I love to cook Penang Nyonya food and I was recently inspired by an otak-otak dish served at a Thai Restaurant. Everyone in the family loved it and I decided to attempt the dish. My first attempt was wrapped in the shape like Penang Nyonya style. It turned out to be a very tasty otak-otak and my Mother-in-Law was so impressed she immediately got me another batch of Mackerel fish for another round of Otak-Otak. This time, I folded the banana leaf into a box as a mould for the Otak-Otak.

Recipe adapted from Nyonya Flavours Cookbook with some modifications.

Yields: 8 otak otak

INGREDIENTS:

Wrapping:

8 pieces banana leaves (18 cm X 15 cm)

8 toothpick, cut into half

20 to 30 daun kaduk (wild pepper leave)

Custard filling:

350g mackerel fish (hand mashed) – meat from 1 ½ medium size Mackerel fish

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tbsp rice flour

1 ¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp brown sugar

200ml thick coconut milk

8 kaffir lime leaves, sliced finely

Spices paste (ground):

6 fresh red chillies

100g (10) shallots, peeled

4 cloves garlics, peeled

3 cm lengkuas (galangal), peeled and sliced

4 cm fresh turmeric root, peeled and sliced

2 lemongrass (serai), sliced finely only the bottom white part

 

METHOD: