MCO: 'Punten' opens doors for young Ipoh housewife to generate income

Starting out with a home-based online business, Aida Farkhanah, 24, now runs her own stall with her husband, Firdaus Sulaiman, 29, in front of her family home to continue to make an income.

The mother of one said that she started learning how to make punten via YouTube. The savoury punten is her signature dish at her stall in Kampung Sri Kinta, alongside banana fritters and various other kuih as well as keropok lekor.

Aida said that punten is a traditional dish, popular among the Javanese community in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. It is similar to nasi impit (pressed rice), which is popular among the Malays especially during Aidilfitri celebrations or other festivals, although punten is said to be more savoury due to coconut milk and salt being added while preparing it, to enhance the taste.

"Punten, usually served with spicy sambal, is indeed according to Javanese taste, which is known for an affinity towards spicy delicacies. Hence, many customers of Javanese descent like to buy this dish at our shop. However, for some of them, it was the first time they were trying this punten.

"I sell punten because of its uniqueness compared with others. Usually, when you mention Javanese dishes, you will definitely think of nasi ambeng and lontong, among others. Therefore, we are trying to make a little difference," she told Bernama recently.

She also added that soft-textured punten, when served with spicy side dishes, would definitely appeal to those who like spicy food.

Aida shared that it took her roughly 45 minutes to make punten, using rice mixed with coconut milk as the main ingredients.

"The cooked rice will be mixed with coconut milk and mashed to form an oval shape. For the green sambal, I only use blended chillies and onions. The level of spiciness is dependent on the amount of chillies used," she said.

According to her, initially, the response to punten was a bit slow but after more than a year, it is increasingly in demand now, and sought after by various groups of people, not only from Ipoh but also from Sabak Bernam.

Aida added that the punten is sold for as low as RM4 for six pieces. She sells up to 40 servings a day, and demand is still good despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

She also hoped that, despite the passage of time and advancement of technology, punten will still be well-received by the younger generation.