Good things to come 12 Festival Munchies

Good Things to Come

For the second year in a row the after effects of Covid-19 have prevented many indigenous groups from embracing their festive seasons in a grand manner. We miss seeing the colourful native dresses and costumes worn by women with bright eyes and beaming smiles. We miss the aggressive undercurrent of energy radiating from the wardress-clad men, warriors armed with shield and blade. We miss it all and thus keep our fingers crossed that 2022 will not see a three-peat occur. Until then, all we can do is reminisce and dream of bygone festivals, and those yet to come.

5 THINGS WE MISS ABOUT KAAMANTAN (MAY 30-31):

Gorgeous Unduk Ngadau Beauty Pageant contestants Mysterious Bobohizan Priestesses Montoku rice wine, aka ‘Sabahan Vodka’ The elegant avian swaying of the Sumazau Dance Exotic fare such as Hinava, Bambangan, and Butod

5 THINGS WE MISS ABOUT GAWAI DAYAK (JUNE 1-2): 5 THINGS WE MISS ABOUT IRA ACO LUN BAWANG (JUNE 1):

Stunning Kumang & Keling Gawai Beauty Pageant participants Nimble and deft Magunatip bamboo pole dance Blowpipe skill-of-arms Great food such as Sarang Semut, Cuwan, Kui Sepit, and Ngelulun Pulut. It’s not really a party without some Tuak. Need we say more?

ERAU (SEPTEMBER 28): DID YOU KNOW …

Erau means crowded, noisy, and joyful. The Mengulur Naga is a colourful dragon procession. Participants spray each other with water during Belimbur. The weeklong event has evolved from a traditional 14th Century festival, to an international folklore festival in 2009 with 11 participating countries. The festival was originally held to inaugurate new kings in Kalimantan back in the day. The Nguip Suling bamboo flute band The bamboo Angklung musical performance Beefy Tug-of-War contests Alluring Ruran Ulung Beauty Pageant contenders The show of unity between the Lun Bawang and their peers from Sabah, the Lun Dayeh

Festival Munchies

Festivals are a great source of cheap and cheerful traditional foods, and while all of these dishes can be enjoyed outside the confines of cultural celebrations, everything just seems to taste nicer when the mood and setting is right. From Gawai Dayak, Kaamantan, Erau, and Irau Aco Lun Bawang, how many – if any – of these dishes have you tried?

BAMBANGAN

A wild seasonal mango that is endemic to Borneo, and popular with the Kadazan-Dusuns during Kaamantan. It is known for its acid sweet pulpy flesh, which sometimes has a mild banana flavour, and thick edible skin that can be pickled and dipped in Sambal Belacan. Good for pickling, curries, stir-fries, fish dishes, or even just with plain white rice.

PICKLED BAMBANGAN INGREDIENTS:

2 to 3 unripe Bambangan Keep the seeds Bird’s Eye Chillies Salt (taste to self-preference)

DIRECTIONS:

Peel the Bambangan, then slice the pulp into cubes

Split and then grate the inner portion of the seed.

Mix all of the ingredients

Put the mixture into a container, cover it tightly, and keep it at room temperature for 1 week. Nice and simple.

TUHAU

Immensely popular in Sabah, this wild ginger dish is surprisingly difficult to source outside of the state; therefore not all Malaysians are familiar with it. It has a distinctive smell and tangy flavour. It is versatile, and can be eaten as an appetiser, made into a spicy sambal, or cooked with salted fish.

INGREDIENTS:

(4 servings)

5-8 stems of Tuhau 5 bird’s eye chillies 1 lime

Shrimp paste

Salt (taste to self preference)

DIRECTIONS

Peel the hard outer skin of the Tuhau stem, remove the soft part inside, and then chop it finely into a bowl.

Mash the bird’s eye chillies, and mix it with the chopped Tuhau stem.

Add salt and squeeze the lime juice into the mixture. Stir well to ensure flavour is evenly spread.

Leave the mixture to sit and marinate for around 15-20 minutes, and before you know it, your Tuhau is ready to be served.

NGELULUN PULUT

A simple dish often prepared on the eve of Gawaii, and it is as simple as it gets. Glutinous rice roasted within enclosed bamboo shoots over a fire. Once ready, slice the shoot lengthways and then scrape the harvest festival’s bounty onto a plate.

INGREDIENTS:

1kg glutinous rice 1kg coconut milk

Salt and sugar (taste to self preference)

Bamboo logs

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and soak the glutinous rice for a maximum of 3 hours.

Mix the rice, coconut milk, salt and sugar in a bowl.

Pour the mixture into the bamboo logs and roast over a wood/charcoal fire for 30 to 40 minutes. Don’t forget to flip the logs for even heat coverage.

Scrape the rice out and enjoy!

PANSOH MANOK

An absolute must have Iban delicacy during Gawaii. Think about it. Chicken, lemongrass, garlic, red onion, galangal, ginger and chilies – all chopped up and stuffed into a bamboo shoot. By cooking the shoots over a fire, the flavours get locked in, resulting in juicy and tender chicken, and flavourful gravy. Mmm-Mmm!

INGREDIENTS:

1kg whole chicken, cut into small pieces 8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 5 red onions, finely chopped 6 stalks of lemongrass, thinly sliced 100g of galangal, finely chopped 20g bungkang leaves (‘daun salam’ or ‘dry bay leaf’) 10 red chillies, sliced 1 tbsp salt

Bamboo log or aluminium foil 5 stalks tapioca leaves

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and clean the chicken

Mix all of the ingredients (except the last 2) and combine it with the chicken. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes.

Stuff the mixture into the bamboo log or aluminium foil. Seal it close with a gob of tapioca leaves.

Cook slowly over burning wood/ charcoal for 45 minutes, or bake at 120 degrees Celcius for 30 minutes.

To serve: Remove the tapioca leaves, and then drain the gravy into a bowl. Then extract the chicken and arrange on a serving plate with the gravy.