Popular Hari Raya Food in Tawau

In the spirit of the Hari Raya month and since I was born and raised in Tawau, Sabah, I've decided to do a feature (that has got nothing to do with my lack of foodie materials of course - wink wink) on Hari Raya food that you'll normally would find in this part of the world. And as any locals would tell you, a vast majority of Tawaurians consist of Bugis (Buginese) people including a lot of my family members and friends. So don't be surprise to see quite a number of items on my list with their influences. So if you're ready, here we go...

** It is important to note that all of the pictures below were 'borrowed' from different blogs & sites listed in Google (aaah.. the wonders of Google) so please credit them if you wanted to use any of the materials...

MAIN COURSES 

Buras & Tumbuk 

I'm not kidding here when I said that this food was so popular in Tawau that a non-local Chinese friend of mine even ask me 'sooo... do you have any burasak?' when she went to my house recently, complete with the local slang of said food. These two are by far the most famous Hari Raya food locally, both made from rice and coconut milk and took quite a while for it to cooked.

(Pictures are from tips1df.blogspot.com & lunalanun.blogspot.com)

Ayam Masak Lengkuas

Now with the great buras/tumbuk comes this magnificent dish. To be eaten together with the latter, this chicken and galangal dish is a staple in any Tawau based Buginese people. There are two versions of this dish, one being the dry version (see below) and another a wetter version. 

(Picture taken from nasamulia.blogspot.com)

Ayam Masak Merah

This is one of the top dishes that'll go perfectly with the buras/tumbuk. Although it might not be a local specialty (as it is also available throughout Malaysia), you'll definitely see vast versions of this dish within Tawau during the Hari Raya season. I'm not kidding when I said that I've proudly O.D on this dish the very first day of Syawal.

(Picture taken from resipiibundo.blogspot.com) 

 Ayam Masak Kari

Another must have dish during this festive season is the Ayam Masak Kari (Chicken Curry). Again, we've seen this everywhere in Malaysia but here in Tawau, it's also one of the most popular dishes to prepare for Hari Raya.

(Picture taken from fariziliofernando.blogspot.com)

Sup Tulang

This soupy dish is also another side dish that can normally be seen within a Buginese household. I'm not really a fan of the cow bone but the soup was undeniably delicious, with the right ingredients of course.

(Picture taken from www.travelmatekamu.com)

Berobok

The one dish that I really, really love regardless of the season was the Berobok. It's a type of congee mixed with corn and other delicious ingredients that I don't even know but tasted heavenly when consumed.

(Picture taken from manfromasmalltown.blogspot.com)

Soto Ayam 

This dish has gain momentum throughout the recent years as one of the favourites for Hari Raya, mainly because it's not as time consuming in preparation as the other dishes above. The most popular version seen in Tawau is the Soto Banjar version.

(Picture taken from www.yukpegi.com)

DESSERT

Tapai 

Not to be confused with the Kadazan version of tapai, these tapai (one of the ingredient includes glutinous rice and comes in two variants) is rather sweet in taste. My dad is one such fan of the dish.

(Picture taken from lunalanun.blogspot.com)

SNACKS

Kuih Batang Buruk

My partner just live for this snack. The kuih (or more or less a hybrid of kuih+keropok aka cookies+snacks) is popular due to the sweet and crunchy taste. But it can be a bit messy while consumption so do be prepare for it.

(Picture taken from www.yanmieonline.com)

Kuih Bangkit

I've just found out (yes, an unfortunate thing for a so-called, self proclaimed foodie) that this kuih is available throughout Malaysia and comes in different versions as well. But the kuih bangkit that are mostly available in Tawau are thin in texture and sweet in taste.

(Picture taken from mytreasuredmoment.blogspot.com)

Keropok Amplang

If there's one thing that Tawaurians can proudly claimed as theirs, this snack is it. I have no idea where this originated from but it's sure as hell delicious. But I do know that this simple looking snack is made from either fish or prawns and it can get very addictive as well, as I've have cleaned out a huge container of this delicious goodies in a single seating.

(Picture taken from amiraarbain.blogspot.com)

Keropok Belinju

Made from a plant/seed called belinjau/melinjau, this snack is also called the 'old people's snack' as most older adults love to munch to this during tea time. The main reason for it was because of the (very) bitter taste (which sadly I'm not a real fan off but a constant hit with my parents)

(Picture taken from dahlanabdrahman.blogspot.com)

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