Wednesday August 1, 2012

Baked potatoes and kerabu stall at Subang Jaya bazaar draw the crowd

By TAN KARR WEI
karrwei@thestar.com.my

FOR the fasting month, Ramadan bazaars have sprung up in residential areas and commercial centres throughout the Klang Valley.

There are 26 Ramadan bazaars under the Subang Jaya Municipal Council’s (MPSJ), with the biggest being the one in SS18, Subang Jaya.

The SS18 bazaar used to be bigger with 200 lots previously. The number of lots was reduced to facilitate traffic flow after residents complained about the congestion in the area due to the LRT construction works. However, the atmosphere remains lively and traders normally set up their stalls as early as 4pm.

Besides the regular favourites like ayam percik, nasi lemak and nasi briyani, there are also interesting creations like the baked potatoes by trader Mohd Razali Jaafar and his wife Faidha Azween Zakaria.

Husband-and-wife enterprise: Mohd Razali and Faidha busy making baked potatoes at their stall.

“The potatoes are cut in half and stuffed with different fillings and topped with cheese. We wrap the potato in aluminium foil and grill it over a fire.

“Malaysians can’t make do without some spice in their food so the meat is cooked with some spices and herbs to give it that extra flavour,” explained Razali, 33, who usually sells the potatoes at the farmer’s market (pasar tani) in Shah Alam.

Among the flavours that Razali has created are Cheesy Cheese, Cheesy Beef, Cheesy Chic’n, Cheesy Chic’n Mushroom, Cheesy Beef Mushroom and Smoky Chic’n Sausage which is priced at RM4 each.

“We have created 20 flavours but we rotate every few days,” he said.

Trader Noor Hasni Yusof, 32, was seen preparing the ingredients for the kerabu (Thai salad) that she was selling.

Creamy and yummy: A close-up look of Razali’s baked potatoes.

“Our speciality is the raw papaya and mango kerabu. Each packet costs RM4 and the sauce is packed separately so that customers can mix it just before they eat it,” she said.

The tangy salad also contains long beans, tomatoes and crushed peanuts, making it an appetising starter to break fast with.

MPSJ health and enforcement officers were also seen at the bazaar as they conducted checks to ensure food operators had been given the typhoid vaccination.

Senior licensing assistant director Muhammad Azli Miswan said those without the proper vaccination certification would be issued a compound starting from RM50.

The tasty kerabu is neatly packaged with the sauce packed separately.

“The amount will be higher for repeat offenders. We will also check on bazaars daily to ensure that traders are not renting out their lots to other people,” said Azli.

Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh also visited the bazaar on the first day of Ramadan to ensure the traffic situation was under control.

“MPSJ has assigned 15 enforcement officers to manage the traffic daily. Residents within this area have been given car stickers so that only those living here are allowed to enter certain roads,” said Yeoh.

She also advised customers patronising the bazaar to be considerate and not park in front of residents’ houses.