THE oil in the wok sizzles and the delicious aroma of frying fills the air. In the centre, her expression serious, is Elyunetri Nae, 51, or better known as Erin. Just a few feet away, her husband Firdaus Lokman earnestly whips the apam balik batter with a bundle of rotan.
Certainly, it would make life a lot easier for the 56-year-old if he were to use a machine to carry out his task, but the enterprising couple who run Abak Den food stall staunchly believe that making their food from scratch will produce the best taste.
A drop of hot oil suddenly pops out of the wok and lands on Erin's arm. She ignores the stinging burn. Instead, she gingerly scoops out the freshly-cooked samosas and serves them to appreciative customers.
Food has always been an integral part of Erin and Firdaus' lives. For two years, the couple and their three children have been selling samosas and apam balik in various night markets in Cheras, Kajang, Seri Kembangan and Balakong.
Interestingly, the recipes for Abak Den's offerings were never inherited from their respective families. So, where did they come from?
Erin smiles before replying: "We worked with many employers before, mostly at pasar malam stalls selling either samosa or apam balik. We made it a point to observe very carefully how they made their samosa and apam balik. When we decided to start something of our own, we improved on the recipe and methods."
The story behind Firdaus' love for samosa is rather interesting too. It began when he first tasted the snack in a restaurant. With a chuckle, he shares that it led him to befriend the restaurant's owner, who gladly taught him how to make samosas.
BRAVING UNCERTAINTIES
In 1993, Firdaus and Erin decided to leave the security of their paid jobs to open their own stall. They named their business Abak Den, which means "my father" in the Negri Sembilan dialect.
As any entrepreneur would know, starting a new business is extremely risky. So, why did they trade a life of security for the unknown?
"We started our own business because we didn't want to work under people anymore," confides Erin, chuckling softly. Adding, she says: "We're glad we made the leap. We've earned so much more from Abak Den than working for other people. What's more, since we had the knowledge and skills anyway, we thought why not just put them to good use for our own business?"
Over the span of 30 years, the couple has had to contend with various challenges. When it rains, they don't get the same volume of customers thronging the night market, which in turn, affects their business, shares Firdaus. "And when there's strong winds, the fire that we use to fry our samosas will become 'weak', and this spoils the cooking process," he says solemnly.
But the greatest hardship of all, and one that affected all businesses worldwide, was the Covid-19 pandemic.
"When the MCO began and we couldn't run our stall as usual, my parents wanted to shut down Abak Den because business was so bad," says Sabrini, the couple's 22-year-old daughter, who also lends a hand at the stall. She adds that despite the challenges, her parents continued to soldier on because "…they needed to make money to support the family and give everyone a good life".
Both Erin and Firdaus concur. "Times were hard," begins Erin, adding: "The price of ingredients skyrocketed and customers became scarce due to the pandemic. But, as far as we were concerned, we had to go on. It was important for us that our children's wellbeing and their education were not affected."
Nodding, Sabrini's twin, Sabrina, tells us just how grateful she is to have a family that always looks out for each other. She recounts the many times when her mother could barely stay awake, but would decline her children's help because she wanted them to focus on their studies. But, adds Sabrini, her sister would still show up at the stall to lend a hand with her homework in tow.
"As a family, our bond is very strong," shares Sabrina, before adding with a small smile: "We respect and accept each other's advice. I think that's why we've been able to continue on with our little stall despite the challenges."
The love shared by the family flows into other aspects of their lives too. In his free time, Firdaus likes to play chess with Sabrini, matching his daughter's skills. Erin, meanwhile, makes delicious baked goodies for the family — her moist chocolate cake being the family's all-time favourite.
It is this deep bond that has carried Abak Den through the worst of times. During the MCO, all five members of the family worked tirelessly to prepare frozen samosas, which they delivered to customers living as far as Subang Jaya (more than 20km away from where they live in Cheras) in Selangor. Today, Abak Den still sells frozen samosas on a pre-order basis.
SECRET INGREDIENTS
The secret behind Abak Den's samosas and apam balik is a combination of things — experience, trial-and-error, customer feedback, and most importantly, a family who gives their all to make each bite brimming with flavour.
"What I like about their samosas is that there's a lot of filling," shares Aida, one of Abak Den's loyal customers. She elaborates: "At other places I've been to, they're not very generous with their filling, or the samosas are not crispy or spicy enough."
From the corner of our eyes, we note Erin beaming proudly. Nodding her head, she says: "Our samosa tastes good, and most importantly, it's worth the price. The same goes for our apam balik. Everything's homemade because we believe that's how you will get the best taste."
Priced at RM1 per piece, it's not hard to see why Erin can confidently say that Abak Den's samosas are worth the price. As for their apam balik, it ranges from RM3 to RM5 per piece, depending on the flavour.
"Don't steal my recipe," Erin retorts cheekily when we ask her about the secret behind Abak Den's apam balik. Continuing goodnaturedly, she advises: "But if you want to make good apam balik, you must get the batter right. The consistency must be just nice — not too thick or watery." Being generous with the filling also helps, she adds.
Apam balik lovers will be quick to spot an uncommon ingredient at Abak Den — pulut hitam or black glutinous rice. Originating from Indonesia, the chewy glutinous rice is combined with aromatic coconut shreds and wrapped in a fluffy, pancake-like shell. According to Firdaus, apam balik must be cooked over a slow fire for maximum fluffiness.
HOPES FOR THE FUTURE
Today, Abak Den continues to use weathered pans and humble equipment. But how long can these sustain the business? How are they going to expand if they have a limited workforce? These are questions that have plagued Erin's mind. Yet, her outlook for the future remains positive.
"We're hoping to buy equipment that will enable us to produce samosa and apam balik in larger quantities and over a shorter period of time," confides Erin, before adding softly: "But, we don't have the funds yet. Still, we'll just keep doing what we love and hope that our customers continue to support us."
Sabrini is optimistic about her parents' business too. "I'm not too knowledgeable about running an online business but I've been doing a lot of research on that lately. I want to be able to take Abak Den online one day," she shares, eyes shining.
The children have all shown interest in taking over their parents' business, but the future of Abak Den remains to be seen. "Of course, I hope that my children will continue Abak Den," confides Erin, before concluding: "But I also want them to follow their ambitions. If they want to run the stall, then good. If not, I'm also fine. What's important is that they do what makes them happy."
This article was contributed by senior PR undergraduates from Taylor's University School of Media & Communication.
WHERE TO FIND ABAK DEN
Tuesdays: Pasar Malam Taman Alam Jaya, Taman Emas, Cheras, Selangor.
Wednesdays: Jalan Pinggiran 1/2, Taman Pinggiran Putra, Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
Thursdays: Pasar Malam Bandar Teknologi Kajang, Jalan P4/2, Bandar Teknologi Kajang, Semenyih, Selangor.
Fridays: Pasar Malam Balakong Jaya, Taman Balakong Jaya, Seri Kembangan, Selangor.