Awal Ramadhan: To make or not to make?

Lemang that is..(big decision nih..)
1. The special beras pulus (glutinous rice) is already bought all the way from Kelantan. Need to mix with normal beras pulut (not-from-Kelantan one) so that the lemang wasn’t so soft ie. lembik instead of lembut)
2. Tukang jaga lemang – Bakar lemang IS big business. There’s skills involved from the api (bila nak besar bila nak kecik), the kayu (mana jenis kayu yg panas bila jadi bara & mana yg tak), when to turn around the lemang, when to hentak2 the lemang supaya padat, and most importantly to cook the lemang just right so that is not berkerak, lembut tak terlalu padat & tak cepat basi.
3. The advanced preparation involves: kayu api sebagai bahan bakar (readied), buluh (bamboo) - kena order dulu (the right size, tak gomuk tak kurus sgt), santan kelapa tua –pun kena order jugak (lomak yg just enak) and daun pisang (banana leafs - ada kat belakang rumah) sebagai pembalut/sarung dalam buluh.
4. Reason: Mak has been talking about it for quiet some time.. I guess she missed all the anaks and cucus – all the more reasons for us to gather together!
5. Siblings' responses so far:
Bila lak k.Cxx kato nak balik buek lomang?
Anak k.Lxxx tak makan lomang sumo tu…
(Bro#3’s wife’s #2 due date is anytime now…)
Nantilah k.Cx Tanya Abang Rxxxx kau kot2 dia boleh…tapi klu rumah Pilah buek gak??
Axxxx balik naik moto je…(abih tu, anak bini tu tak payah makan lomang?)
Bro#2: Dah confirm nanti ngko bagi tau lah… (ie. dah siap masak panggil kita org makan
tau!)
(Err…the writer is known as not a good-cooker (refer Lollies’s) so cannot be harap to
buat and jaga the lemang and most especially the rendang. It has to be ayam kampong
baru syiookkkk!!! But, but I’m on diet la….)
6. Timing – bila nak buek? Takkan lah sokgi posa arini baru nak bakar? Mano
sompek nak makan wooo….ponek laiee…(It’s either this coming weekend or the next one)
7. Let it be known that this is a family tradition to sambut Ramadhan @/& Raya).
When ayah was around, another tradition is to kacau dodol (orang nogori panggil penganan
biaso eh). Very tiring but fun..

This is the story of my late dad and the making of dodol.
He prepared everything – went to get the beras jadi tepung kat kilang, lots and lots of coconuts & tonnes of sugar (better yet some gula kabung/melaka). Some years, he tried for variation – dodol with kacang panggang, lempuk durian etc. but not as good as plain old dodol. On the actual day, mak will start kukur kelapa (long before we have machine) before Subuh. Then the female neighbours will come & help ramas the kelapa for the santan. Then all the manly male neighbours will come & help during the kacau part…I did tried to kacau once – it’s nothing when the dodol belum jadi but do try once it become thick – cannot move the kayu pengacau!! Only the guys tackle this part. Us kids will wait for the best part – to taste the dodol fresh from the kuali – penganan cair!! Emmmmm…bestnyerrr!

P/s: Buek lomang mano boleh sikit2, nak bagi jiran2 laie….