Ramadan is already here and Malaysian Muslims are now fulfilling their religious obligations by restricting themselves from all bad thoughts, food, drink and focus on their spiritual journey of absolving themselves from sins and obtain as much blessings as they can during this holy month.
That being said, however, does not stop them and in fact, all Malaysians from other faiths from enjoying the cultural aspects of Ramadan, as in the festivities, the ambience and feel of Ramadan and of course, the food! On Ramadan and only during Ramadan can you get all the rare and the finest of Malaysian food that are only available during this short one month. Therefore, it is a given for not just us, but every writer in town to write about the best, the finest, the greatest food that you should get in town. However, we here at Butterkicap, are going to do things differently. Instead of suggesting to you the places you should try, we are going to give you a complete guide for your Ramadan as well as your Raya preparation.
So, without further ado, here are some of the vendors that you should get hold now for Buka Puasa snacks and Raya.
a) Buka Puasa and Sahur
For those who are living in Klang Valley and Kuala Lumpur, most of you have 9-5 jobs and sometimes, you face difficulties to go back home on time to go back and prepare food for buka puasa (mainly those with families or singles who love to cook) or worse, you are trapped in traffic and cannot even rush to the nearest bazaar or restaurant to buy food since most restaurants/shops/stalls have nothing much to sell after 6 pm or are busy preparing food for their dine-in customers. Don’t be crushed because we know someone that can solve your buka puasa problems with just one heat of the pan!
1. Aisbox
Aisbox is the brainchild of three young mothers who sometimes find themselves in a pickle during meal times when they forget to prepare food for their families and end up buying out. To avoid from eating out so much as well as ensuring their families can enjoy nutritious and delicious food at all times, Aisbox is founded. Aisbox prepare four paste flavours for you to choose from;
1. basil,
2. sundried tomato,
3. pistachio, and
4. basil with pickled jalepeno
Be it Western or our local dishes, their pastes are made to be able to be used for all types of dishes. Even though the pastes are frozen beforehand, they still maintain the texture and taste of the ingredients since they are prepared using only the best picks as well as being stored properly and carefully. So, the next time you find yourself going back late from work and the Maghrib Azaan is almost upon you, grab a jar of Aisbox paste and whip up a quick and nutritious meal just in time for you to break your fast. With Aisbox, even your Sahur meals are taken care of.
2. Rempah Ratus Mak Siti
If you still prefer to cook your food from scratch, then Aisbox might not be the solution for you. We understand the reasoning behind it. When you cook your own food, you know exactly how fresh the food is and when the food is fresh, it can be stored for longer. That is why, you need to ensure your ingredients too are fresh so that the flavours of your stored food will become better with each passing day instead of tasting old and stale.
Malaysians are known to love their spice and we value spice like gold. So, the quality, taste and ingredients of the spice matter to us since we believe it will influence the food prepared with it. However, with Rempah Ratus Mak Siti, you don’t have to worry your food will taste horrible. Made from the best and organic ingredients, the spices manufactured by Rempah Ratus Mak Siti go through a thorough and detailed process to ensure they are halal-certified and of the finest quality. Now, cooking at home will not be so tedious even if you have little time to cook because your family will have enough patience to wait just for a taste of your food.
b) Moreh/Supper
Who says you will not be hungry after buka puasa? In Malaysia, there is no such thing as “no more room for food”. We are always up for a late night meal, Ramadan or no Ramadan. So, what do you usually crave? Comfort food, of course and we have one ultimate comfort food that everyone loves.
1. Nasi Lemak Bumbung
Nasi lemak is the all-time favourite comfort food of Malaysians and for us, it is an absolute must for you to have nasi lemak for moreh or supper or even for sahur (if you can wait) during Ramadan since you cannot eat it for breakfast. Of course, if we want to recommend to you the place, it will be only the location that serves nasi lemak that makes other nasi lemak taste bland and unappetizing, the Kings of Nasi Lemak in SS2, Nasi Lemak Bumbung.
c) Everything Raya
Ramadan is here so this means, Raya is just a month away! (26 days, to be exact) Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the most-awaited day by all Malaysians because it is the day of Rendang, Ketupat, Lemang, Kuih Raya and of course, Duit Raya. It is the day when everyone will come together and celebrate the joyous day together as one united community. So, to ensure your Raya preparations go well, here are a few vendors that you can reach out to and make the proper bookings before it is too late!
1. DQ Clean Chicken
Rendang is the must-have food during the first day of Raya. It will not be Raya without Rendang. Therefore, to make the best Rendang that will make your friends crave for more, you have to get your hands on the best ingredients before it is too late. We here at Butterkicap believe that good quality meat goes a long way because the meat will better absorb the Rendang gravy prepared. Besides, Rendang does not taste good with tough meat, trust us. With DQ Clean Chicken, not only you have organic, clean chicken to cook with but also your food will taste much better.
2) Biskut Raya Homemade, Sugarlou and Sucree By Preeta
You need something sweet to balance out the spicy and flavourful you will be eating during Raya, so you need your kuih raya and sweetmeat fix. If you prefer the traditional kuih such as tat nenas, kuih kapit etc. but with a modern twist, you can get them from Biskut Raya Homemade. We know how hard it is to prepare food with the little time you have at hand. Biskut Raya Homemade gives you the quality of kuih raya that you make yourself; flavourful, crumbly and delicious.
If you prefer to be a little unique and different from other homes during raya, you can opt for customised cakes and treats according to your personal preference with shocking exotic flavours like the Bacon Salted Caramel Vanilla Cake from Sugarlou or Malaysian flavoured cupcakes and cakes from Sucree By Preeta if you want your sweetmeats still retain a little bit of culture.
So, there you go, the complete guide for your Ramadan-to-Raya journey. Hope our recommendation is insightful and useful for you to make your Ramadan and Raya Celebration easy and simple. Happy Fasting!
