Ramadan and Eid food highlights in Malaysia… 

The streets of Kota Bharu have been abuzz with food! Want to know how Malaysian’s celebrate Ramadan and Eid? Start scrolling…

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Colek : Colek is a thin, sweet sauce/dip. It could be a nearly transparent, sweet dip with chillies, served with seafood fritters, or an opaque, black sauce containing belachan (shrimp paste), served with diced fruits and chicken fries. Despite controversies of colek meaning “dip”, people commonly use the word colek to refer to the battered/fried snacks had with these dips as well. Colek can be had in a number of combinations: colek ayam (chicken), colek seafood (generally served as assorted platters), colek ikan (fish), colek perut (cow’s stomach), colek buah (assorted fruits with prawn sauce). Colek was seen being served across the city’s streets and restaurants.

Colek Ayam

Colek Buah

Colek Seafood

Battered fritters: Seafood, chicken, crabs and many others are prepared in a crispy batter and deep-fried for a perfect supper delight. Here’s a look at some of them:

Chicken, fish balls and other seafood

Spot the crab!

Iced beverages: An array of colourful and refreshing icy drinks was served at stalls and restaurants. Perfectly complementing the tasty bites, they were available in various flavours: mango, mixed fruit, strawberry syrup, milo, orange, lemon, syrups with sabja seeds etc.

Choose your colour and drink 🙂

Somtam: Pssst… here’s a little ‘behind the scenes’ in an attempt of bringing the kitchen to you. Let’s take a look at the preparation of Somtam. Somtam is a green papaya salad, famous in various parts of South East Asia. Green or unripe papaya is shredded in the mortar, after adding chillies, peanuts, spices, palm sugar, lotsa lime and other ingredients of choice. Tam Som = pounded sugar. (Video clip on its preparation –> here)

Sold at special markets, along with Colek, this dish is very popular during Ramadan at Kota Bharu.

Ketupat: At the occasion of Eid or Hari Raya in Malaysia, traditional delights like Ketupat or packed rice among many others are made at home. Ketupat is a sticky rice dumpling, wrapped in triangular strongly-woven palm leaves, tied into a knot. Its variants are plenty – plain, sweet, with nuts etc. and is generally accompanied by beef, chicken or mutton sauce or gravy preparations.

Ketupat and Lemang

Lyf&Spice wishes you….

Selamat Hari Raya!

Wishing you a wonderful Eid!  

To see more highlights of Ramadan 2016, click here!

**[Disclaimer: This post represents some, and not all of the famous dishes prepared during Ramadan and Eid and are solely based on the experience of Lyf&Spice’s food-tasting experience.]**