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By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright March 2023
For most Malay-Muslims in the country, on the first day of Ramadan, our thoughts always turn to memories of childhood sharing the traditional bubur lambuk at sunset.
For many among us who have moved away from our childhood home in the kampung to live in Kuala Lumpur, there's always a scramble for bubur lambuk before sunset.
We'll drive to nearby mosques that are known to prepare the delicacy long before sunset to be distributed to the poor and needy.
But the not-so-poor too turned up just because it's a tradition. If you do not have bubur lambuk, you feel there's something missing when it's time to break fast.
One of my favourite mosques is Masjid Kampung Baru which prepares bubur lambuk by the tons daily. It's well known as a mosque that makes very tasty bubur lambuk.
But the queue may be long and sometimes if you showed up late, there's nothing left.
They told me that in recent years residents in KL and nearby areas would get on the queue as early as 4 pm or 5 pm or after asar prayers carrying their own containers because the plastic bags are just not good enough for the piping hot bubur lambuk.
In my family, one of my brothers is an expert on bubur lambuk. He'll prepare the porridge early in the day to be ready for iftar or breaking fast at sunset. But he told me that at the mosque in our qariah or congregation he would have to prepare and be ready to dish out for everyone at least after the asar prayers around 5 pm. He would start cooking around noon and dish them out at 5pm. It takes five hours just to get the right consistency and to allow all the ingredients to blend in to give you that special extraordinary taste of bubur lambuk!
What's so special about bubur lambok?
It's an enriched plain porridge with santan or coconut milk flavoured with cinnamon, cardamon, star anise, cloves plus mince meats, carrots, chopped onions and potatoes.
Before serving, it is often topped with fried shallots fresh spring onions, salt and pepper.
It's marvelous making your ordinary porridge just plain tasteless compared to bubur lambuk.
The final taste you get is "lemak" from the coconut milk mixed with a flavours from the four spices will tantalise your taste buds that last throughout Ramadan making you crave for more the whole of fasting month. It's just addictive!
One last tip, if you find queueing at the mosque too much for you head to Gerai Pak Hassan Bubor Lambok at 45A Jalan Raja Abdullah in Kampung Baru. You'll get equally great bubor lambuk here daily.
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