Food is a huge part of Hari Raya Puasa. After 30 days of fasting during Ramadan, the Malay Muslim community in Singapore celebrates by getting decked out in colourful Malay costumes and observing the annual tradition of visiting the houses of friends, family and relatives. There are grand feasts with dishes such as rendang (spicy beef) and lontong (curry with steamed rice), and the ubiquitous kuih muih (Malay desserts).
In every house, you’ll find endless varieties of kuih, including the two most common ones, kuih lapis (layer cake) and kuih tart (pineapple tarts). As bakers get more creative, newer, more modern cakes are created – like these Swiss Rolls with a twist.
The kuih lapis in the left of the image above is one of the more traditional styles of Malay cake. More modern versions use different flavours and colouring, like the purple ones above. (The green ones have chocolate chips!)
Another traditional Malay cake is kuih kukus buah-buahan (steamed cake with fruit bits), pictured above. Like to try one? An easy way is to visit a Malay restaurant such as Hajjah Maimunah (11 & 15 Jalan Pisang); to find a wider range, make a trip to Geylang Serai Market & Food Centre (1 Geylang Serai) or the Kampong Glam area and stroll along Kandahar Street and Bussorah Street. In fact, you can find at least one Malay stall at any food centre in the city or neighbourhood areas, often with a range of delicious kuihs for you to try.
Find out more about the Hari Raya traditions and celebrations in Singapore, or head to the Things to Do page for more of what’s happening on the Little Red Dot.
