Lessons this Hari Raya

I learnt the following tips this hari raya:

TIP 1 - KUAH KACANG

1. As beginners - one should not make 1kg of kuah kacang. Instead, one should only start making kuah kacang with 0.5kg first.

2. One should also dry fry / roast the groundnuts until it's blardy brown (sikit lagi nak hangus) and even try to peel 1 groundnut to see if the insides are brown fully. Kuah kacang is NOT kuah kacang if the groundnuts are still white inside!

3. One should tumbuk the groundnuts. Not mesin it. My Tok Ucu in Sabak Bernam spent weeks prior to Hari Raya just to tumbuk 5kg of groundnuts to make her very delicious kuah kacang ayam.

Now WHY am I writing these tips down? Well.. Coz comments on my first ever attempt (I know, I know.. It is my first time making kuah kacang) at making kuah kacang were that:

1. The colour's way off - Ikram, my bro-in-law asked if I had made kuah dhal instead for hari raya.. Even dad asked - What's this?? Mine was seriously yellowish - from the white groundnuts and the blended turmeric.

2. Minyak pun tak naik. Tak pecah minyak pun? Kuah kacang apa macam ni ni?

3. Tak cukup cili kering. Ni mesti tak cukup cili kering ni.. No red colour.

4. Bubuh serai tak? My mom asked if I had put enough kuah kacang.

The thing was member (me la tu) damn eksyen - didnt wanna ask how to make it - I just based it on some kuah kacang recipe I found on the internet just the day before hari raya. Actually it was a pretty vague recipe come to think of it too.. But I was already halfway thru grinding the ingredients (and it was pretty late too for me to make some calls to ask how to make kuah kacang) to realise that it was a pretty lousy recipe. Hmmph! Anyway enough said.

Verdict: A for efforts, C- for results.



TIP 2 - MEE HOON SOUP UTARA

I also learnt the following:

1. To let mee hoon have some colour - (well, silly me always wondered but never bothered to ask how some mee hoon had that yellow tinge..) - one should add some turmeric powder (DUH!) to the boiling water before one starts to celur the mee hoon.

2. One should also not celur the mee hoon for toooooooo long or else you'll end up having soggy mee hoon. (Again, DUH!)

3. One should immediately rinse mee hoon with cold water to avoid it from being sticky. (I know that principle applies to pasta - just didnt click my blardy head that you should also rinse mee hoon). Gua kena sound from me mom-in-law about this ler..

4. One should use fork to make little swirls of mee hoon prior to putting them on bekas hidang and gunting so that it would be easier for people to take them unto their plates (tip courtesy of my new sis-in-law, Siti)


TIP 3 - POTONG DAGING

I also learnt that there is a way for you to cut meat. I mean I knew since from before pun.. I remember my own mom once told me about this before. But for the life of me, I STILL do not know which way is correct. Something about following the strands or something like that. Anyhow, I have had it cut into smaller thin slices so that it cooks easily. If someone visiting this raya finds that some of the beef pieces are a bit hard to swallow and would have to gulp water down so that the piece is easier to swallow - I truly apologise k? Hehe.

Anyhow - those are my lessons learnt as at Hari Raya ke-4 this Hari Raya. I am sure I will blog about some other lessons I have learnt as we progress thru Syawal. :P


Anyway, on another note - it wasn't all just constructive criticisms that I obtained. I also received compliments and some pats on my shoulder ler.. My satay goreng and ketupat got an 'A' for both effort and results. So that's something to be pleased about. Woohooooo!!! So, I'd like to thank whoever posted that satay goreng recipe on the internet (can't remember what her name is) and a certain Miss NONA for making available ready-made ketupat packets. All you need to do is just boil 'em in a pot of water for 45 mins. And walaa... Excellent ketupats! Hehe.

That's all for now. See ya soon. Do post your comments and other tips if any. Thanks.