Single mum sells kuih karas to raise her five children

KANGAR, Jan 22 -- Staying true to her motto, where there is a will there is a way, single mother Sayangni Ibrahim has never looked back in doing her best to make and sell traditional snack, kuih karas, to raise her five children after losing her husband seven years ago.

Sayangni, 51, from Kampung Gial, Mata Ayer, said she started her kuih karas business seriously after losing her husband Mat Husin Abdullah, as she needed a source of income to raise her family.

“Making this kuih karas requires a lot of patience even though it may look easy but not many people are willing to make it because the process is quite trivial compared with other modern snacks,” she told Bernama here recently.

For the uninitiated, kuih karas, which resembles deep-fried bee hoon (rice vermicelli), is a traditional snack with its delicate string-like texture and a mild sugary flavour.

Sayangni, who is affectionately known as Kak Yani, said she started learning how to make kuih karas from her late grandmother Rumit Mat Akil when she was 19 years old.

“The ingredients to make kuih karas are simple but the measurements of water, sugar, rice flour and wheat flour must be accurate to ensure it will be tasty, crunchy without breaking easily,” she said when preparing the batter.

She said she has been using a 30-year-old mold, made from coconut shell, bought from a woodcarver in Santan.

“I have tried to use another mold that I just bought but the result was not as beautiful,” she said while putting the flour mixture into the mold before frying.

“Kuih karas comes in various shapes – triangular, round, semi-circular or long – depending on the maker,” she said while folding the kuih karas into a triangular shape during frying.

She also said that she prefers to produce triangular-shaped kuih karas as she believes the shape can last longer without breaking easily.

“Alhamdulillah, I often received requests from customers from all over the country especially during Aidilfitri, AidilAdha and the school holiday season for weddings,” she said adding that she produces about 500 pieces of kuih karas daily.

However, she lamented that not many people were interested in making kuih karas because young people were more interested in making modern cookies and snacks.

She also welcomed the proposal of Mata Ayer assemblywoman, Siti Berenee Yahaya who wanted to make the area a hub for traditional cakes under the one state constituency one product programme.

“It is hoped that this effort will not only attract tourists to come to Perlis but also invite young people to preserve the heritage of this traditional Malay snacks,” she said, adding that she was ready to provide guidance to those who were interested, especially the younger generation.

-- BERNAMA