Favorite Foods on Ramadhan - a fasting month

Today is a 4th day of Ramadhan, a fasting month for all Muslims around the globe. During a day, when your stomach are empty, and your throat are thirsty, your mind begin to imagine a lots of delicious food and drink. Here are some of the Malaysian favorite foods during this fasting month.

Ayam Percik - Spicy Barbecued Chicken

This beautifully seasoned chicken, barbecued over a charcoal fire, is very popular and is sold at almost every "Ramadhan's Bazaar" in Malaysia.

Murtabak - Murtabak is a wrapped roti canai filled with minced meat curry with eggs and onion.


And quench your thirst with this,
Cendol - Shaved ice and rich coconut milk sweetened with thick brown coloured syrup made from palm sugar.



Recipes for Ayam Percik

Ingredients
# 5 Whole Chicken Legs
# 4 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
# 2 Teaspoons Tamarind Pulp
# 4 Lemon Grass,(bruised)
# 1 Cup Water
# 1 Cup Thick Coconut Milk
# 1 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar
# Salt to Taste

Marinade
# 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
# 1 Tablespoon Sugar
# 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
# 1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Spice
# 4 Candlenuts
# 6 Cloves Garlic
# 9 Dried Chillies, soaked in Hot Water
# 3 Red Chillies
# 2 cm (3/4 inch) Ginger
# 5 Shallots

Method
1) Mix the marinade, combine with the chicken and set aside for 1 hour.
2) Chop the spice paste ingredients and blend finely.
3) Heat Oil in a frying-pan and fry the spice paste, tamarind and lemon grass for 5 minutes.
4) Add water and cook for another 3 minutes.
5) Put in Coconut Milk, sugar and salt and simmer over a medium fire for 5 minutes.
6) Barbecue the chicken over a low charcoal fire or under a grill, basting frequently with the gravy, until the chicken is cooked.

Recipes for Murtabak

Ingredients
# 300g Minced meat (mutton/beef/chicken)
# 2 Large onions, diced 1/2 cm
# 1 stalk Celery, finely chopped
# 4 Green chilies, seeded and sliced
# 1 tablespoon Meat curry powder
# 1 teaspoon Chili powder
# 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
# 1 teaspoon Garam masala
# 1/4 teaspoon Pepper, freshly ground
# 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
# 1 cm Ginger
# 1/2 cup Water
# 3 tablespoons Ghee
# 4 Eggs, beaten
# Salt to taste

Method :
1) Mix meat curry powder, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala and pepper with a little water to form a paste.
2) Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a frying pan.
3) Fry the garlic and ginger till fragrant.
4) Add blended spices above and fry for 3 minutes.
5) Add meat and salt.
6) Keep frying, add water, cover the pan.
7) When the meat is cooked, add onion and green chilies slices.
8) Reduce heat and simmer until the mixture dries.
9) Allow it to cool.
10) Season the beaten eggs with salt and pepper.
11) Add meat and chopped celery.
12) Mix well. Divide into 6 portions depending on the size of murtabak.
13) Punch our dough.
14) Divide dough into 6 parts. Flatten each ball thinly.
15) Transfer it with a rolling pin to a hot greased griddle.
16) Put a portion of the fillings in the middle of the flattened dough.
17) Fold the sides and enclose the fillings by wrapping completely.
18) Spread a little ghee and continue cooking.
19) Turn it over and cook the other side.
20) Keep frying and turning until both sides are crispy and golden in color.

For dough, see Roti Canai

To serve, cut the murtabak into bite size and serve hot with curry, pickled onions or plain.

Recipes for Cendol

Ingredients
# 400ml water
# 7-8 medium pandan leaves
# 50g Hoen Kwe (green bean) flour
# 1/4 tsp salt
# 1/4 pandan paste
# 1/4 tsp alkaline water

Method :
1) Blend pandan leaves with water. Strain to obtain clear pandan juice. Add pandan paste and blend well.
2) Prepare a mixing bowl filled with cold water. Prepare a strainer too.
3) Put Hoen Kwe flour and salt in to a pan. Add pandan juice in (1) and alkaline water. Use a hand whisk to stir well. Make sure all Hoen Kwe flour is dissolved.
4) Cook the mixture over a low fire. Keep stirring all the time. When the mixture becomes thick and translucent, remove it from the fire.
5) Pour some mixture on to a strainer. Use a large spoon or spatula to press the mixture through the strainer into the water bath in (2) (as shown in above picture). Cendol strips will drop into the water. Repeat until all green bean mixture finishes.
6) Serve Cendol with shaved ice and rich coconut milk, flavoured with palm sugar syrup.