The Southeast Asian rice cake closely associated with Eid al-Fitr and woven palm leaves is ketupat. It is made by filling a woven young-palm-leaf pouch with rice and boiling it until the grains expand into a firm, compact cake.
Ketupat is especially prominent during Lebaran, the Indonesian celebration of Eid al-Fitr, and is also familiar in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, southern Thailand, and other parts of the region. Families serve it with dishes such as chicken cooked in coconut milk, spicy stews, vegetables, and peanut-based sauces.
The diamond-shaped pouch is more than packaging: weaving the leaves is itself a recognizable part of the food’s cultural identity. Regional names include kupat in Javanese and Sundanese, tipat in Balinese, katupat in some Philippine and Pacific traditions, and katupek in Minangkabau usage.
Ketupat can also appear outside Muslim celebrations. In Bali, the related form tipat is used in Hindu offerings and ceremonies, including occasions connected with Galungan and Kuningan. Thus, the dish has both Islamic festive associations and older, broader Austronesian food traditions.