Ramadan Recipes to Try at Home

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29 Apr 2020

9 Min Read

Ailyn Low (Editor)
IN THIS ARTICLE

It’s that time of the year again where we try to navigate through the endless food maze at Ramadan bazaars, where we end up being perfumed by the scent of Ayam Percik and satay (yums!), and where we get together to celebrate and ‘buka puasa’ (break fast) with our friends and family.

 

Even though we may not be able to celebrate this season like usual, that doesn’t mean we should miss out on our favourite bazaar food. Here’s a list of recipes, created by our very own chefs from the School of Food Studies and Gastronomy, that will turn your living space into your very own Ramadan bazaar!

Experience the Flavours of Ramadan at Home

1. Tau Foo Fah by Chef Sharizan Azali

 

A silky smooth soybean pudding with a sweet syrup that can be served cold on a hot day or warm on a rainy day. This recipe, by Chef Sharizan Azali, will make anyone struggle to put their spoon down!

Tau Foo Fah

Here’s what you need:

  • For the soybean pudding:
  • 500 grams of dried soybean
  • 3 litres of water
  • 2 pieces of pandan leaves (optional)
  • 1 cheesecloth 2 tsp of glucono delta-lactone (GDL)
  • 1 tsp of cornstarch
  • 1 cup of warm water

 

For the sugar syrup:

  • 300 grams of castor sugar or gula melaka
  • 200 ml water
  • 1 piece of pandan leaf
  • 2 inches of ginger (optional)

 

Method:

 

To make the soybean pudding:

  1. Soak the dried soybean in water for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  2. Blend the soaked soybean with 3 litres of water. Once smooth, strain the soybean extract into a pot using the cheesecloth.
  3. Now, boil the soybean extract with the pandan leaves over low heat. Remember to stir occasionally to avoid it from overboiling and spilling from the pot.
  4. Once it’s boiled, set aside and let cool to about 80⁰C. Once cool, remove the pandan leaves.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and GDL with the cup of warm water.
  6. Transfer the mixture into a 5-litre plastic container and pour in the cooled soybean extract. Do NOT stir or whisk this mixture.
  7. Next, remove any bubbles that form on the surface and allow it to curdle for an hour or two.

 

To make the sugar syrup:

  • Boil the sugar, water, and a piece of pandan leaf in a pot. (Optional: Add ginger for that extra kick.)
  • Once the sugar syrup is melted, set aside to cool.

 

To complete the dish:

  • Once the soybean has curdled, use a flat stainless steel spatula and scoop the soybean curd into a serving bowl.
  • Complete this dessert with a spoonful (or more) of sugar syrup. You can enjoy this cold or warm.


    PS. Watch our IGTV for a simplified version of this dish.

2. Badak Berendam by Chef Nazri

 

 

Rich and creamy with an explosive centre of sugary goodness. Here’s a decadent treat, by Chef Nadzri, to satisfy any sweet tooth.

 

Here’s what you need:

 

For the dough:

  • 2 cups of glutinous flour (tepung pulut)
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 tsp of salt Pandan essence
  • Green colouring

 

For the sauce:

  • 3 cups of coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp of rice flour
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1 pandan leaf

 

For the filling:

  • 1 cup of freshly grated coconut
  • 2 tbsp of caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp of gula melaka
  • ½ tsp of salt
  • ½ tbsp of soft flour (optional)
  • 1 pandan leaf

 

 

Method:

 

To make the filling:

  1. In a pan, heat the grated coconut, sugar, and gula melaka.
  2. Next, stir in the pandan leaf.
  3. Gradually add caster sugar to your liking.
  4. Add in flour to bind the ingredients.
  5. Continue cooking on low heat until the filling is well-mixed.

 

To make the sauce:

  1. First, add a little bit of water to the rice flour to make a slurry.
  2. Then, mix all the ingredients for the sauce into a pot and stir it slowly under low heat.
  3. Allow the sauce to simmer, making sure that it doesn’t lump or curdle.
  4. Add salt to taste.

