Selamat Hari Raya!

"Selamat Hari Raya" to All Malays and Malaysians still caught up with festivities throughout the weekend! Haha...it's great...diwali last weekend and now Hari Raya...I bet all malaysians at home are having a great week of delicious traditional delicacies, sweet treats and local buffet spreads....*sigh* I'm jealous....these are the times I wish I was home celebrating with family and friends.

The most significant celebration for Muslims, it signifies the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The celebration is determined by sighting of the new moon on the day, before the next month on the Muslim calendar, Syawal. The words ‘Hari Raya mean 'day of celebration.' Ramadan is the name of the one-month fasting period when Muslims fast from dawn till sunset. During the period of fasting, apart from eating and drinking, Muslims are also forbidden from smoking and having sexual relations. Only the sick are excused from fasting during this month. Muslims are expected to avoid lying, breaking promise or cheating during the month of Ramadan. It is to remind them of the plight of the poor and to cleanse themselves by exercising abstinence and self-control. Even the young are taught to fast. The Celebration Muslims starts the day by wearing new clothes and congregating in the mosques early in the morning to perform Hari Raya Puasa prayers followed by visiting the graves of the departed. The young will ask for forgiveness from their elders and have open house for relatives and friends to come to their house. Plenty of traditional Malay delicacies are served during this festive season. Houses are thoroughly cleaned and decorated, and lighting of oil lamps welcomes the angels which are believed to be visiting the earth during the seven days preceding the festival. The celebration lasts for a month but most of the celebration is concentrated in the first three days (www.abcmalaysia.com)

I know many "Hard-core" Malaysians who would immediately shoot down this idea of mine to have "roti - jala" representing Hari Raya Puasa for the Malays...but.... *shrug* If you're truly "Malaysian"....our local cuisine should not be divided by origins of race *grin* Hahaha...."Roti Jala" which means "net-bread" in Malay is of "Indian" origins but so truly "Malaysian" in my opinion! *wink*
This lacey-crepe is something I've always loved during festive seasons; stacked up warm, fragrant and drenched in delicious homemade curries....*sigh*...YUmmmMmm
Due to unavailable crepe making devices in my basic kitchen; my "roti-jala" didn't turn out as intended. *sigh* My strands were not fine enough and I couldn't get a funnel like consistency with the "tea-cup" strainer I was using. At least it tasted great though. I made some satay to go with it...and I have a special someone to thank for that great recipe. *grin* I get heaps of tips from readers on email! I appreciate them very much!
Thanks heaps Otoko (From Sri Lanka) for sharing your secrets....I shall let everyone in on the tricks too; good things are meant to be shared *wink*

G'day Su-yin
I stumbled onto your blog today while googling for wanton skin recipe. And I
spent quite a bit of time reading your food journals, I just kept reading
more and more - flipping through pages, going into your archives, etc....
Absolutely love it! Fantastic... Well done!
I would not even want to ask how you manage to cook for your housemates, and
do so many experiments with food, AND still able to find time to study. It's
all about TIME management and lots of discipline, I guess.
I was looking at your post on Chicken Satay, dated 22 June 06. You mentioned
that it could be better, I have successfully re-created the satay recipe
here in Sri Lanka and I thought you might like to give it a try.
Now, I have made a couple of runs with the ingredient mix and my partner (a
Chef of 20 years experience) said that it has the same flavour as what we
would have gotten from Lau Pa Sat in Singapore. So, here's the recipe:
Recipe for marinate (in the blender):
Ingredient Mix A:
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp ground roasted peanuts (unsalted)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
6 tbsp sugar
Ingredient Mix B:
1 stalk lemongrass, peel and use only white portion
8 shallots
2 tbsp oil
Blend Ingredient Mix A together until they are well blended, remember
freshness is the key to having these flavours in your satay marinate.

Add Ingredient Mix B (lemongrass, shallots and oil) to the powdered mix,
which will create the paste for the meat marinate.

The trick is: you need some oil mixed with water to sprinkle on the meat to
create the fire and steam. Steam keeps the meat moist, while an open flame
charred the meat as the sugar caramelise.

Have fun!
Otoko
Sri Lanka 

Roti Jala Recipe

1 egg
1 cup coconut cream
1 cup milk
1 cup plain flour (sifted)
1 tbsp tumeric powder
1 tsp salt

Beat ingredients well and heat a large non-stick frying pan. Use a lace-crepe maker for better looking "roti-Jala's" but if you aren't too fussy like me, dig up a tea strainer....punch holes at the bottom of a tin can with nails or just anything else of that sort will do. Being resourceful in your kitchen is a talent *grin*. FLick your arm back and forth or in circular motions to create a lace pattern on the heated pan. Fold up and serve with satays or even better, curry of any sort. Dont forget to break open a bottle of your favourite satay sauce or make some on your own!

Roti Jala's do not require flipping; they are only cooked on one side and folded into triangles to be lifted off.
Here's a picture of "Malay Sago Pudding with Gula Melaka and Coconut cream" made by my dear Ling....Thanks ling ling for the lip-smacking dessert. It gave the finishing touches to my spread for "Hari-Raya-Puasa" celebrations.