8 easy recipes you can make for Hari Raya

As Hari Raya rolls around, fond memories of the kampung loom stronger than ever. It’s a time for many of those who celebrate to return to their roots, heading back for a celebration with the extended family. It’s a time of much merriment, and of course, the taste of home, with traditional, home-cooked dishes making an appearance on the festive table.

Sadly, today’s busy work schedules and the increasingly heavy traffic don’t always allow for this much-loved return though. For those who have to remain in the city, the celebration can be salvaged – if you can’t go home, bring home to you!

Recipe developer Safura Atan shares how to create a spread of much-loved traditional dishes that will impress friends and family and cater to nostalgic foodie cravings.

While they remain traditional favourites, these dishes are also quick and easy to make, and utilise common pantry staples like margarine, cooking oil and santan sawit. These are all made with palm oil, which is trans fat-free and rich in antioxidants. It is also free of cholesterol.

Palm oil’s good resistance to oxidation and degradation at elevated temperatures mean it has a high smoke point (235˚C), and is an ideal oil for frying. Because of the natural antioxidants and absence of linolenic acid, foods fried in palm oil generally have a longer shelf life.

So whip up a spread of dishes that will set the tone for the coming celebrations, and bring the love, bustle and revelry of the festive kampung into your own urban kitchen. We wish you all a very happy Hari Raya with your loved ones!

Grilled Percik Chicken

Daging Masak Hitam

Lamb Kuzi

Burasak

Striped Pudding

Rempeyek

Kuih Siput

Moist Marble Cake

These recipes and photos were first published in the Flavours magazine.