Melemang first time!

Pertama kali bakar lemang. A post on what I learnt from my first experience making lemang from scratch... 

• Beli buluh yang dah siap ada daun pisang dalamnya!

Because... You gotta have SKILLS to insert the pandan leaf inside the bamboo. Ya, ada caranya... Try to Google 'cara masukkan daun pisang dalam buluh'. There is a specific way to insert it. We're not skillful yet so it was a hassle to insert the banana leaf inside the bamboo! No wonder my mum made a BIG FUSS when we bought only the bamboos... I was thinking apa susah... Mana-mana pun ada jual, kebun pisang also got around our neighbourhood... 

• Got to have a frame/ pancang bakar lemang.

We already prepared the fire woods earlier (we trimmed our rambutan tree few weeks ago) but the iron rods for the frame? We kind of forgot about that. So earlier in the morning, Iz went around the neighbourhood asking for iron rods... 

• The ingredients are CHEAP. Yang buat mahal tu MASA...

The current price of lemang sebatang is about RM 14 to RM 18, depending mostly on the size of it. The bamboos, I bought them at Pasar Borong Selangor for only RM 1.50 per piece. The seller gave us discount, 7 pieces for RM 10. And then you'll need coconut milk (santan) and glutinous rice (beras pulut). The cost per lemang might be just between RM 5 to RM 7, excluding bahan bakar; kayu api, arang, minyak api... Yang mahal tu masa. TIME IS MONEY.

• And also skil membakar. Must know how to control the fire! (Read: firehhhhh)

There, got a few already burnt... Hangus. We really, really must know how to control the fire and heat. My brother and I were talking and reminiscing about our late grandfathers' lemang, a bit crusty on the outside but soft and berlemak in the inside...

Terlebih kerak sudah... my sil called it 'lemang gearbox' you know like sup gearbox tu.

• Patience is a virtue.

From 11.30 am... to 5 pm.

We took turns. The five of us, including that little girl in the hammock. We have to keep on turning the lemang to ensure it cooks well.

The result....

So hangus! My mum said, "Takpe rendam dalam kuah nanti lembut la tu..." if you notice, ada pisau roti tepi tu... yes we had to use that, macam menggergaji pokok.. macamtula.

Eatable.

Partially eatable.

Eatable... And Instagrammable ahaha.

Not too bad! Of course... Ada yang hangus, ada juga yang tak masak... But it's okay, at least we tried. And at least we have lemang for Raya. I heard some people didn't get the lemang they ordered because of some problems with majlis bandaran, I don't know. But my mums' ketupat palas was involved in that crisis too... We ended up making our own nasi impit that night.

And so I concluded, I will no longer complain if the lemang is a bit pricey. Provided that it's yummehhh.