Today, I’m excited to share with you a traditional Indonesian recipe: Otak-Otak Tenggiri Bakar. This beloved snack is not only easy to make but also incredibly delicious, especially when using high-quality sago flour from Sagu Tani. Follow this step-by-step guide and tips to create the perfect Otak-Otak Tenggiri Bakar.
Ingredients
- Ground Spanish Mackerel: I use premium-grade Spanish mackerel.
- Seasonings: Salt, sugar, pepper, mushroom powder, and baking powder for a bouncy texture.
- Additional Ingredients: Garlic, shallots, green onions, optional celery, egg whites, cold water, and thick instant coconut milk.
- Flour: Regular flour and sago flour from Sagu Tani.
- Sambal: We will make two types of sambal: Peanut Sambal and Tauco Sambal.
Making the Sambal
Tauco Sambal
- Slice garlic, red chili, and Thai chili.
- Fry the red chili until half-cooked, then add the garlic and Thai chili until fully cooked.
- Blend all ingredients with water, tauco (fermented soybean), vinegar, and sugar. Blend to your desired texture, either rough or smooth.
- Cook briefly to meld the flavors, then adjust the taste as needed.
Peanut Sambal
- Fry peanuts until half-cooked, then add the chili.
- Blend peanuts and chili with water, salt, and palm sugar until smooth.
- Cook briefly for a thicker consistency after cooling.
Making the Otak-Otak Dough
- Blend Spanish mackerel with salt, sugar, mushroom powder or MSG, pepper, and baking powder until sticky.
- Add finely chopped garlic, shallots, green onions, and optional celery.
- Add coconut milk and egg whites, then blend again.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl, add flour and sago flour, and mix well.
- Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency.
Wrapping and Cooking Otak-Otak
- Cut banana leaves into 14-15 cm wide pieces.
- Spread a bit of dough on the banana leaf, roll it up, and secure with toothpicks.
- Grill the otak-otak on a pan without oil or on a stone grill with medium-low heat for 5 minutes on each side until cooked and fragrant.
- If using a charcoal grill, keep the grill slightly elevated to avoid burning the otak-otak.
Tips and Tricks
- Using a Blender or Food Processor: Ensure the fish mixture is sticky before adding other ingredients for a bouncy texture.
- Using Banana Leaves: Roll the banana leaves twice to prevent tearing during grilling.
- Cooking with Medium-Low Heat: Important for even cooking and to prevent burning.
Serving
Otak-Otak Tenggiri Bakar is ready to be served with Peanut Sambal and Tauco Sambal. The texture is soft, bouncy, and flavorful with a fragrant coconut milk aroma. Enjoy this dish with your family.
Grilled Mackerel Otak-Otak
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 500 g Spanish Mackerel 100% pure fish
- 2 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp mushroom powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ⅓ tsp pepper
- 1 ½ tsp baking [powder
Others:
- 120 ml instant coconut milk
- 130 ml cold water
- 2 pc egg whites
- 120 g sago / tapioca flour
- 1 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 clove garlic
- 5 pc shallot
- 1-2 pc green onion
- 1 pc celery
- Banana leaf to wrap
- Toothpick/skewer cut into small pieces
Tauco Sambal ingredients:
- 4 pc red chili
- 3 clove garlic
- 3 pc Thai chili
- 3 tbsp fermented bean
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 150 ml water
Peanut Sambal ingredients:
- 80 g peanut
- 3 pc red chili
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 200 ml water
Instructions
- For Tauco Sambal, slice red chili, garlic, and red Thai chili. Fry red chili until half-cooked.
- Fry the red Thai chili and garlic until cooked, then add all ingredients into a heat-proof blender. Add water, fermented beans, vinegar, and sugar. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer into a pan. Cook shortly, then set aside.
- For the Peanut Sambal, fry the peanuts until half-cooked. Then, add red chili and fry until cooked.
- Transfer into a blender along with water, salt, and palm sugar. Blend until smooth, then cook again shortly. Set aside.
- In a food processor, combine Spanish Mackerel, salt, sugar, mushroom powder, pepper, and baking powder. Blend until sticky.
- Chop the garlic, shallots, green onions, and celery. Add into the food processor.
- Add coconut milk and egg whites. Blend, then transfer to a bowl.
- Add flour and sago flour. Stir, then add water. Mix well
- Prepare banana leaves about 14-15 cm in width. Add a little bit of the dough. Roll, then secure with toothpicks.
- Heat a pan or a stone grill. Grill the Otak-otak on medium-low heat until cooked.
- Otak-otak is ready to serve.