as part of observing Eid-ul-Adha about a week ago, I got the golden opportunity to rub shoulders alongside PERTAPIS volunteers to participate in a 2-day ‘Korban’ event. for the uninitiated, the observance of Korban/Qurbani during the 12th month of the Islamic calendar includes sacrificing reared animals (such as sheeps, goats and cows) & subsequently distributing portions of the resulting carcasses to underprivileged communities. this ritual is also to commemorate the Quranic story where Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) sacrificed his son Ishmael (Ismail) as an act obedience to God.
one of the beneficiaries that PERTAPIS serves (& that we had the chance to cook with) was 84 year-old Mdm Habsah Binte Mat, a former canteen cook who once ran a stall at Tanjong Pagar Terminal (now PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex). we got to spend the afternoon with her learning her SPECIAL recipe of Rendang Kambing while listening to stories of her past.
from memory, Nenek Habsah narrated to us her young days, hailing from Kampong Alor Janggus, Kedah and moving to Singapore in 1955. she also tells us that her late husband, who passed on about 40 years ago, was a band player who played for cabaret nightclubs such as the now defunct New World Amusement Park. she would often follow him on his performances, donned fabulously in red kebaya to dance along to his music.
when asked about how she learnt to cook so many Malay dishes in her time as a stall owner, she explained how she learnt it all from her late husband who also seasonally worked as a galley cook on ships sending pilgrims on Haj. while not being able to cook anymore due to her disability, she still remembers recipes by heart and was more than excited when we suggested that she teach us her own recipe for Rendang. while being somewhat similar to other Rendang recipes, her way of making it involves special elements such as the use of dried chillies (as opposed to fresh red chillies) and searing the meat pieces before adding in the grounded spice pastes, giving the Rendang a unique bright RED colour & a more pronounced flavour. she also insists that that kerisik ‘toasted coconut’ in Rendang should be made from scratch and not store-bought.
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get ingredients for this recipe here!:
mutton leg/ribs/shoulder
palm sugar
dried red chillies
cloves
cardamom pods
star anise
cinnamon
looking for more mutton/lamb recipes? check these out!:
Mee Siam + Biryani = Mee Siam Biryani??
i’m sure everyone has heard of mee siam and biryani but have you heard of mee siam biryani? this special dish is a perfect combination of the 2 cuisines and trust me when i say it packs a whole lot of SPICE!! be warned…
Hmm Nenek Habsah's recipe is very close to my mum's. She also swore by fresh homemade kerisik, which does make a huge difference to both the taste and texture.
Of course, as a kid, I was the designated kerisik fryer, so I wasn't very appreciative at the time 😝. Took a full 40 min to get it completely dry and golden over a low flame - and you can't walk away even for a second, at least during the last 10-15 min.
Mum also used dried chilli cos it adds a nice smoky element, but it can turn slightly bitter, so she would temper it with some fresh chilli if necessary.