 

To make the dough:

  1. Combine the ingredients for the dough in a bowl and mix them well. Once it’s well mixed, knead until it forms a smooth soft dough. Your dough is done when it’s smooth and soft.
  2. Tip: Add in some rice flour if the mixture is too wet or water if the mixture is too dry. If the dough is too hard, your dish may end up tough and chewy!
  3. Divide the dough into small balls.
  4. Using your hands, flatten the balls and fill the centre with a spoonful of your cooked filling into it. Roll them in your palms to form a smooth ball.
  5. Once you have all the balls ready, cook them in a pot of boiling water. Remove the balls when they start to float to the surface.

 

To complete the dish:

  1. Serve the cooked balls in a bowl with the sauce. You can now enjoy your bowl of badak berendam!

 

PS. Want a simplified version of this dish? Watch this video.

3. Ayam Percik Kelantan by Chef Sharizan Azali

 

Usually roasted or grilled, this juicy chicken has the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Marinated in different spices with a creamy sauce, this recipe by Chef Sharizan Azali, will transport you back to Kelantan and the heart of what Ramadan food has to offer.

 

Here’s what you need:

1 whole chicken - cleaned and quartered

 

For the marinade:

  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 5 shallots - peeled
  • 2 inches of young ginger
  • Salt and sugar to taste

 

For the sauce:

  • 500 ml of coconut milk
  • 5 shallots - peeled
  • 5 bird’s eye chilli
  • 1 inch of young ginger
  • 3 stalks of lemongrass
  • 1 piece of tamarind peel
  • Palm sugar (Gula Nira)
  • Salt

 

Ayam Percik

Method:

 

To make the marinade:

  1. Blend the garlic, shallots, and ginger to a smooth paste. Season well with salt and sugar.
  2. Coat the chicken with the marinade and leave overnight for best results.

To make the sauce:

  1. Blend shallot, cili padi, young ginger, and lemongrass to a smooth paste.
  2. In a pot, simmer the paste with the coconut milk, tamarind peel, and some salt over low heat. Make sure it doesn’t boil to avoid the coconut milk from splitting.
  3. After 10 minutes, remove the tamarind peel and season the sauce with some palm sugar and salt. Remove from heat and allow it to cool down.
  4. Roast the chicken over a barbecue pit or in the oven (220⁰C for about 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked).
  5. While it cooks, baste* the chicken with the sauce throughout the roasting and baking process. This will allow the chicken to have different layers of sauce by the end of the cooking process.
  6. Serve on a plate when ready!

 

Did you know? Traditionally, chicken parts are dipped in the sauce repetitively throughout the cooking process until the sauce is finished and the chicken is well-roasted.

* baste: to lather fat or juice over meat during the cooking process to keep it moist.

4. Potato Patty with Spicy Soy Sauce by Chef Nur Khairunnisak

 

It’s both good as a side dish or a snack on its own. This potato patty recipe by Chef Nur Khairunnisak, will not only put your potatoes to good use, it’ll leave you salivating for more.

 

Here’s what you need:

 

For the patty:

  • 100 gms of potato
  • 50 gms of onion
  • 30 gms of garlic
  • 30 gms of ginger
  • 10 gms of spring onions
  • 10 gms of English parsley
  • 50 gms of minced beef or chicken
  • Cooking oil
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

For the casing:

  • Tofu puffs
  • 2 eggs

For the spicy soy sauce:

  • 30 gms of bird’s eye chilli
  • 15 gms of garlic
  • 50 mls of soy sauce
  • 2 pieces of calamansi
  • Sugar
  • Salt

Method:

 

To make the casing:

  1. Cut an ‘X’ on one side of the tofu puffs.
  2. Beat the egg and keep aside.

To make the potato patty:

  1. Brunoise* the onions and ginger, chop the garlic, and slice the spring onion and English parsley thinly.
  2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Boil the potatoes until soft. Once ready, drain the water, mash the potato, and leave aside.
  3. In a pan, heat up some oil and saute the garlic, onion, and ginger until fragrant.
  4. Add in the minced beef or chicken. Add in salt and black pepper to taste.
  5. Once cooked, place the mixture into a mixing bowl with the mashed potato, spring onions, and English parsley. You can add in more salt and black pepper if you like. Mix until the ingredients are well-combined
  6. Stuff the tofu puffs with the mixture.
  7. Fill a pot with cooking oil. Once it’s hot, coat the filled tofu puff in the egg mixture and deep fry it until golden brown.

