Otak-Otak (Southeast Asian Grilled Fish Paste in Banana Leaf)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 40 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
White fish is blended smooth with coconut milk, egg white and red curry paste, spread in a thin strip on banana leaves, folded up and grilled on both sides.
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While the leaf edges char, the paste inside sets like a firm custard and takes on a faint smokiness. In Malaysia and Singapore it is eaten with rice or as a snack on its own.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Pat 300 g white fish dry, then cut it into small pieces.
If the surface is wet, press it again with a towel so the paste does not turn loose or watery.
- 2
Blend the fish with 120 ml coconut milk and 1 egg white until very smooth.
Stop once no visible chunks remain and the mixture looks glossy, scraping the bowl if needed.
- 3
Add 1 tablespoon red curry paste, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 finely sliced kaffir lime leaves.
Mix until the color is even and the lime leaf is spread through the paste.
- 4
Pass 4 banana leaves briefly over low heat until they become flexible.
Keep them moving and do not scorch one spot for long, because brittle leaves can tear and leak paste.
- 5
Place a thin, long portion of paste in the center of each leaf, then fold it firmly closed.
Keep the packets similar in thickness so the centers set evenly instead of staying soft.
- 6
Grill seam side down over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side.
Serve hot when the leaf edges are charred and the filling feels set like a firm custard.
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