KEPALA BATAS, March 13 (Bernama) — About 1,000 visitors to the Mahabbah@Bertam Square Carnival here were treated to a unique culinary experience when organisers served “gulai rusa cicah roti benggali” as a special dish during the Moreh Perdana programme with Penang Deputy Chief Minister I last night.
“Moreh” is a Malaysian Ramadan tradition of having a light supper after the Terawih prayers.
Programme organiser Zaini Aboo Hassan said three deer were sacrificed to allow members of the public to enjoy the rarely available venison dish, while also adding variety to the moreh menu offered to visitors.
“Every year, we try to come up with new ideas to offer something different for visitors who come here to shop for Aidilfitri preparations. This year, Alhamdulillah, we managed to introduce another unique menu, stewed venison served with Benggali bread, which may not be available anywhere else.
“It was quite challenging to obtain the venison, but in the end we managed to source three deer from farms in Kedah and Kelantan, in addition to purchasing about 50 kilogrammes of additional venison meat and bones to ensure there was enough food for nearly 1,000 visitors,” he told reporters here last night.
Zaini said the preparation of the dish was also intended to share sustenance with the community, particularly those who rarely have the opportunity to taste venison.
He added that the organisers chose to stew the meat to allow more visitors to enjoy the dish compared to grilling or barbecuing, given the limited supply of the meat.
What made the dish even more special, he said, was that it was prepared by the carnival’s 15 crew members themselves, who spent two days preparing it, from processing the meat to cooking the dish.
For the early morning "sahur” (predawn meal during Ramadan) menu today, the organisers planned another unique dish, kibas meat cooked with “besalmah” and served with “chapati”.
Meanwhile, a visitor, Halimaton Ahmad, 50, from Teluk Kumbar, Balik Pulau, described her visit to the carnival as a pleasant surprise, as she did not expect to have the opportunity to taste venison.
She said she came with her husband, Saharuddin Abdul Ghani, as well as their son and daughter-in-law, initially just to browse and shop for Aidilfitri items.
“At first I thought we had to pay because I saw many people queuing, but it turned out the food was distributed to the public for free.
“I’ve eaten venison before, but this deer meat tastes different...it’s more tender, and when eaten with Benggali bread, it is really delicious,” she said, adding that it was her first taste of stewed venison.
—BERNAMA