 

To make the spicy soysauce:

  1. Clean the bird’s eye chilli and peel the garlic.
  2. Then, blend the bird’s eye chilli and garlic with some sugar and salt.
  3. Remove the sauce into a bowl and add soy sauce and calamansi juice to your preference.

 

To complete the dish:

  1. Pair your potato patty with some spicy soy sauce and your dish is ready!

* brunoise: to cut into small cubes.

Satisfy Your Cravings with Traditional Delights

Nyonya Laksa

5. Nyonya Laksa by Chef Norhayati

 

Bring Melaka to wherever you are with Chef Norhayati recipe. You wouldn’t want to let a single drop of this spicy creamy broth go to waste.

 

Here’s what you need:

 

For the paste:

  • 2 stalks of lemongrass
  • 2 galangal - thinly sliced
  • 180 gms candlenuts (appx 12 pieces)
  • 450 gms of shallots (appx 25 pieces)
  • 350 gms of dried chillies (appx 15 pieces) or 2 tbsp of ground chilli powder
  • 15 gms of shrimp paste (appx 2 slices)
  • 1tbsp of turmeric powder or 2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh turmeric - thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp of coriander powder 15 gms of dried prawns - finely ground
  • 1.7 litres of prawn stock
  • 1.7 litres of coconut milk
  • Some oil

 

For the garnish:

  • 450 gms of tiger prawns - boiled and peeled
  • 450 gms of fish cake - sliced
  • 450 gms of bean sprouts
  • 1.5 kgs of laksa noodles
  • 20 stalks of laksa leaves - washed and shredded
  • 3 packets of tofu puffs - cut into slices
  • 12 eggs - hard boiled and quartered

 

Method:

  1. Blend the lemongrass, galangal, candlenuts, shallots, dried chilli, shrimp paste, turmeric, and coriander powder to fine paste. Tip: Add a bit of water to make it into a fine paste.
  2. Heat a frying pan and add 20 tbsp of oil. Then, fry the paste on low heat until fragrant. You’ll know when it’s done when the chilli oil oozes out from the mixture.
  3. Add in the the dried prawns and continue stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes
  4. On medium heat, add in the prawn stock and coconut milk. Bring it to a boil.
  5. Lower the fire and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes while stirring it continuously. Add sugar and salt to taste.
  6. Once the broth is ready, blanch* the noodles and the bean sprouts in hot boiling water. Drain any excess water from the noodles and place it in a serving bowl.
  7. On the noodles, arrange the prawns, fish cake, tofu puffs, and eggs.
  8. Pour the steaming hot broth over the noodles and finish the dish with a generous serving of laksa leaves.

 

Did you know? Some states have their own type of laksa.

Here are some states that have their own laksa recipe.

 

* blanch: to plunge into boiling water for a short amount of time.

6. Apam Balik by Chef Norhayati

Apam Balik

Sweet yet salty. Crispy yet fluffy. This apam balik recipe, by Chef Norhayati, would please anyone’s palette.

 

Here’s what you need:

 

For the batter:

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup of self-rising flour
  • 2 tbsp of granulated sugar
  • ¾ tsp of baking soda
  • ⅛ tsp of salt
  • 1 ½ tsp of dry yeast
  • 2 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1 egg (room temperature)
  • 1 cup of warm milk

For the filling:

  • Granulated sugar (as much as you need)
  • Roasted chopped peanuts (as much as you need)
  • Creamy sweet corn (as much as you need)
  • Unsalted butter

 

Method:

