Invitation To A Malay Wedding

Trying to be a smart ass, I was removing certain programme files to speed up my computer start-up but ended up having to send it in for reformatting. The three days without the computer were hellish; I didn't realize how much I was addicted to it. Anyway that it not the reason for this post.

Went to a kampung Malay wedding two days ago and had some really good food. A kampung Malay wedding lunch usually stretches from about 12.00 noon to about 5.30 pm. The good thing about a Malay wedding lunch is that you are not supposed to hang around after you have had your fill, as guests continue to stream in.

The lunch itself comprised saffron rice, mutton rendang, beef in tomato and chili sauce, chicken in tomato and chili sauce, and acar, a sort of mixed pickled fruit (pineapple) and vegetables (cucumber and onions).

The food is usually prepared in the backyard, or a sheltered place to facilitate the cooking which takes place the whole duration of the lunch.

It was a very satisfying lunch.

A Kampung Malay wedding

The kompang that announces the arrival of the couple

The place where the bersanding ceremony takes place

Food for the guests

Mutton rendang, beef in tomato and chili sauce and pickled fruit and vegetables

Tapai wrapped in banana leaves and a hardboiled egg

Tapai, which is fermented glutinous rice is sweet and slightly pungent; it is taken as a dessert

Hard boiled eggs in quaint decorative boxes given to guests

Cooking in the backyard

Stirring a big pot of beef rendang

This is chicken cooked in tomato and chili sauce

Man replenishing trays of food

Saffron rice