Once a year, when Hari Raya comes around, there will be a flurry of activity in Yulimar Hasan Basri’s modest kitchen.
In her family, the grandmother of 16 from Serendah, Selangor, is known for making kuih gunting (scissors snacks), a crispy, savoury delight made with ingredients like wheat flour, margarine, fennel and egg
Yulimar (left) preparing kuih gunting with her daughter Nurayati (right) and her grandchildren, Muhammad Adam Haikal Junaidi (second from left) and Anis Fatima Mohd Azeri (centre). Photos: The Star/Faihan Ghani“Gunting” is the Malay word for “scissors” and the snack got its name from the fact that it is cut into thin strips with a pair of scissors.
“Kuih gunting is a must-have during Raya as everyone in my family loves to eat it. Sometimes, my grandchildren will finish it before we can even pack it in bottles,” says Yulimar, 66, during an interview in Kg Tok Pinang, Serendah recently.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. It is the first day of Syawal, the 10th month of the Muslim calendar.
Also known as Hari Raya Puasa, this special celebration signifies the end of fasting for Muslims as families and friends gather to partake in festivities.
And naturally, food forms a big part of the celebration, with many traditional must-have treats.
Family bonding
In Yulimar’s family, kuih gunting is their signature Raya snack. The Minangkabau woman, born in Sulawesi, Indonesia, learned the recipe from her grandmother and has since passed down the tradition to her children, including homemaker Nurayati Ridwan, 42, and son, businessman Mohd Aiman Ridwan, 29.
She also hopes her five-year-old granddaughter Anis Fatima Mohd Azeri will learn to make it one day.
“For me, Hari Raya is not just about celebrating the end of Ramadan, it’s also about preserving family traditions and strengthening family ties. This kuih gunting recipe has been in my family for over 80 years. I’m happy my children have learned to make it,” said the soft-spoken Yulimar.
The process of making kuih gunting is time-consuming and requires much patience and skill.
In the days leading up to Hari Raya, Yulimar and Nurayati would gather in her kitchen to make the snack, often amidst much laughter and chatter.
For this Raya, they have prepared 20 bottles of kuih gunting in different flavours like onion, spinach, anchovies and salted egg for their family and neighbours.
In addition, they also run a small home business selling the snack, which they started during the pandemic. Yulimar said her son-in-law Mohamad Azeri Hairuddin, 48, was the one who encouraged her to keep active at home by selling kuih gunting.
“It was during the movement control order when all of us were confined at home that we started doing it. We have been operating our business for three years now,” says Yulimar, adding that Mohamad Azeri uploads and shares photos of the treat on Facebook.
To make kuih gunting, kneaded dough is cut into thin strips before being deep-fried.
Since the start of Ramadan, they have been busy fulfilling orders for the delicious snack.
But more importantly, making kuih gunting allows the family to come together and bond over a shared experience.
“As we work, Mak loves to share stories about her childhood and how her grandmother used to make kuih gunting for special occasions. Over the years, Mak has perfected her recipe, tweaking it to suit her own taste and also to reflect the changing times.
“For example, salted egg yolk is a new creation which her grandkids enjoy. However, most of us prefer the traditional flavours like spinach and onion,” says Nurayati.
The basic ingredients and technique have remained the same – a simple dough made from flour, margarine and egg rolled out and cut into thin strips before being deep-fried until golden brown and crispy.
To make crispy kuih gunting, the secret is to cut the dough thinly with a pair of scissors.
The process of making kuih gunting is time-consuming and requires much patience and skill, Yulimar explains.
“First, the dough is mixed and kneaded until it is smooth. Then, it is rolled into a cylindrical dough before being cut into long, thin strips using a sharp pair of scissors. To make crispy kuih gunting, the secret is to cut the dough thinly.
“In the days leading up to Hari Raya, Nurayati and I start making kuih gunting after sahur, and we try to complete at least 20 bottles each day by zohor prayers.”
The savoury snack is a perfect accompaniment to sweet treats like kuih semperit and peanut cookies typically served during Hari Raya.
“Mum prefers to make savoury snacks for Hari Raya. She has never been interested in making cakes and cookies. I learned most of the biscuit recipes like pineapple tarts and London almond cookies from my friends and the Internet,” says Nurayati, who has two sons.
Yulimar and Nurayati also prepare kacang tojin, a savoury peanut snack made by the Minangkabau community during Raya. This traditional fried delicacy is made with fresh garlic, pepper and coconut milk.
The crispy and savoury kuih gunting is the perfect snack during Hari Raya.
Honouring traditions
For Yulimar, making kuih gunting and kacang tojin is a way to keep her grandmother’s recipes alive and pass down the traditions she holds dear to her heart.
“By preserving them, we ensure that future generations have a sense of identity and belonging.”
For Hari Raya, Yulimar will serve her staple homemade dishes such as chicken rendang and spicy sambal lado (a spicy dish cooked with bird’s eye chili and onions). One of her signature items is ketupat ketan, a Sumatran delicacy where compressed rice is wrapped in woven coconut leaves and cooked in coconut milk.
Making kuih gunting allows Yulimar (right) and Nurayati to come together and bond over a shared experience.
These family recipes are also passed down from generation to generation.
“There is a sense of pride in preserving these family recipes. My mother inherited it from her mother, so she passed it down to me. And God willing, I will pass it down to my children, and I hope they will pass it down to the next generation. These are inherited recipes, so they need to be preserved.”
This Raya, Yulimar’s home will be filled with much merrymaking as family and friends gather to celebrate the festive occasion. The kuih gunting will be a hit, as always, and those who made it will be happy to watch their loved ones enjoy the fruits of their labour.
For Yulimar, making kuih gunting is more than just preparing a delicious snack for Hari Raya. It is about coming together as a family, about bonding over a shared love of food and tradition, and about keeping the memories of her forefathers alive.
“In the end, it is not the kuih gunting itself that is the most important thing, but rather the memories and traditions it represents. I know that as long as my children and I continue to honour these traditions, the legacy of my ancestors will live on for generations to come.”