  1. In a bowl, add all the dry ingredients for the batter. Once it’s well-mixed, add the wet ingredients and whisk until everything is combined and there are no lumps.
  2. Using a cling film, cover the bowl tightly and allow it to rest for 30 minutes in a warm and draft-free* place.
  3. After 30 minutes, the batter should be foamy and double in volume. Whisk it before cooking it.
  4. In a nonstick 8-inch pan, melt some unsalted butter. Using a kitchen paper, spread the melted butter all over the pan’s surface, making sure the whole pan is coated.
  5. On medium heat, pour in ¾ cup of mixture into the pan for a thick pancake. (Add less mixture if you would like a thinner pancake.)
  6. Using the back of a ladle, swirl and spread the batter evenly around the pan. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes or until bubbles are formed around the edges.
  7. Remove the lid. Sprinkle your preferred amount of granulated sugar, peanuts, and top it off with several tsps of sweet corn.
  8. Cover the pan again and continue cooking on low fire until it’s fully cooked. Add some unsalted butter once finished.
  9. To remove the pancake from the pan, run a spatula around the edges to loosen it from the pan. Fold it in half and serve!

 

* draft-free: A place that doesn't have much air flow. This will prevent the dough or batter from drying out.

7. Kuih Tako by Chef Nur Khairunnisak

Kuih Tako

A harmonious marriage of salt and sweet tied in a pandan leaf casing. It would be a true sin not to try this simple yet complex-tasting dessert by Chef Nur Khairunnisak.

 

Here’s what you need:

 

For the bottom layer:

  • 50 gm of green ang kwe flour
  • 50 ml of pandan water
  • 400 ml of plain water
  • 120 gm of white sugar Green colouring

For the mould:

  • A bunch of pandan leaves
  • A bunch of bamboo sticks (or toothpicks)
  • Water chestnut

For the top layer:

  • 50 gm of white ang kwe flour
  • 150 ml of coconut milk
  • 300 ml of plain water
  • 15 gm of salt
  • 2 pieces of pandan leaves

 

Method:

 

To make the mould:

  1. Thoroughly wash and dry the pandan leaves
  2. For each pandan leaf, hold it lengthwise and cut it halfway (or until it reaches the middle line of the pandan) into five different sections. Follow this step-by-step guide to make the perfect casing. (Tip: Don’t want to get crafty? Use a cup instead!)
  3. Fold the pandan leaf according to the five sections and secure the leaf with the bamboo sticks. 4. Once you have prepared the casing, peel and brunoise the water chestnut. Soak the water chestnut for about 10 minutes.
  4. Then, drain and lay the water chestnut in the pandan mould.

To make the bottom layer:

  1. Mix all the dry ingredients for the bottom layer into a pot. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients to the mixture.
  2. Then, cook the mixture over medium heat. Continue stirring until it becomes thick and shiny. 3. Fill each mould halfway with this mixture and refrigerate until set.

To make the top layer:

  1. Just like the bottom layer, mix all the dry ingredients for the top layer, except for the pandan leaf, in a pot and slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the mixture.
  2. Then, cook the mixture over medium heat and stir it until it becomes thick and shiny.
  3. Fill the mould by pouring the mixture over the bottom layer. Make sure that it’s set before pouring over it!
  4. Refrigerate it until the top layer sets.
  5. Once set, it's ready to eat! 

8. Kuih Akok by Chef Nur Khairunnisak

Kuih Akok

A tea time snack that’s soft, fluffy, and sweet. This Kelantanese kuih, by Chef Norhayati, would be a perfect way to break your fast or an all-day snack.

 

Here’s what you need:

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup of coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 cup of palm sugar
  • 3 pieces of pandan leaves
  • Salt
  • Oil

 

Method:

  1. Rub some oil into the moulds of a small non-stick muffin pan. Place the pan in an oven and preheat the oven at 220⁰C.
  2. Meanwhile, chop the palm sugar into small pieces.
  3. In a saucepan, bring the palm sugar, water, and pandan leaves to a boil.
  4. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down and allow it to gently simmer for 5 minutes. The palm sugar syrup is ready when it thickens and amounts to about 1 cup.
  5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and discard the pandan leaves.
  6. In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs. Add in flour and a pinch of salt. Continue whisking until no lumps are seen.
  7. Strain the coconut milk and palm sugar syrup into the mixture.
  8. Pour the mixture into the non-stick muffin pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
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