Hari Raya Classics to Recreate at Home

As one of the biggest festivities in the Muslim calendar, Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a harmonious celebration of family, food and tradition that spans across different cultures around the world. This season, we’ve got five scrumptious recipes to get your family and you into the festive spirit.

Treat your taste buds to a hearty Oxtail Soup made entirely from scratch. Using chunks of fresh oxtail, this Indonesian-style soup consists of a harmony of Asian herbs, fragrant spices and starchy vegetables. All the ingredients are then brought to a slow-simmer for its rich flavour to surface. Enjoy the tender and tantalising beef with a side of bitter nut crackers (or Emping). This dish is also perfect to warm the stomach after a day of fasting.

A staple in Indonesian cuisine, this dish (translated as fried rice with turmeric chicken) is comfort food in its own right. Served with a side of crisp vegetable pickles, sink your teeth into juicy, aromatic chicken thighs and savour each bite with your loved ones. Using overnight cooked rice or slightly undercooked rice will give your fried rice the perfect texture and consistency. Our recipe for Nasi Goreng Ayam Kunyit with Pickles is a great main to have at the dining table for your festive gatherings as it pairs well with all savoury or spicy dishes.

A nod to traditional Balinese cuisine, Ayam Betutu is prepared by slathering a whole chicken with spicy marinade and stuffed with spinach. It is then carefully wrapped with pieces of banana leaves to be baked in the oven for approximately 25 minutes. The result? Tender and moist chicken, accompanied with fragrant spicy vegetables that will satisfy the appetites of family and friends.

Delightful in texture, Medjool Date Cake is a wonderful treat to enjoy, and doesn’t require a lot of time to make. The sweet flesh of dates is mixed with walnuts in an irresistibly buttery batter for a unique flavour. Best enjoyed fresh from the oven, be sure to make a few batches of this sweet confection for the festive season as they are great as gifts for your loved ones as well.

Sweeten your festivities with decadent slices of Kueh Lapis—a popular dessert commonly served during Hari Raya. Literally translated as ‘layered cake’, our recipe for Kueh Lapis is simple enough to follow and can be made easier with the kitchen machine as your trusty baking aid. When done right, Kueh Lapis will have a pleasant buttery-smooth texture and leaves a mild and sweet aftertaste on the palate. We recommend having this delectable confection after a meal, or simply enjoyed with a pot of hot tea.