Otak-Otak

Otak-Otak is a fish cake dish that is common in Malaysia as well as Singapore and Indonesia. As with many local dishes, there are regional variations to the otak-otak. The Penang otak-otak, which has Nyonya influence, is a steamed fish cake made from a mixture of eggs, fish fillet and a whole lot of herbs including serai (lemon grass), lengkuas (galangal), ginger, kunyit hidup (fresh tumeric), dried chillies, daun mengkudu (morinda), daun limau purut (kaffir lime leaf), on a bed of daun kaduk (Piper sarmentosum, pointed pepper), and the whole thing wrapped with banana leaf. The style of wrapping otak-otak is unique and immediately recognizable - it is such that the egg and fish mix do not run out.

Otak-Otak

The wrap is held together by a lidi (coconut leaf rib) though nowadays it is simply stapled. It is commonly sold at economy rice stalls, in which case it is often simply prepared on trays - otak-otak lovers prefer those wrapped in banana leaf; there is nothing like the aroma of freshly steamed fish when the otak-otak is unwrapped.