In multicultural Malaysia, everyone regardless of race and religion, look forward to the special month where quality time with family and friends over good food are celebrated when breaking fast.

Ramadan is such a wonderful time to be in Malaysia because of the abundance of local street markets known as Ramadan bazaars where Malaysians from all walks of life can find cheap, good food.

You can literally find everything in Ramadan bazaars, from the familiar nasi lemak and murtabak to the unique Ayam Pasu and Ayam Bajet.

But we know what you Malaysians can't say no to: yummy sweet desserts. Rojak Daily has taken the liberty to list down the must-try desserts you can find at Ramadan bazaars all around the Klang Valley:

Tepung Pelita

Location: Bazaar Ramadan Taman Seri Bayu

For the unsuspecting person’s eye, the soft and jiggly stuff may look unappetising at first. Dig into and you will find a sweetness that will seep into your being. The famous Malays dessert is made out of rice flour, corn flour, coconut milk and sugar all wrapped in a bowl shaped out of pandan leaves. The concoction is steamed to perfection over low flame to maintain its softness.

You can generally find Tepung Pelita everywhere, but only certain places sell those that fall in the delicious category like the ones sold at a stall called Tepung Pelita AM Bayu in Ampang. The owner is a humble lady named Desri Mohd Rashid who learnt the art of making Tepung Pelita from her mother.

Her stall is flocked by hundreds of people every day and she sells more than 5,000 pieces of Tepung Pelita. She even have loyal customers who have been buying from her for more than 10 years! Talk about pulling in the crowd.

The best part about her Tepung Pelita is the fact that she sells five pieces of Tapung Pelita for a humble RM2. That is a bargain that should not be missed.

Popiah Power

Location: Bazaar Ramadan TTDI

Although not a delicacy of the sweet variety, popiah is famed to be one of the go-to food to end a satisfying meal. There are a variety of popiah types but the most common ones that you can find at Ramadan bazaars are popiah basah, popiah goreng and popiah goreng bersira.

One of the more famous popiah stalls is the one found in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI). The stall, which is named ‘Popiah Power’, has been around for years and attracts customers with its mountainous pile of popiah that anyone can spot from miles away.

It is a more modern take on the classic popiah: a thin, almost transparent layer of popiah skin is filled with marinated vegetables, meat or seafood, peanuts and sauces before being rolled, deep fried and served with sweet, hot sambal.

Try some and taste the deliciousness yourself!

Tau Foo Fah Pandan

Location: Bazaar Ramadan Bandar Baru Ampang

What used to be a dish traditionally sold by Chinese traders at markets or by the roadside, Tou Foo Fah (douhua in Mandarin), is a type of soy bean pudding that is loved by many.

Tau Foo Fah is basically a delicious silken tofu served with sweet syrup. With evolving times, the humble Tau Foo Fah broke racial boundaries and can easily be found in most Ramadan bazaars. In fact, the dish which is usually served with white sugar syrup or brown sugar syrup, got a Malay twist in Ramadan bazaars where traders sell pandan-flavoured Tau Foo Fah to their customers.

The pandan-flavoured Tau Foo Fah is such a hit with customers that one seller at the Bandar Baru Ampang bazaar said that he is planning to introduce a new flavour which is Strawberry Tau Foo Fah.

Kaya Balls

Location: Bazaar Ramadan Taman Seri Bayu

The name may arouse curiosity in the minds of those who have not tasted these succulent little balls filled with Malaysians’ favourite spread: coconuty seri kaya.

Made from the same ingredients used to make fluffy pancakes such as flour, sugar, butter, sugar, salt and vanilla essence, one can imagine how the kaya balls would taste like.

A bite into these soft balls will give way to hot kaya oozing into your mouth. After diligently fasting for a day, these kaya balls, sold at RM3 for ten pieces, would be a great appetiser to waken up your taste buds, or the perfect dessert to eat after a full meal.

Putu Bambu

Location: Bazaar Ramadan Kampung Baru

Putu bambu is type of steamed rice cake originating from the famed Indian dessert puttu. It consists of rice flour stuffed with palm sugar and steamed in Bamboo tubes and then sprinkled with grated coconut and sugar.

Putu bamboo is a favourite among the locals and could satisfy a sweet tooth’s craving in a jiffy. The stall that you should try is the one located at the Kampung Baru bazaar.

Akok

Location: Bazaar Ramadan Bandar Baru Ampang

Akok is a type of traditional Malay cake that is popular in the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu.

For the untrained eyes, Akok, a delicacy made out of flour, sugar, eggs and coconut milk, may look a little uninviting with its wrinkly appearance. However, it is filled with a sweet, custardy centre that makes it a heaven to bite into.

Although it used to be sold plain and ready to be eaten just like that, these days, you can find flavoured Akok in a lot of places. Common flavours include pandan, corn and gula Melaka. The stall at the Bandar Baru Ampang bazaar sells them at RM0.70 per piece.

Kuih Sri Gandus

Location: Bazaar Ramadan Bandar Baru Ampang

A fraction of Ramadan bazaar-goers may not have heard of this sweet delicacy but the fact remains that it has been around for decades.

Kuih Sri Gandus looks a little like fluffy pancakes, albeit smaller in size and slightly thicker in texture. Some people say it also resembles Japanese cartoon character Doraemon’s famous Dorayaki because of the round shape.