Raya week is not the time to hero-cook.
If you’re still starting from raw ingredients on Raya morning, the kitchen will feel it—and so will your team.
The smartest operators plan their Raya make-ahead dishes early, using recipes that actually improve after resting, storing, and reheating. This approach is especially crucial for Ramadan 2026, where manpower is tight and order volume peaks fast.
Here are THREE Raya menus that are made for advance prep—plus how to reheat them without losing quality.
Spice-heavy dishes don’t peak the moment the fire turns off.
When left to rest:
This is why certain Raya dishes taste more “cukup” the next day. The key is choosing recipes that hold structure and moisture instead of breaking down.
Rendang is the gold standard for make-ahead Raya menus—Chicken, Beef, or Prawn. Slow-cooked and spice-forward, these dishes deepen in flavour over time, perfect for advance prep.
The process is straightforward: fry your spice paste until fragrant, add coconut milk and aromatics, then season with AJI-NO-MOTO® to amplify natural sweetness and balance the spice intensity. Finish with toasted grated coconut for rich flavour and proper consistency.
Make-ahead Tip: Cook rendang until the oil separates clearly from the gravy—this is your visual cue that the spices are fully developed. Seasoning with AJI-NO-MOTO® helps stabilise the flavour, so when reheated, the rendang tastes just as bold and rounded as the first cook. Portion, chill or freeze, and reheat gently with a splash of coconut milk if needed.
Reheating Tip: Reheat gently over low heat. Add a small splash of coconut milk or water only if needed—just enough to loosen the sauce without washing out the flavour.
This is why rendang remains one of the most reliable Raya make-ahead dishes for large-scale service.
Ayam Masak Merah or Spicy Tomato Chicken works beautifully as a make-ahead dish when handled the right way. The tomato-based sambal acts as a natural coating that helps the chicken stay moist and vibrant after reheating.
In the recipe, the flavour foundation is strengthened with AJI-NO-MOTO® for overall balance and TUMIX® Chicken Stock to deepen the savoury notes in the sauce.
Make-ahead Tip: Fry the chicken until golden and prepare the sambal separately. Season the sauce with AJI-NO-MOTO® and TUMIX® Chicken Stock, then store both components chilled.
Reheating Tip: Reheat the sauce first until bubbling and aromatic, then add the chicken and simmer briefly. This keeps the chicken from turning soggy while reviving the colour, aroma, and richness of the sambal.
RESULT: Ayam Masak Merah that still looks menyala, not dull and tired.
For operators who want something bold and hearty, Sambal Daging Campur (or Mixed Meat Sambal) is an excellent make-ahead Raya option. With beef, lungs, and spleen cooked until tender, then fried and tossed in a thick sambal, this dish is built to last.
The sambal base is seasoned with TUMIX® Chicken Stock, which adds depth and ties together the spicy, sour, and savoury elements of the dish—especially important when reheating in large batches.
Make-ahead Tip: Boil and slice the meats in advance, then fry until crispy and store separately. Prepare the sambal until oil separates, season with TUMIX® Chicken Stock, and cool properly before storage.
Reheating Tip: Reheat the sambal first, then fold in the meats gently. This preserves texture while ensuring the flavours stay punchy and consistent—exactly what customers expect during Raya service.
No matter how good the recipe, poor storage will ruin it.
Stick to these basics:
(*FIFO – First-In, First-Out)
Good food safety equals good flavour—and fewer last-minute disasters.
Make-ahead cooking does not mean cutting corners. It means planning for reality.
For Ramadan 2026 and the Raya rush that follows, dishes that reheat well give you:
Cook earlier. Reheat smarter. Let your food—not the chaos—be what people remember.
Ajinomoto Food Biz Partner
