It has been several weeks of fasting month for all Muslims friends. In this special month of the year, people are fasting and praying to be blessed and strong in doing the fasting. People are fasting because of many reasons, for example because it is an obligation in Islam, to control oneself from negative behavior and from lust, to practice empathy to less fortunate people, and to get reward and blessings from Allah. That’s why many Muslims are delighted every time the month of Ramadan comes.
The celebration of Eid-Al Fitr will come in less than two weeks next month. Thus, for this celebration, we can prepare many things such as food and clothes that we are going to wear on this special day. Moreover, Indonesia is one of the countries that has diverse cultures and various kinds of food. Therefore, it is always fascinating to celebrate Eid-Al Fitr with special food that will satisfy our stomach after a month full of fasting.
Let’s find out some foods that are commonly served on Eid-Al Fitr in Indonesia!
- Ketupat
Ketupat is one of the iconic dishes served on this special occasion. It is made from rice that is steamed until it is well-done. The rice is put in a container in the shape of a cube made from webbing coconut leaves. The moment of togetherness is usually created when people have to make the webbing from the coconut leaves. This moment is often used by a family to catch up for each other’s updates in their lives. Ketupat is best served while warm with rendang, semur, sambal goreng ati, sayur labu siam, and opor ayam.
- Rendang
As Indonesians we have to be proud of this special dish. It is because this food has been acknowledged as one of the most delicious foods in the world. We can’t deny that the taste of this food is so mouth watering especially when combined with rice and other dishes. Rendang originally comes from Minangkabau in West Sumatra, but it is served everywhere in Indonesia especially for special occasions like Eid-Al Fitr. The process of cooking this food until the beef meat is well-done and the variety of ingredients such as coconut milk, meat broth, and cumin powder used make this dish taste savory and very delicious.
- Opor Ayam
Opor ayam is also a-must dish served in Eid-Al Fitr. What makes it delicious is the coconut milk and other herbs put in the dish. This dish is best to serve when it is warm and poured with fried shallots. The chicken that is cooked well-done combined with the taste of the coconut milk makes this dish taste savory, delicious, and unforgettable especially on special occasions like Eid-Al Fitr or “Lebaran.”
- Sambal Goreng Ati
Sambal goreng ati is so tasty and is a match to serve together with ketupat and opor ayam. It consists of diced potato, the heart of a cow, and petai. Besides being tasty, this dish also has the taste of spicy since it uses chili paste. We can get carbohydrates from the potato. Once you try this dish, for sure you will want it more and more.
- Sayur Labu Siam
Sayur labu siam can give you the taste of a soup dish you can enjoy on Eid-Al Fitr. This is best to combine with ketupat, sambal goreng ati, rendang, and “kerupuk” or crackers. “Labu siam” or chayote is the vegetable thing that we can consume on this special day so that our dish can be considered healthy.
- Semur
Semur is another option of a dish that is best served together with ketupat. The main part of semur which is the beef meat can be also replaced with other ingredients such as chicken, tofu, tempe, potato, or even “jengkol.” For your information, semur jengkol is commonly found in Betawi dishes. The use of sweet soy sauce carries the sweet taste of this dish but it also tastes savory. Everyone usually loves this dish because of the taste and this can fulfill the need of protein from the meat or the carbohydrates from the potato.
- Nastar
This is the cake that is mostly found on Eid Mubarak. It tastes sweet and savory, and everybody loves it. The sweet taste is from the pineapple jam filled in the center of this cookie, and the savory taste comes from the dough. The name of this cake as pineapple cake originally comes from the Netherlands as “ananas” and “tart.” Ananas means pineapple while tart means a small pie made of pastry folded over a filling. It is always a happy moment to enjoy this tasty cake with our dearest people on a special moment like Eid day.
- Putri Salju
We guess that everyone knows this cake, kue putri salju, or snow princess cake in English. This cake can be found and consumed on Eid Mubarak day. The cake is covered in powdered sugar so that the taste is sweet and yummy. Several ingredients used in making this cake are flour, butter, and egg yolk. Putri salju is made in the shape of a crescent moon, but nowadays other variants of shapes are getting used. We can eat putri salju with a cup of tea or coffee during breaktime, and it will feel so good and relaxing, or we can enjoy it on Eid day with our lovely people.
We hope that this information will bring benefits to all Muslim friends all over Indonesia so that you can have ideas about what foods to serve on Eid-Al Fitr. Even though every province might have a signature dish, we are sure that these common foods are also the best options to serve.
Happy Eid-Al Fitr to all Muslim friends!
