4 Recipes for a B.I.G. tasty Raya!

The spirit of feasting together is ever- present during Ramadan, where everyone puts in a little more effort to buka puasa (break fast) at home with family. This makes cooking up a feast all the more worthwhile because it is shared with the people we love! Here are our renditions of 4 traditional Raya recipes that’ll bring some bold flavour to the table:

SOTONG SUMBAT WITH KUAH KACANG

Fresh squid boasts a sweetish taste and firm texture when cooked right, and in this case complemented by the soft sticky texture of glutinous rice stuffed into the squid. Couple this with tangy peanut sauce and you’ll find every bite is a scrumptious delight.

Yield: 4 pax

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

QUANTITY

Whole squid, cleaned

1

Glutinous rice, washed and soaked in warm water for 2 hours

400g

  

Peanut Sauce

 

Peanuts, ground until fine

200g

Shallots, peeled

10

Garlic, peeled

3 cloves

Galangal, peeled and slice into thin pieces

½ inch

Lemongrass

3 stalks

Dried chilies, soaked in warm water until soften

8 stalks

Tamarind pulp

2 tablespoons

Water

2 cups + ½ cups

Cooking oil

½ cup

Salt

As needed

Gula Melaka

As needed

 

Method:

1. Using a colander, drain the glutinous rice until most of the water is out.

2. Pat the cleaned squid dry with a kitchen towel. Spoon glutinous rice loosely into each squid tube and close with a toothpick. Do not over-stuff because the squid will shrink during cooking. Set aside.

3. Place shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, soaked dried chilies and ½ cup of water in a blender and blend until you get a fine mixture.

4. Heat up cooking oil in a pot and sauté the paste until the oil has separate from the paste and the paste has turn darker.

5. Add in ground peanuts and let it cook for a few minutes.

6. Mix tamarind pulp with water and pour it into the pot. Bring the heat to simmer and let the sauce cook for 10 minutes.

7. Add in stuffed squid into the sauce and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for further 20 minutes, until the glutinous rice has cooked.

8. Once done, season with salt and Gula Melaka accordingly.

SAMBAL JAWA

This protein rich spicy noodle dish is a classic favourite cooked mostly during celebratory occasions. The beauty of Sambal Jawa is that there is no correct way to prepare it, which is why the taste differs according to region. Try this version and prepare for a spicy sensory-overload!

Yield: 6 pax

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

QUANTITY

Onion, sliced thinly

1

Garlic, chopped

2 cloves

Ginger, julienne

1 inch

Dried chilies, sliced

3

Red chilies, sliced

2

French bean, cut into 2 inches long

200g

Glass noodle, soaked in warm water until softened

100g

Foo chuk, soaked  in warm water until softened

50g

Potato, cubed

3

Tempeh

50g

Dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon

Salt

As needed

Cooking oil

As needed

 

Method:

1. Heat up 2 cups of oil in a pot. Deep fry tempeh and potatoes, until it has turn light brown and cooked through. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok and sauté onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant.

3. Add dried and red chilies, French bean, glass noodle and foo chuk into the pan and cook it for 4 minutes. Add in fried tempeh and potato.

4. Season the sambal with dark soy sauce and salt. Toss it well.

5. Serve the sambal immediately.

PULLED DUCK RENDANG GYOZA

Gyoza is the Japanese name for the semi-circular dumplings stuffed with meat and vegetables, most commonly served as a side dish in gourmet Chinese restaurants. We’ve put our very own flavoursome spin to this recipe that uses duck rendang as stuffing – yummy!

Yield: 6 pax

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 3 Hours

INGREDIENTS

QUANTITY

Duck breast, cut into small chunks

1 kg

Red onion, peeled

6 bulbs

Garlic, peeled

3 bulbs

Lemongrass, chopped

4 stalks

Ginger, peeled and chopped

3 cm piece

Galangal, peeled and chopped

2 inches piece

Turmeric, peeled

1 ½ inches piece

Bird’s eye chilies

7

Fresh coconut milk

3 cups

Water

1 cup

Gula Melaka

1 teaspoon

Turmeric Leaf, knotted

1

Kaffir Lime Leaves

4

Asam keping / tamarind

3 pieces

Kerisik / toasted desiccated coconut

1 tablespoon

Vegetable Oil

1-2 cups

Salt

As needed

  

For the gyoza:

 

Gyoza skin, water, & chopped spring onion for garnishing

 

 

Method:

 

  • 1. Blend red onions, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, turmeric and bird’s eye chilies until fine.

  • 2. Heat oil in a pot. Sauté the blended ingredients until fragrant and thick for about 30 minutes. Be sure to constantly stir the paste to avoid it from sticking at the bottom of the pot.

  • 3. Add in duck breast, turmeric leaf, kaffir lime leaves and asam Keping. Stir well.

  • 4. Stir in coconut milk and water. Season with salt and gula Melaka.

  • 5. Simmer for 3-4 hours, until the meat is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Leave to cool and once cooled, shred the meat.

  • 6. Take 1 teaspoon of the filling and place at the center of gyoza skin and seal.

  • 7. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil on a non-stick pan. Place the bottom of gyoza on the pan and let it brown and crisp for 3 minutes. Add a dash of water and cover the pan. Once the water has completely evaporated, remove gyoza from the pan. Garnish with chopped spring onion and serve warm.

  • 8. To make the dipping sauce, combine soy sauce, white distilled vinegar and few dashes of sesame oil.

LONTONG GORENG

 

Lontong is a compressed rice cake that is normally served alongside gado–gado or satay.Sometimes referred to as ketupat, the rice in lontong is wrapped in banana leaves, while ketupatrice is wrapped in coconut leaves. This recipe uses leftover lontong to make a delicious spicy stir-fry that’ll have your guests demanding for more, so you might want to keep an extra batch handy! 

Yield: 6 pax

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

QUANTITY

“Ketupat”, pre cooked and cubed

700 g

Chicken breast, poached and shredded

1/2 cup

Chinese chives, cut into 2 inch lengths

1/4 cup

Red onion, sliced thinly

1

Garlic, minced

2 cloves

Chili sauce

1 tablespoon

Thick soy sauce

1 tablespoon

Light soy sauce

1 tablespoon

Sesame oil

1 tablespoon

Fresh chili paste

3 tablespoons

Eggs, beaten

2

Prawns, de-shelled and deveined

70g

Oil

As needed

  

Garnish:

1 tablespoon

Fried Onions

As needed

Red chilli

As needed

 

Method:

1. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a work over medium heat.

2. Sauté chili paste for a few minutes until it darkens in color. Add in garlic and red onion. Keep sautéing to avoid garlic from getting burnt.

3. Toss in shredded chicken meat and add in chili sauce, light soy sauce and sesame oil. Place ‘ketupat’ into wok and mix to combine.

4. Make a well in the centre and add more oil if needed. Pour in beaten egg and allow the sides to cook. As the eggs cook, stir it carefully to mix with ‘ketupat’ to avoid breaking it. Once done, transfer the dish to a warm serving bowl and garnish with fried onion and red chilies.

Put your chef hats on and have fun preparing these festive treats – call us over to share also ok? You’ll find more festive recipes at http://bit.ly/BIGRecipes, so get your masak–masak on. Remember to stock up on your ingredients at a Ben’s Independent Grocer near you, and do join us from 15th May to 24th June for our Raya ‘Ramadan Dihayati, Syawal Dirai’ Fair. Click the following link for info on all the in-store happenings you don’t want to miss: www.big.com.my/latest.

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