Malaysian home cook's Hari Raya recipes: Ayam masak merah, daging hitam

Although her family now caters for their open house, Ruzilla Helmi still cooks the Hari Raya meal for her immediate family. — Photos: LOW LAY PHON/The Star

In her beautiful home in Ara Damansara, 55-year-old Ruzilla Helmi is busy ladling ayam masak merah from a large pot on the stove into a serving bowl. Standing dutifully by her side is her eldest son, Aqeef Azzudin, who is scooping heaping spoonfuls of nasi minyak onto a large platter.

In the living room, Ruzilla’s childhood friends Gladys Teo-Simpson and Denise Solosa and Denise's daughter Danielle Solosa wait with bated breath.

“Everything smells so good! She’s always been such a good cook,” enthuses Simpson.

Simpson, Lee and Ruzilla have known each other since they were five-year-old young ‘uns growing up in Kuching, Sarawak. It was those formative years that paved the way forward for both their enduring friendship and Ruzilla’s lifelong love of cooking.

Ruzilla is a bubbly, cheerful lady who enjoys cooking the traditional food she learnt how to make as a child. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star

Growing up, Ruzilla says she was in charge of cooking meals for her three younger siblings, as her mother was a nurse who worked odd hours. She mostly learnt how to cook organically without any formal teaching of any sort.

“I just picked up cooking – no one really taught me anything. I just used to cook whatever, lah – I never even took home economics or anything like that,” says Ruzilla, who is an ebullient woman with a natural vibrance.

In her kampung in Sarawak, the family often used to host a large open house and Ruzilla remembers people coming to the house from as early as 11am and the festivities (and the food) continuing until 6pm.

“Open houses in Kuching are like that – it’s an all-day sort of thing,” says Ruzilla, laughing.

Ruzilla, who has been cooking for her family and friends since she was a child, continues to go back to Sarawak to cook the family's Hari Raya meals. Clockwise from left: Danielle, Denise, Ruzilla, Gladys and Aqeef. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star

These days, Ruzilla, her husband and three children, as well as her siblings and their families, all still fly back to Kuching to celebrate Hari Raya. In a scene reminiscent of her childhood, Ruzilla is still responsible for the family’s festive meals.

“My father insists everyone must come back home to Sarawak – no matter what. So we do. And I do all the cooking for our large family the night before, then the next morning we have breakfast and by noon, our open house starts," she says.

Although the family now caters for their open house (last year, 200 people turned up!) Ruzilla still cooks the Hari Raya meal for her immediate family. So what’s on the table?

“Because I like cooking, I used to follow my grandmother and aunties around. So I learnt how to make my grandmother’s ayam masak merah for Hari Raya," she says.

'I learnt how to make my grandmother’s ayam masak merah for Hari Raya', she says.

Ayam masak merah is ubiquitous throughout Malaysia and is essentially chicken that is first fried before being cooked in a thick paste made up of an array of spices, dried chillies and tomatoes. The resulting gravy that coats it is often a fiery red, hence the name.

In Ruzilla’s version, she uses an entire can of tomato puree and her secret weapon – gula apong, which is obtained from the sap of nipah palms.

Gula apong has a slightly saltier, smokier countenance and this can be felt in Ruzilla’s ayam masak merah, which is ridiculously good – thick and rich, with a hint of sweetness coursing through its veins.

Daging masak hitam is another family favourite.

Another family favourite that Ruzilla has learnt to make is her grandmother’s famed daging hitam. 

Cooked with spices, dark soy sauce and kerisik (toasted, grated coconut), this dark beauty features tender slices of beef slathered in a midnight-black sauce that has spice-riddled nuances and salty underpinnings.

“What’s special about our family’s daging hitam is that we actually meld pounded raisins with all the spices, so that gives our heirloom recipe a distinctive taste,” says Ruzilla.

Ruzilla says her days of cooking are not over yet, as there is no one interested in taking over the mantle.

Although her three children are adept home cooks themselves, at the moment, none of them are interested in cooking traditional Malay food. 

Which is why Ruzilla says her days of cooking are not over yet, as there is no one interested in taking over the mantle.

“My kids are not into cooking traditional food. And my sisters also don’t want to do this as well, so it will still be me doing the Hari Raya cooking for the foreseeable future lah,” she says, laughing.

AYAM MASAK MERAH

AYAM MASAK MERAH

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 whole chicken, chopped into small pieces

For blending together finely

• 2 big onions
• 1 shallot
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1.2 cm ginger

For cooking

• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 star anise
• 3 cloves
• 2 cardamoms
• 1 can tomato puree
• 2 to 3 tbsp gula apong or palm sugar
• 4 tbsp cili boh
• 2 stalks lemongrass, crushed
• 1 sprig pandan leaf
• 3 tbsp wet kerisik (toasted, grated coconut paste)
• salt and sugar to taste

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1. Clean, drain and dry the chicken. Then deep-fry until just browned or pan-sear until browned on the surface but not fully cooked inside. Set aside.
2. In a large pan, heat oil and saute the blended paste along with cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamoms until fragrant and translucent.
3. Stir in the tomato puree, gula apong and cili boh and cook until the oil separates from the mixture.
4. Once the oil separates, add the chicken, lemongrass and pandan leaf. Stir well to coat the chicken in the sauce.
5. Add water to the sauce and cook chicken over low heat until the chicken is fully coated in the sauce.
6. Add kerisik and season with salt and sugar to taste. Continue cooking until chicken is fully cooked. Serve hot.

DAGING MASAK HITAM

DAGING MASAK HITAM

Serves 4 to 6

For marinating the meat

• 1kg beef, sliced
• 2 to 3 tbsp gula apong or palm sugar
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp kicap manis
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup black raisins, soaked, drained and pounded finely

For blending finely

• 2 big onions
• 3 shallots
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic
• 1 small piece of ginger

For cooking

• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 star anise
• 3 cloves
• 2 cardamom
• 3 tbsp wet kerisik (toasted, grated coconut paste)
• salt, pepper and sugar to taste

Marinate the beef with the gula apong, soy sauces, sugar and black raisins overnight for best results.

In a large pan, heat oil and saute the blended mixture alongside the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and cardamom until fragrant and translucent.

Add the marinated beef to the pan and mix well. Pour in 1 cup of water and combine everything thoroughly.

Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until the water is fully absorbed by the meat.

Once the liquid has evaporated, stir in the kerisik. If required, add more water to reach desired consistency. Continue cooking until the beef is tender.

Season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste and serve hot with rice.