Raya recipes reinvented

Celebrate the Festival of Eid with traditional dishes given a fresh, modern and healthier twist

Portrait of Tammy Strobel
Celebrate the Festival of Eid with traditional dishes given a fresh, modern and healthier twist
My Reading Room
This Nonya-inspired dish is ideal for the busy Raya period. It’s a great alternative to the traditional prawn sambal. The intense flavours develop after a day, which means it can be made ahead, leaving you time for other last-minute chores.
This Nonya-inspired dish is ideal for the busy Raya period. It’s a great alternative to the traditional prawn sambal. The intense flavours develop after a day, which means it can be made ahead, leaving you time for other last-minute chores.

Spiced Prawns

Prep 20 mins / Cook 25 mins / Serves 6

500 g tiger prawns (or prawns of your choice) 1 tbsp salt 8 shallots 4 cloves garlic 50 g fresh turmeric 3 chilli padi 6 candlenuts 4 tbsps oil Salt, to taste

Garnish (optional)  

1 fresh turmeric leaf, finely shredded Fried shallots

1. Season prawns with salt and set aside.

2. Blend garlic, turmeric, chilli, candlenuts and salt until fully combined.

3. In a preheated pan, heat oil until hot and fry prawns until pink on both sides. Remove and set aside.

4. Using the same pan, add oil if needed and fry blended ingredients until fragrant. Add in prawns and cook stirring until well blended with spices.

5. Season with salt to taste. 6. Serve dish garnished with shredded turmeric leaves and fried shallots.

Originally kebabs are grilled skewered meats, usually served with flatbread and yoghurt. However, for this Raya, we were inspired by satay, and decided to serve it with rendang sauce instead. These grilled skewer dishes are fast and fabulous – and sure to satisfy any palate.
Originally kebabs are grilled skewered meats, usually served with flatbread and yoghurt. However, for this Raya, we were inspired by satay, and decided to serve it with rendang sauce instead. These grilled skewer dishes are fast and fabulous – and sure to satisfy any palate.

Chicken Kebabs With Rendang Sauce

Prep 30 mins/ Cook 30 mins / Serves 4

500 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into slices

Seasoning 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated 1 tbsp garlic, pounded into paste 1 tbsp ground turmeric 1 tbsp ground coriander 4 tbsps thick coconut milk 1½ tbsps salt 1 tbsp sugar 10 -12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 mins

Rendang Sauce

10 pcs dried chilli, soak till soft 5 pcs shallots 4 cloves garlic 2 slices galangal 4 tbsps oil 1 tbsp kerisik 1 tbsp turmeric leaf, shredded 1 tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped Hot water, as needed Salt, as needed Salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, optional

1. Preheat oven to grill mode to 200 C.  

2. Combine the seasoning ingredients together in a bowl. Marinate chicken with seasoning ingredients for at least an hour.

3. Thread the marinated chicken using the soaked bamboo skewers. Grill the chicken in the oven for 12 mins on both sides or until chicken is cooked and slightly brown.

4. For the rendang sauce, blend the dried chillies, shallots, garlic and galangal together.

5. Preheat pan and heat the oil. Saute blended ingredients until fragrant. Add in curry powder, coconut milk and bring it to a slow boil.

6. Cook the mixture stirring it often for 10 mins. Add in kerisik, turmeric leaf and palm sugar.

7. Turn off heat once sugar has dissolved. Season with salt to taste.

8. Add in hot water as needed if sauce gets too thick.

9. Serve chicken kebabs with rendang sauce and garnish with slices of tomatoes, cucumber and salad leaves on the side.

Add this dish to your Raya menu for a modern Moroccan flair. Couscous is a healthy grain and the dates not only enhance the flavour, but act as a natural sweetener as well.
Add this dish to your Raya menu for a modern Moroccan flair. Couscous is a healthy grain and the dates not only enhance the flavour, but act as a natural sweetener as well.

Chicken Tagine With Couscous

Prep 30 mins / Cook 30 mins / Serves 6

3 tbsps oil 1 yellow onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 kg free range chicken, skin removed, cut into 8 pieces 400 g canned chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp paprika ½ tbsp ground cinnamon 400 ml water 8 pcs dried apricot 6 dates Salt, as needed

Couscous

250 g box couscous, cook according to box instructions

30 g raisins, soak in water to plump it up and drain

3 stalks coriander, finely chopped Water

Butter or olive oil

1. In a preheated pan, heat oil and add in onions, garlic and saute until slightly brown and fragrant. Add in chicken, tomatoes, paprika, cinnamon and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 mins, stirring twice.

