Masjid India keeps Ramadan bubur lambuk tradition alive

 

Each packet of bubur lambuk from Masjid India Kuala Lumpur can feed up to four people. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)

KUALA LUMPUR: On a scorching Wednesday afternoon, a long queue is already forming behind Masjid India Kuala Lumpur. There is a palpable sense of anticipation as those in line wait to take home their packet of bubur lambuk, which the mosque distributes for free during Ramadan.

The porridge, using a recipe from India, is flavourful and rich in spices, making it the perfect dish with which to break fast.

“Masjid India’s bubur lambuk tradition is one of the earliest in KL. It is believed to have been started in the 1970s by an imam, Sheikh Alau’din,” mosque manager and secretary Muhammad Nasrul Haq Abdul Latif told FMT Lifestyle.

“We cook 13 large pots daily and distribute about 1,000 packets or more behind the mosque,” the 32-year-old added.

Each large packet can feed up to four people. The mosque also prepares at least 750 bowls of porridge for those wishing to break their fast onsite.

According to Nasrul, in Islam, the reward for giving alms is multiplied during the holy month.

The mosque has been distributing free bubur lambuk during Ramadan since the 1970s. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)

Good intentions aside, how does the mosque cope with rising food prices, particularly since approximately 130kg of rice and 15kg of chicken are cooked daily?

“Before Covid, the daily cost to cook 13 pots was about RM2,500 to RM3,000. After Covid, it rose to RM3,500. Last year, it increased to RM4,500 and, this year, it’s RM4,700,” he shared.

This increase, Nasrul explained, was owing to the high prices of rice, chicken, vegetables and ghee. “Alhamdulillah, our donors are not the type to question the increase in cost. They are waiting and whatever amount we need, they give.”

 

There is a different donor every day, he said, and for most, their generosity has spanned decades. This is true even with those who are deceased, as their family members have stepped up to continue the tradition of donating during Ramadan.

Since their donor list for bubur lambuk distribution is full, incoming contributions are used to address the mosque’s other needs.

“Muslims in Malaysia, especially the Indian-Muslim community, are very generous,” Nasrul noted.

Nasrul says their donors remain generous despite the rising cost of living. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)

Hussin Saib Ismail @ Eusoff, 55, told FMT Lifestyle that he has been coming to Masjid India from his home in Kepong for over a decade, and visits the mosque on at least 15 days during the holy month.

“When we break fast with bubur lambuk, it’s good for the stomach. It’s like soup with a lot of spices. It’s delicious,” he said.

A similar sentiment was echoed by Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, 68, who runs a business in the area. “Once you taste it, you’ll want to come back every year,” he said.

In fact, he has been coming here for 50 years, and is the second generation in his family to do so!

Such feedback means the world to the man behind the porridge, Sathakkathullah Hameed, 45, who hails from Tamil Nadu, India. He learnt the recipe back home and has been cooking it at the mosque every Ramadan for over two decades.

Sathakkathullah Hameed has been cooking porridge at the mosque for over two decades. (Muhammad Rabbani Jamian @ FMT Lifestyle)

Preparing large quantities of porridge – especially when he is fasting – is no easy feat. Sathakkathullah’s day starts at 6am when he prepares his masala mix, a blend of spices from India that infuses the porridge and gives it its instantly recognisable flavour.

Then, with his small team of helpers, he stands over massive hot cauldrons, cooking batches of porridge until about 2pm, when packing begins.

Although distribution doesn’t start until 4.30pm, people start queuing as early as 3pm. Each person is entitled to one packet.

During FMT Lifestyle’s visit, it took less than an hour to distribute at least 1,000 packets! After the last of the crowd leaves, cleaning begins.

For Sathakkathullah, the days are long, hot and exhausting, but he finds joy in giving back to the community. “When we give to others, it’s good, and that is why I do this.” - FMT