the best part of ramadhan
From BBC’s An Idiot’s Guide to Ramadhan:
The reason Muslims fast is to discipline their body and mind. The absence of food and drink and other pleasures provides a perfect opportunity to concentrate on prayer and worship. Not having the luxuries of life to hand makes it easier to reflect on life and be grateful for what we do have. Muslims use this month to start afresh and give their life a new direction.
For a symbolic gesture, it sure is sort of ironic with the many choices of food readily available, probably more in quantity and a lot more different than one would normally consume.
I am of course talking about the Ramadhan bazaars selling all sorts of yummy food and drinks from late afternoons to evenings, found almost everywhere in Malaysia during the holy month of Ramadhan, only once a year and you can’t get this sort of activity/community feel at any other time, your neighbourhood night market doesn’t even come close to it.
But who’s complaining? Not me; I’m not crazy.
Why do some people stuff themselves when the fast is over?Those who are fasting should deprive themselves of the meals they would normally have during the times of fast but they shouldn’t really eat all they missed once the fast is over as this defeats the whole objective of the fast. When breaking the fast (of having breakfast, I guess), they should simply have the meal they would on any other day. It is permissible to have a more elaborate feast if one if hosting a ‘Iftar’ meal for guests as this is considered a good and noble act, in which there is divine reward.
Since I am not Muslim and I do not fast, that doesn’t really concern me and so I can gorge myself BECAUSE I CAN AND I DON’T CARE!!!
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Yesterday I went to the Ramadhan bazaar at Sri Damansara. I came back a happier, fuller and heavier person.
Clockwise: assorted kuih (cakes), assorted dishes, kuih tepung pelita and I have NO idea what it is in English, keropok lekor which is a deep-fried combination of fish and starch or something like that. It’s teh good.
Clockwise: ayam madu (honey glazed chicken), delish dishes in a row, murtabak, assorted kuih (cakes)
Naturally sweet dates (kurma), normally eaten as pembuka selera. This is my private stash neh neh neh neh neh.
This was my dinner - white rice with ayam masak santan, stir-fried kacang buncis and sotong sambal. There were a few other stuff as well but I ate them all before I could photograph them.
Boo_licious of my favourite food blog Masak-masak went to the Ramadan bazaar at Section 14 in Petaling Jaya. Damien recommended it to me before and told me that it is quite famous for the number and variety of stalls. You can read about Boo_licious’s visit here.
Tags: fasting, Food, malay, ramadan, ramadhan
Suanie, behave, behave, behave. (no eye watch)
i nak pengsan tengok your foodie pics gurl… *swoon*
Ayam Pecik, my fav…
Sigh, i look malay so i have to watch out abit during puasa month, cos some people just STARE at you and are like, “omgwtf malay guy eating during puasa,go straight to hell do not pass khiblat.”
And then on the very first day of puasa where I go to buy delicious looking food from those puasa stall thingies…kena food poisoning pulak!!
mafulatknnccbz!
-_____-”
good post. this (from BBC esp. on why people stuff themselves after fast) is what i like to say but can’t find the words (i mentioned something like this in pok ku’s blog).
i will blog on this topic too and link your post, suanie.
well as a non muslim, i welcome the ramadan month because, like you, we get lots and lots to choose from at the ramadan market, to stuff ourselves full (and er… fat!).
my only complain is that in penang, at some places, these temporary ramadan food stalls were set up at roadside, thus making the road more congested.
very nicely taken photos. i just had lunch also feel hungry
omg….i wantttttttttttttttttttttttt
yummy!
oooh ramadan food is yummy
I was just listening to a malay talk show a week back where they criticised those who gorge on buffets and what not to break fast, which kinda takes away from the whole fasting idea anyway.
Please don’t tell me you are going to do this for the entire month. The acumulation of
“I came back a happier, fuller and heavier person.”
sounds really scary at the end of this puasa month.
horny: I’m behaving. You haven’t seen the rest
delia: la.. dahlah you so kurus
KK : that one is ayam madu not percik. But I bought one and it’s teh good.
iesnek: bwahahahahaha kesian… some of my friends also kena before. The looking Malay part
lucia: I guess it is sort of a reward after a long day of fasting, but many people today forget its real purpose in the first place. Penang’s roads are so narrow, I can sympathise with the congestion. But one month only… GREAT FOOD!!!!
poulotte: gluttony, gluttony.. join the club
kim: no you can’t!
jimmy: yeah I know I am
Lainie: yeap yeap though sometimes companies belanja their staff buffet for breaking fast, I think that’s a great thing to do.
Beef Stew: but I’m happy :O
Cool stuff! Now I know Bandar Sri Dsara has a ramadan bazaar. Thanks for linking me, I feel very honoured.
ramadhan bazzar olany held during that month
alot of food sometimes you see strange food or food that you never heard before…
1 tips for you all , go buy at last minute….
you get more!
boo: warghhh you went to Sek 17 as well!!! must go must go!
hokkien lang: I’m familiar with a lot of the cakes and different food as I hail from Johor. Plus my momi is a civil servant so she knows all about these stuff from the various jamuan… has to order them, you see. The food already darn cheap leh.. hehe don’t be like me, buy so much cannot finish.
Yeah loh, the Puasa Bazaar here is lagi best! I might just go to it now and get a load of great food, kekeke! Yeah!
oink
[...] Bulan Ramadhan is here, yay! I maintain that the Ramadhan bazaars are the best part of Ramadhan. [...]