Thought of the long weekend ahead. For the Muslims, this is a special week.
This Friday, Muslims will celebrate Eidul Adha, one of the two Eid festivals celebrated during the year. Eidul Adha or Feast of the Sacrifice or Greater Eid, is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to honour the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervene to provide him with a sheep sacrifice instead.
In the Indian subcontinent, the festival is known as Bakr-Id because of the tradition of sacrificing the goats. (source of info : Wikipedia)
In Singapore, it is commonly known as Hari Raya Haji. For the Muslims, the day will begin with a congregational prayers and sermon at the mosques (which is a must for the men and optional for the women). For those who have chosen to carry out the Qurban (sacrifice) rites, it also means a visit to the mosque which will carry out the Qurban rites for them. In Singapore, the sheeps are imported from Australia and cost about $465 per sheep to do the Qurban. Alternatively, Muslims here can also carry out their Qurban in other countries like China, Indonesia and Cambodia. This is arranged through Muslim organisations in Singapore and cost much lower (between $150 to $200).
But just like Eidul Fitri, Eidul Adha also means spending time with friends and relatives and enjoying the festive dishes.
Which reminds me of an old favourite dish which is a staple during the Muslim festivities but in Singapore, is also available daily almost everywhere. Enters the Lontong with the Sayur Lodeh (vegetable curry)..
The Sayur Lodeh is a versatile dish..one that can be tweaked and substituted according to one's preference. But the base is the same, an anchovies paste simmered in coconut milk until fragrant. It can be eaten with lontong (hence the name) or white rice.
The dish most likely originates from Indonesia, although there are varieties to how the dish in cooked in a typical Indonesian household.
The recipe that I am sharing here is a family recipe. Over the years, I have seen many varieties of it at gatherings, during Hari Raya, food stall, etc. But I think this is pretty easy to cook once you get the ingredients right.
You will need :
Part A - The Anchovy paste
10 gm of dried anchovies, soaked for 15min
1 large onion
6 cloves of garlic, medium size
20 gm of belacan (shrimp paste)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of tumeric powder, depending your preference
Part B -
2 carrots, sliced diagonally
5 long beans, sliced diagonally
1 small turnip, cut into strips
1 small cabbage, cut into squares
4 pieces of firm tofu, cut into 4 triangles
2 pieces of tempe (fermented soybeans), cut into 2 inch squares
Chili paste (optional)
1 inch of galangal (lengkuas)
1 stalk of lemon grass (serai)
1 packet of low-fat coconut, approx xx ml
Salt to taste
2 cups of water
4 - 5 tablespoon of oil
What to do :
- Blend all the ingredients in Part A. The paste should have the distinct smell of the belacan with a tinge of the anchovies smell (Note that the anchovies smell should not overpower the belacan smell). Set aside.
- Light fry the firm tofu and tempe. Set aside.
- Heat oil in work. Add in the anchovies paste. If you want the curry to be hot, add 1 or 2 tablespoon of the chili paste. Otherwise, you can omit it.
- Sautee the paste until fragrant and slightly reduced (approx 5 mins). Add in water. This water and the coconut milk will make up the gravy, so if you want to have a thicker gravy, add less water.
- Bring to a boil. Add in the coconut milk. Add in the galangal and lemon grass. Continue stirring and ensure that it does not boil over.
- Add salt to taste. Add the carrots. Wait about 2 mins before additing the rest of the ingredients in Part B. Continue stirring occasionally. When all the ingredients in Part B are cooked, turn off the fire.
To eat with lontong, cut cooked lontong into small cubes and place in a bowl. Pour the vegetable curry onto the lontong. Best eaten when warm and with some sambal tumis. Otherwise, the curry is also great with rice. Enjoy!
Following the Planetary Dots...
I have heard a lot of talks among my friends on the latest attraction in Johore, the Legoland Park. In fact, I have heard and seen the promotion brochure months ago..but at that time, there were not much information on the ticket price, etc.
With the school holidays coming in about 3 weeks time, the opening of the theme park in early October is timely. Boasting 40 interactive rides, shows and attraction, the park should provide a good alternative to Universal Studios in Singapore.
I checked out the prices on the website and there is a promotion going at the moment. When you online (7-days advance booking), there is a 25% off on the published rates (ie RM105 for adults instead of RM140 and RM82.50 instead of RM110 for children up to 11 years). Not a bad deal for a day's pass to the park and unlimited rides access.
I also checked out Voucherlicious.com. They have a on-going deal for Legoland right now. For SGD78 or at 46% discount (usual value SGD145), you get the following:
> A day's pass to the Legoland Park
> Entrance pass to the Chocolate Factory
> Dinner
> 2-way coach
This is a very good deal you don't want to worry about driving there and/ or planning a trip with a big group of friends or family. The pick up point in Singapore is at Newton Hawker Centre.
95 transactions has taken place so this seems like a good bargain. Find out more by going to this link > Legoland Deal
