Going into the second half of Ramadan, Hanna Hussein decides to check out the delectable offerings that the bazaars in Sungai Buloh have to offers
"WHAT do you want to eat for buka puasa tonight?" I ask my sister as I am not in the mood to cook.
We haven't dined out since the first day of Ramadan and I am craving for all that Ramadan food. Oh, you know, those delicacies that are only available during the fasting month.
Without any deliberation, I quickly pick up my handphone and start searching for 'the best Ramadan Bazaar in the Klang Valley'. My widened eyes run up and down the screen of my handphone as my right thumb scrolls pictures of exotic food and delicious-looking desserts.
"Want to head out to the bazaar?" my sister asks, as if sensing what I am doing. I smile and nod happily.
Though bazaars at Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur and Stadium Malawati in Shah Alam pop up as the top 10 famous Ramadan Bazaars to visit, I feel that I should check out the ones that are nearer to my home first.
There are a few bazaars available in Sungai Buloh — located in Paya Jaras, Desa Coalfield, as well as Saujana Utama.
We decide to go to the one in Saujana Utama, which is just a 10-minute drive from my house. And to avoid heavy traffic and a large crowd, we make sure to reach there at about 3.30pm!
THE CROWD
I guess it's still too early. The roadside leading to the entrance of the Ramadan Bazaar at Persiaran Saujana 3 is still empty, and traffic is smooth.
There are no cars parked along the roadside as I expected. This allows me to pick the best parking spot. Since we are rather early, we get to park our car under the trees, nearer to the bazaar's entrance.
At the corner of the starting point, there's a QR code for us to register for MySejahtera check-in.
Upon entering the bazaar, we see some traders are in the midst setting up their tents and equipment, and some are already ready for business.
My sister and I decide to walk to the other end of the bazaar and feast our eyes on the offerings as our minds, or rather our stomachs, start planning what to eat for breaking of fast.
"Oh, that looks good. Oh, that too!" exclaims my sister who is obviously excited at the sight of all the scrumptious food at the stalls along the not-more than half-kilometre stretch.
Almost reaching the end of the bazaar, I have already set my mind on a number of dishes that I want to have for buka puasa.
Looking to my side, I ask my sister: "Ready?"
NASI KERABU
Our first stop is the nasi kerabu stall. Although located right at the north-end of the stretch, we can already smell the aroma of burning charcoal mixed with the umami smell of the grilled beef and chicken.
Nasi kerabu, a blue-coloured fragrant rice, the colour lent by bunga telang (blue butterfly pea) that is served with condiments such as ulam, comprising thinly sliced cabbage, long beans, bean sprouts, daun kesum, and kerisik ikan (fish and grated coconut floss).
A set of nasi kerabu usually comes with either a side dish of beef or chicken — grilled or fried.The authentic one comes with daging salai (smoked beef), but it is hard to come by, especially in this side of the peninsula.
But at this stall, the nasi kerabu comes with daging salai. I guess this is what makes the stall special compared with other nasi kerabu stalls at the bazaar.
One kakak behind the tables is busy grilling the marinated chicken. The other is preparing the other ingredients and attending to customers.
In her Kelantanese accent, she asks for our order."But the ayam bakar is not ready yet, Dik. Right now, we only have daging salai and ayam percik," she explains, showing the dishes that have already been set on the table.
My sister orders a set, and the kakak starts to prepare her order — the rice with the condiments which is then topped with a ladle of bright orange spiced sauce, budu (fermented fish sauce) as well as spicy chilli sauce to add "kick" to the whole combo.
She also adds on a halved salted egg and solok lada (green chilli stuffed with a mix of fish paste and coconut, simmered in coconut milk). Finally, the kakak adds fish crackers to complete the dish.
A pack of the nasi kerabu with all the selected ingredients is priced at RM10 each.
GEARBOX SOUP
"Got my main dish, what about you?" my sister asks. I have actually set my eyes on that enormous looking Sup Gearbox (bone marrow soup), I tell her.
The humble-looking stall has its menu written on black cardboard with a gold marker pen. The stall is selling soups with a choice of beef, tripe or lungs for RM6 and a selection of either mee hoon or kway teow.
You can also mix the ingredients and make it special for an additional RM2. There's even beef bone soup which is priced at RM12.
I opt for the Sup Gearbox, priced between RM30 and RM40, depending on the size.
The friendly seller even tells us about his restaurant located nearby. He says that the soup is one of their bestselling items, but at the bazaar it is being sold in a limited number daily.
The soup has a strong herbal aroma that I can already imagine enjoying it with the provided spicy soya sauce sambal.
NASI BIRYANI
We also buy a pack of the famous Nasi Briyani Hj Ali Batu Pahat for our brother.
Nasi biryani is actually one of my late grandfather's favourite due to its mild spice flavour.
Its restaurant, which was established more than 40 years ago is located in Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh. It is quite a household name here.
During Ramadan, the shop sets up a few Ramadan stalls at Bukit Rahman Putra, Damansara Damai, Aeon Mall in Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur and Aeon Mall in Shah Alam.
To go with its super fragrant nasi biryani, the stall offers four types of main dishes — lamb and beef curry, Chicken Kuzi and Ayam Masak Merah.
The biryani is cooked in a huge cauldron and served hot while the chosen dishes are already pre-packed.
The stall is proud of its hashtag #nasisajepunsedap which basically means that the rice is even good on its own, and I agree.
GRILLED LAMB
Next, we look for a side dish as we want to call it and we choose to have Kambing Grill Meletop, though judging by the look of it, the grilled lamb looks more like a main dish rather than a side dish!
We just can't resist the yummy smell of lamb being grilled on a pan and the sight is even better.
Grilled lamb is actually one of my favourite dishes during Ramadan; it's simple, tasty and great for snacking after tarawih prayer.
The grilled lamb is marinated with special spices and sauce which lend a rich flavour, and the stall packs sliced onions and cabbages to go with it. There's also a spicy soya sauce for dipping.
The dish is priced at RM10 per gramme. You can also go for the Nasi Kambing set, priced at RM13 per pack.
Our verdict, it tastes really good; a bit oily but perfectly grilled , and the meat is really tender and juicy.
TEPUNG PELITA
For desserts, there's only one kuih that I really enjoy during Ramadan — Tepung Pelita Istimewa (Paya Jaras). Now, can you tell how much I love this dessert?
Established in 1999, Tepung Pelita (Paya Jaras) only makes its sweet appearance during Ramadan, and that fact, I must say, makes it super special.
And if you miss it this year, you have to wait for the next Ramadan. A pack of five pieces of this sweet delicacy is priced at RM4, but it's totally worth it!
The two-layer soft and creamy kuih is basically a mix of green sweet pandan custard made with rice flour at the bottom and salty and rich coconut milk on top, encased in a little cup made of banana leaves.
According to the sellers, they had to double their production for the second day of Ramadan onwards as the kuih was sold out even before 5pm the day earlier!
Tepung Pelita Istimewa (Paya Jaras) is irresistible as it is made with love.