2. Add in apricot, dates and continue to cook until chicken is tender and gravy thickened. Season with salt to taste.

3. Bring water to a boil, add in butter and couscous. Whisk and cover for 5-10 mins. Use a fork to loosen the grains and add in raisins and coriander.

4. Serve chicken tagine with couscous.

My Reading Room

COOK & SERVE

Save time (and washing) as you cook and serve with this stylish pot. WMF’s new NATURamic Cookware Cook ’n Serve pot is made with ceramic with an iron core to provide quick and uniform heat conduction and retention. This means food cooks faster. It’s perfect for this chicken tagine – cook everything in the pot, and then serve directly to the table. The pot is also ovenproof, so can be used for slow cooking in the oven. From $219 (in green, yellow or red), from WMF concept stores at Isetan Scotts, Metro Centrepoint, Robinsons The Heeren, Takashimaya and TANGS at Tang Plaza.

My Reading Room
You can give it a healthier twist by replacing coconut milk with yoghurt.
You can give it a healthier twist by replacing coconut milk with yoghurt.

Beef Rendang Prep

20 mins / Cook 1 hour / Serves 6-8

1.2 kg beef chuck, cut into bite size (or cuts of your choice) 4 lemongrass, white part 200 g shallots 30 g galangal 8 cloves garlic 8 tbsps chilli paste 6 tbsps meat curry powder 400 ml thick coconut milk 4 turmeric leaves 40 g kerisik 50 g palm sugar Salt, as needed

1. Blend lemongrass, shallots, galangal and garlic until fine.  

2. In a heavy base deep cooking pot, combine beef, blended mixture, chilli paste, curry powder and coconut milk together. Cook over medium low heat, stirring often until beef is tender. It will take around 1 hour to cook (Add in hot water if gravy starts to thicken before beef is tender).

3. Add in turmeric leaves, kerisik and palm sugar. Cook until heated through. Season with salt to taste.

4. Serve with rice.

A spin-off from the traditional sambal goreng, this dish, inspired by the Nonya classic, uses mixed vegetables to provide the modern twist.
A spin-off from the traditional sambal goreng, this dish, inspired by the Nonya classic, uses mixed vegetables to provide the modern twist.

Mixed Vegetables With Creamy Sambal

Prep 25 mins / Cook 10 mins / Serves 6

1 medium sized cabbage (400 g), cut into quarters 300 g cauliflower, cut into florets 250 g French beans, cut into 2-cm length 1 large carrot, cut into slices 8 baby corn, halved

SAMBAL BELACAN

10 fresh red chillies 2 red bird’s eye chilli 3 tbsps toasted shrimp paste 2 tbsps sugar 2 tbsps fresh calamansi juice 400 ml coconut milk 50 ml water Salt, as needed

GARNISH (OPTIONAL)

2 fresh chillies, deseeded and finely shredded

Crispy shallots

Mint leaves

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch cabbage until tender but still firm for 2-3 mins. Remove and drain. Set aside. Repeat process with cauliflower, French beans, carrots and baby corns.

2. For the sambal, blend chillies, shrimp paste, sugar and calamansi juice.

3. Combine coconut milk and water and cook until heated through. Leave to cool and mix in sambal mixture. Season with salt to taste.

4. Pour creamy sambal dressing over cooked vegetables and garnish with chillies, crispy shallots and mint leaves on the side.

Free-range chicken is used for this dish. To make the dish healthier, choose low-fat coconut milk instead.
Free-range chicken is used for this dish. To make the dish healthier, choose low-fat coconut milk instead.

Chicken Kurma

Prep 20 mins / Cook 25 mins / Serves 6

1 kg free range chicken, cut into 8 pieces 4 tbsps kurma powder 8 pcs shallots 2 cloves garlic 3 slices ginger 1 tbsp white grated coconut 3 tbsps oil 1 large onion, cut into wedges 1 cinnamon stick 2 star anise 300 ml water 200 ml boxed coconut milk 2 potatoes, cut into wedges 1 carrot, cut into wedges 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges Crispy fried shallots, optional

1. Marinate chicken with kurma powder for 15 to 20 mins.

2. Blend the shallots, garlic, ginger and grated coconut until fine.

3. In a preheated pot, heat the oil and saute onions, cinnamon stick, star anise and blended ingredients until fragrant.

4. Add in marinated chicken and cook for 4 mins while stirring. Add water and coconut milk.

5. Add the potatoes and carrots once mixture boils. Cook until chicken is tender and add in the tomatoes. Cook for another 5 mins.

6. Season gravy with salt to taste and turn off heat.

7. Serve chicken garnish with crispy fried shallots, if liked. W