the table for the enjoyment of guests, and for family members as well.

I know I’m fond of traditional cookies not just for the taste, but for the memories behind them . In the extended family home of my childhood, my grandmother and grandaunt did almost all the baking. Every Hari Raya, they would make pineapple tarts shaped as apples and pears.

The dough was wrapped around balls of pineapple filling, then shaped round for apples, and slightly elongated and curved for the pears. The children were called in for the fun part. My grandmother mixed a pale wash of food dye, and with a small brush we painted the “fruits”: yellow for the apples and green for the apples. Then we stuck a piece of clove for the “stem”.

Today, not many people make this type of pineapple tarts. But in my mind I see them clearly as the day I colored them.

My mother did not bake, but every year, she insisted on having kuih batang buruk, which means “old bark” or “old branch”. These are a mixture of flour shaped like tiny logs, fried and filled with a green bean filling. They can be pretty addictive and I’ve always loved its imaginative name.

I guess I’m also a stickler for traditions. I gravitate towards the heritage kuih before any other. And sometimes, they taste even  sweeter just because they are made or savored so far away from their original home.

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