Eid Mubarak

It's that time of YEAR !

No not shopping SALE .......:P


Eidilfitri , a festive season where Muslims gather with family members and friends after a month of fasting, marking the end of Ramadhan.

 The Ramadhan is the month where we fast from dusk to the break of dawn , where we avoid temptation not only from food and water but also from earthly temptation , lust, greed , anger and hate. We try to purify ourselves and be closer to Allah. Sure its easier said then done but Ramadhan month teach us to be patient with ourselves and also others, to be humble, moderate , forgiving and giving. Its not to say that we only do it during this holy month but to maintain it through out our life.


For me, I know I'm a short tempered person, do me wrong and you will see my face turned bright red and smoke coming out of my ears.It takes even a small thing that can aggrevate me so imagine if I am hungry , my temper could be ten fold but since it is the month of Ramadhan where every thing is a test and patients if you can hold on to it will give immense reward to the world after. I;m trying and every year it has been a huge obstacle for me but I  believe that I have grown patient, hopefully mature. (I think........I hope)

You can't simply say YIPEE Ramadhan is over and go back to your old ways, it defeats the purpose of Ramadhan.

Coming to Syawal , Eidilfitri is the time where we gather with our family members, friends to forgive one another , to mend back broken ties , to unite as a group. It is a time to be happy as we have either succeeded in completing our goals in Ramadhan or we have learn a lesson about ourselves during that month. This is the time we open our doors , our food and our generous hearts to people be it muslim or other religion , rave of culture. Beware though, this is the time that your pounds will be shooting up, your calories will be off the chart cause it will be food galore.......varieties of dishes, cookies and food will be put on the finest culinaries.

So the preparation in my house during festive season (1st Syawal) or in Malaysia it will fall on 8th August 2013 will start almost two weeks before Syawal comes . House cleaning , curtain washing, white washing the fence, gardening, mowing ...............all has to be done to welcome our relatives that will gather to our house on the first day itself.

6 th of August 2013

How I wish I can  download what I have done today , two days before Eidilfitri , my mom and I will be preparing  "Rendang" a traditional dish that is a taboo if you do not have it in your house for Eidilfitri.

Rendang is made of either meat or chicken (in my house we normally cook both, in big Wok cooked at the back of the house) The ingredients use are : Coconut milk, (onions, garlic, ginger , lemongrass (blended  together) , curry, lemon leave, red chillies )
It's a production  house when we cook the Rendang, I will normally take the tearfultask of dicing dozens and dozens of onions for the dish . Then mom and I would cut the meat into  cube shapes while Dad will milk the coconut (That sound SO Wrong) What I'm trying to say is that people normally get their coconut milk prepared in tin can or boxes but in most houses we like to do it manually as it gives the original milky taste minus whatever additive be it water or etc in the can. So Dad will put warm water in  the shredded coconut and press out the milk with his finger, it's a tedious task but it makes a huge difference between the manual way and the ready to serve in a box coconut milk. (you could try it yourself) 

 First the meat is heated in the wok to drain the meat juice, then the mixed of onion, garlic, ginger, lemos grass is poured inside the mixture , with salt to give the flavor, mixed it a while before you put the curry (not too much ) and blended red chillies to give the hot flavour. Let it simmer together before you pour the coconut milk. Then mix everything at a high temperature and cook it until the dish either dry brown (dont worry when I say dried brown it doesn't mean you cook until its burned)
You have to dry the dish (depends on the individu though) as that  is when the flavor is  mixed together giving an explosion of taste in your mouth, spicy, with the salty and creamy feeling of the coconut and the sweat juicy flavor of the meat.



I'm really sorry I could not  down load the photos , I'll see what I can post tomorrow.

Tomorrows going to be a busy day as well.
One  day before Eidilfitri and counting........


Busy , busy , busy...... BYE