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Pendang

Pendang was once a place where elephants resided. The term ‘Pendang’ is a local term used by the indigenous people of the past, which means a pit or pond created by the people at that time to capture or trap elephants. The population in this district consists of Malays, Siamese, Chinese, and Indians. Kubur Panjang (Long Grave) is one of the historical remnants still present in this area. The length of this grave grows daily, and the grave area is preserved and maintained to become one of the historical sites in the Pendang district.

District Heritage Food:

  • Gulai Pucuk Juaq 

  • Ketupat Daun Buluh 

Gulai Pucuk Juaq

Eating Ketupat Daun Buluh with Gulai Pucuk Juaq or in other words, Pucuk Johar, is a perfect combination. It has been said that this food stands out on special occasions, especially on Hari Raya. This Pucuk Juaq can be seen in the rural areas of the Pendang district and areas on the same border as Thailand. However, Pucuk Juaq is becoming harder to find because few people plant them. This pucuk is very well-known in Siamese society, and they will grow them by the paddy field borders in Pendang. According to locals, the Siamese society has always adored Pucuk Juaq and will eat them with chicken or fish, along with rice. Pucuk Juaq must be boiled three to five times to eliminate the bitter taste. However, it is recommended to only boil it a few times to retain its nutrients. After boiling, the pucuk must be squeezed and strained. It is then boiled again with new a batch of clean water. People have said that pucuk can remedy high fever and malaria. It is widely eaten as a side dish in India and Sri Lanka.

Ketupat Daun Buluh

Ketupat Daun Buluh is a special dish for the people in the Pendang district. This ketupat is believed to have been brought into the state of Kedah as food supply by the soldiers of Siam and the traders from China in ancient times. They are widely known as Elephant Ketupat, Chang Ketupat, and Cina Ketupat. Additionally, they can last from three to seven days. This ketupat is remarkable because it uses bamboo leaves and is wrapped significantly different from the other ketupats in Malaysia. The bamboo leaf must be broad, smooth, and not fuzzy to avoid itchiness.

Furthermore, the glutinous rice is soaked and mixed with sodium silicate. The colour will change to a yellowish hue and create a unique, memorable, rare taste. According to the stories from the people of the Pendang district, this ketupat is named the Elephant Ketupat because the name of Pendang itself originated from the word ‘Pendiat’ which means a ditch or a hole that has been dug mainly to catch and tame elephants. The elephants that were tamed will shower near the well that is located close to the Pendang district Police Station. According to history, this well is ancient and has never dried up, even though it endured a very long drought. Other than that, elephants were the official vehicles used by the Kedah State Government to send ‘ufti’ or gold flowers to Siam. Subsequently, this ketupat is named the ‘Elephant Ketupat’ as the symbol of elephants.

Recipe

Gulai Pucuk Juaq

Ingredients

  • Juaq/ Johar leaves – 2 ties (boiled and dried)
  • Mackerel fish fillets – 3 pieces (boiled and pounded)
  • Thick coconut milk – 2 cups
  • Fish curry powder paste – 5 tablespoons
  • Red onions – 5 bulbs (blended)
  • Garlic – 2 bulbs (blended)
  • Bird’s eye chillies – 5 sprigs (blended)
  • Red chillies – 1 sprig (blended)
  • Cooking oil – ½ cup
  • Curry leaf – 2 stems
  • Salt to taste
  • Seasoning powder to taste

Directions

  1. Boil johar leaves until boiling. Discard the water and replace it with clean water. Boil the johar leaves 3 times. Then, wash and squeeze until they are dehydrated.
  2. Blend ingredients such as red onion, garlic, bird’s eye, and red chillies until smooth. Mix the fish curry powder paste into the blended ingredients.
  3. Then, heat the oil in a pot and sauté the blended ingredients from earlier.
  4. Add the curry leaves to the stir-fry and stir-fry until fragrant, and the oil separates.
  5. Put the coconut milk into the stir-fry and the boiled mackerel fish fillets. Then, season with salt and seasoning powder.
  6. Continuously stir, and do not let the gulai’s oil separate. Then, cook until it boils.
  7. Gulai pucuk juaq is ready to be served and eaten with bamboo leaf ketupat.

Recipe

Ketupat Daun Buluh

Ingredients

  • Sodium silicate – a few drops
  • Milky glutinous rice – 1 kgBamboo leaves (broad-leaved type)
  • Rafia strings – fine strings
  • Pijat powder – 1 or 2 tablespoons

Directions

  1. Rinse the milky glutinous rice with milk thoroughly and drain.
  2. Next, sprinkle a mixture of sodium silicate with water onto the strained glutinous rice. The mixture is used to add a slight color to the glutinous rice and give it a chewy and sticky texture when cooked.
  3. Then, clean and dry bamboo leaves. It’s advisable to boil and wash them several times to remove any itchiness and irritants from the leaves.
  4. Afterward, scoop glutinous rice into the bamboo leaves and wrap it neatly into a ketupat before securing it with finely shredded raffia strings.
  5. Heat water in a pot and boil the wrapped ketupat when the water comes to a boil. Also, add one or two tablespoons of pijat powder to the boiling water. Ensure that the water level is above the level of the ketupat in the pot while boiling.
  6. Also, make sure to consistently add water to the pot whenever the boiling water level goes below the level of the ketupat.
  7. Then, boil the ketupat until cooked, and usually, it will take around 4 hours.
  8. Finally, cool the ketupat when it’s soft by hanging it in a dry place.
  9. The ketupat is ready to be eaten. This ketupat can be enjoyed with Gulai Pucuk Juaq, serunding, condensed milk, or diluted palm sugar syrup according to individual preferences.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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