Otak-Otak!

Otak Otak Malaysia!

Introduction

Otak-otak is a cake made of fish meat. It is widely known across Southeast Asia, where it is traditionally served fresh, wrapped inside banana leaf, as well as in many Asian stores internationally - being sold as frozen food and even canned food.

Otak-otak can be found in certain places in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The southern Malaysian town of Muar in Johor is a popular destination for it — people from surrounding states and even Singaporeans often visit to buy the famous otak-otak in bulk. It is also known as otah-otah, otah or otak. Otak means brains in Indonesian and Malay, and the name of the dish is derived from the idea that the dish some what resembles brains, being grey, soft and almost squishy. It can be eaten as a snack or with bread or rice as part of a meal.

Otak-otak is made by mixing fish paste (usually mackerel) with a mixture of spices.

Otak-otak Indonesia!

In Indonesia, the mixture contains fish paste, shallots, garlic, green onion, egg, coconut milk, and sago flour or can be substituted for cassava starch.

In Malaysia, it is a mixture between fish paste, chillies, garlic, shallots, turmeric, lemon grass and coconut milk. The mixture is then wrapped in a banana leaf that has been softened by steaming, then grilled or steamed.

While fish otak-otak is most common, otak-otak is also made with prawns, often resulting in a more textured variety. In Muar, you will also be able to find otak-otak made from cuttlefish, fish head and even chicken.

In Jakarta, Indonesia, one could find otak-otak being sold in small stalls near bus stops, especially during afternoon rush hour. Some of the best otak-otak can be found in another Indonesian city, Makassar. The main ingredient is fresh King Mackerel Fish or known as King Fish.

Regional varieties

There are different forms of otak-otak originating from different regions.

In Indonesia, it is originated from Palembang, South Sumatra. However, other regions in Indonesia have been populared for their otak-otak as well such as Jakarta and Makasar. In Palembang, people eat otak-otak with cuko (Palembangese spicy tamarind sauce). While in Jakarta, they enjoy it with spicy peanut sauce.

Nyonya otak-otak (Malay: otak-otak Nyonya), with Peranakan origins, from the northern Malaysian state of Penang, is steamed as a cake in pandan leaf. However, otak-otak from Indonesia, the south of Malaysia and Singapore is wrapped up as a thin slice using banana or coconut leaf and grilled over a charcoal fire. As a result, it ends up reddish-orange, drier and with a more distinct smoky fish aroma. Other varieties of otak-otak do exist.

Although otak-otak is traditionally made with fish meat, modern versions of otak often utilize crab or prawn meat. Similar Indonesian dish with cooking method employs banana leaf is called pepes. Other types of otak-otak include dishes called pais ikan, botok, and sata that are made of fish paste cooked in banana leaves.

Sata of Terengganu, Malaysia

Central Europe

A quite similar variety called Szczecin paprikas (Polish: Paprykarz szczeciński) is made by mixing fish paste (around 40%) with rice, onion, tomato concentrate (including vegetable oil), salt with a mixture of spices including chilli pepper powder. It is only available as canned food. Due to larger content of the fish paste, it has more distinctive taste than its Asian version, it is also more spicy than otah.

Origins

After 1960, a Polish fishing company (Przedsiębiorstwo Połowów Dalekomorskich i Usług Rybackich) "Gryf" from Szczecin started fishing and harvesting operations near the coasts of West Africa. Crews of reefer ships were exposed to varieties of African food, including chop-chop - a paste made of minced fish meat (especially pagrus meat) and pima. In 1965 company's laboratories released the first series of artificially designed paste, where African spices were replaced with cheaper ingredients available in Europe.

The creation of the Szczecin paprikas was the side effect of "leftover management" in the company's production facilities. The paste contained pieces left after cutting ice blocks with frozen fishes (various species).

Since then, the product has been exported to over 32 countries, including USA, Japan, Jordan, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo. Currently it is produced by various firms in Central Europe (mainly Poland, Eastern Germany and Czech Republic); usually based on alaska pollocks and white rice.

Trivia

In the beginning of the People's Republic of Poland era (1950+) the quality of Szczecin paprikas degraded as fish scales, flippers and other parts were added and mixed with the paste.

In Colombia, due to its popularity, the Polish product was forged and sold with a label "Made in Europe".

Original Szczecin paprikas contained tomato pulp imported from Hungary and Bulgaria.

Szczecin paprikas has a fan page on (Polish) Facebook.

Ingredients :

• 500g Fish - mackerel, salmon, threadfin or barramundi
• 250ml Thick coconut milk
• 2 pieces Small hen eggs or one duck egg
• 4 pieces Kaffir lime leaves, spines removed and leaves finely sliced or shredded
• 20 pieces Betel leaves or young spinach leaves
• Freshly ground white pepper
• Pinch of sugar and salt to taste
• Banana leaves or ramekins or oven dish or foil for containers

Paste Spices:

• 5 pieces Fresh chilies, sliced
• 1 stalk Lemongrass, finely sliced
• 2 slices Galangal, chopped
• 2.5cm Fresh turmeric of one tsp turmeric powder
• 5 pieces Candlenuts, roasted
• 1 piece Shrimp paste, approx. 1.5cm by 1.5cm
• 2 cloves Garlic, sliced
• 5 stalks Shallots, sliced

Method :

• Prepare fish by cleaning, skinning and flaking the flesh.
• Pound the spices, using a mortar and pestle, to a paste, adding the spice ingredients one by one in the order in which they are listed above.
• In a large mixing, add in the fish, pounded spices, coconut milk, eggs, salt, sugar and lime leaves and gently stir to mix thoroughly by hand.
• Make banana-leaf parcels for steaming as follows - Cut banana leaves in pieces of approx. 20cm square and gently heat them over an open flame until softened.
• Place three betel leaves overlapping in the center of the banana leaf, then spoon 2 - 3 heaped tablespoons of the mixture on top.
• Pleat in the sides, then fold one side of the pleat to the front and one side to the back. Repeat on the other side to encase the content loosely, in order to have room for expansion.
• Secure top with a toothpick or staples.
• Place the parcels on the rack of a steamer and allow approx. 20 minutes of steaming time or until cooked and set.
• Serve each parcel in its banana-leaf wrapper.

Where to find Otak-otak?

Otak-otak can be found widely in night market and restaurant. It may cost you around RM 0.60 per piece.