5 Hari Raya Foods You Should Try

One of the perks of living in Malaysia is the opportunity to experience many different types of cuisine. Malay, Indian, Chinese, Korean, European, you name it, this country has it. And with every festival in Malaysia, locals as well as expats and tourist always look forward to the many food bazaars and open houses to savour more local treats.

Hari Raya came and went, but the delicious taste of Ramadhan treats still linger in our minds. Dine Malaysia was lucky enough to taste a variety of different dishes over the past month – some for the first time! – and we just had to share them here.

These traditional Malay dishes may seem intimidating at first, especially if you are new to Malaysian food. We dare you to be adventurous and try some of these delicious treats!

Ketupat

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Just like how Chinese New Year is not complete without Mandarin oranges, Hari Raya without ketupat is a crime. These delicious packed treats are somewhat of a symbol of Hari Raya. Rice grains are filled inside weaved coconut palm leaves, and boiled till the rice inside is cooked. The locals usually have their ketupats with some delicious rendang or serunding. You will also find small cubes of ketupat at the satay stall, eaten by dipping it in the peanut gravy.

Dodol

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Also known as sticky dodol, this sweet treat comes in different flavours such as coconut, durian, pandan and more. It is chewy, sweet and sticky of course! Dodol is made of coconut milk, palm sugar and glutinous rice flour. These ingredients are cooked together for up to nine hours, while constantly being stirred. Although it is a popular treat during Hari Raya, one can still find dodol at supermarkets or night markets throughout the year.

Wajik

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Wajik (pulut manis) is a popular sweetmeat in Malaysia. It is made of palm sugar, glutinous rice and coconut milk (yes almost the same as a dodol). This delicious treat is available in a variety of flavours, including durian! Delicious it is, but some might find that it takes a bit of getting use to the taste.

Kuih Karas

Traditionally made from rice flour and coated with syrup, kuih karas can sometimes be mistaken for birds’ nests because of how it looks. It’s sweet, crunchy and light. It’s a little difficult to find these around as it is not readily available in markets, unless you know of someone who makes it.

Serunding

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This delicious dish is actually beef or chicken floss made with spices and cooked until it is dry. Ask any Muslim and they swear that next to the ketupat, Hari Raya is not complete without serunding. The floss can be a little spicy and is delicious when eaten with ketupat or lemang.