Otak-Otak
Otak-Otak is a fragrant grilled fish custard, rich with coconut milk and bright with lemongrass, galangal, chilli, and kaffir lime leaf. Wrapped in banana leaf and lightly charred, it emerges tender, aromatic, and deeply savory with a gentle heat.
Ingredients
Fish paste
- 250 gwhite fish fillet, skinless and boneless
- 1 largeegg
- 120 mlthick coconut milk
- 10 gcornflour
- 4 gfine sea salt
- 4 gsugar
Spice paste
- 40 gshallot
- 2garlic cloves
- 1 mediumred chilli
- 2bird's eye chillies
- 20 glemongrass, tender inner part only
- 10 ggalangal
- 8 g fresh or 1 tsp powderfresh turmeric or turmeric powder
- 3 leaveskaffir lime leaves, stems removed
- 10 mlneutral oil
For wrapping and grilling
- 2 pieces, about 20 x 25 cm eachbanana leaves
- 5 mlneutral oil
To serve
- 1, cut into wedgeslime
- 80 g, slicedcucumber
Instructions
- 1
Preheat a grill pan, barbecue, or oven grill to medium-high. Briefly wipe the banana leaves clean, then pass them over the heat for a few seconds per side until glossy and pliable so they will fold without cracking. Lightly brush them with oil.
- 2
Roughly chop the shallot, garlic, red chilli, bird's eye chillies, lemongrass, galangal, fresh turmeric if using, and kaffir lime leaves. Blend or pound them with the oil into a fairly smooth spice paste. A fine paste gives the filling a more delicate texture.
- 3
Cut the fish into chunks and place in a food processor. Add the egg, coconut milk, cornflour, salt, sugar, and the spice paste. Blend until smooth but still thick enough to hold its shape, scraping down once or twice. Do not over-process to the point of becoming watery.
- 4
Divide the fish mixture between the banana leaves, spreading it into compact rectangles about 1.5-2 cm thick. Fold the leaves around the filling like open packets or secure into parcels; tight wrapping helps the otak-otak steam gently inside while charring outside.
- 5
Grill the parcels for 10-12 minutes, turning once halfway, until the banana leaf is lightly charred and the filling feels springy. Open one parcel to check: the custard should be set, opaque, and just moist in the centre, not wet or runny.
- 6
Rest for 2 minutes so the custard firms slightly and the juices settle. Serve hot in the leaves with lime wedges and sliced cucumber on the side.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •Spanish mackerel is traditional and gives a bouncier texture, but any firm white fish such as snapper, barramundi, or cod works well.
- •If you do not have banana leaves, you can grill the mixture in small heatproof ramekins lined with baking paper, though the aroma will be less authentic.
- •For more smokiness, finish the parcels over direct heat for the last 1-2 minutes, watching carefully so the leaves char but do not burn through.
- •Adjust the bird's eye chillies to taste; the coconut milk should soften the heat, not eliminate it.
Background
Otak-otak is a beloved Southeast Asian dish found in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, with many regional variations in seasoning, texture, and wrapping style. In Malaysia, it is often made as a spiced fish custard scented with herbs and grilled in banana leaf, giving it a distinctive smoky fragrance.
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