Muar Otak (麻坡乌挞) - (Mff-Johor) #1

Otak-otak (aka Otah or Otar inward Singapore) is a fish cake good known inward Johor, peculiarly inward Muar. This fish cake is basically made yesteryear mixing fish glue alongside mixture of spices, shallot, garlic together with kokosnoot milk. And then, the mixture is wrapped inward kokosnoot leaves or banana leaf. Usually grilling or steaming method is used.

Although otak is traditionally made alongside fish meat, crab meat, prawn meat, cuttlefish or fifty-fifty fish caput is used inward modern versions of otak. There are dissimilar forms of otak originating from dissimilar regions. Nyonya version's otak from Melaka together with Penang, they wrapped their otak inward parcel, similar a piece of kuih, together with of course, there's a divergence inward the spices they purpose too. Otak from Muar is wrapped upwards every bit a sparse piece using kokosnoot leaf, roughly uses banana leaf, together with and so grilled over charcoal fire. There are commercialized version too, nosotros encounter frozen otak selling inward blocks, commonly tin locomote easily spotted at our neighborhood super-mart too. These frozen one's are meant for steaming.

I did this recipe twice.

For the 1st time, I prepared all my ingredients, but realized that my blender spoilt.  Damn it! But I all the same continue. Because I've got actually prissy Spanish Mackerel at that time. And so, I merely larn ahead to exercise whatsoever I can. I purpose knife to mince the fish meat into glue instead. Yes! tiring! And the final result mightiness non locomote that good. Oh well, never try, never know. In the terminate otak sense of savour good, but texture is ROUGH, FIRM AND DRY!!!

Taste wise, pass. Texture... FAIL!!!

For the 2d time, it's much ameliorate alongside my novel bought blender. I larn to blend my fish meat into glue together with I slightly modified the ingredients to larn inward to a greater extent than moist. Better texture together with softer meat. So, the recipe that I stated hither is my 2d endeavour modified recipe. It may non locomote the best otak, but my identify unit of measurement similar them! :D

The commons means of making otak is to roll em' inward kokosnoot leaves, together with and so grilling it over an opened upwards flame. But hello?! I'm staying inward Singapore. Where to larn kokosnoot leaves??!! No choice. I settled downwards alongside banana leaves instead, together with I'm happy alongside it.

This recipe makes close 12 pcs otak, weight close 100g each.

Ingredient 
(Recipe Source : Y3K Free Recipe alongside modification) 

450g Fish meat from Spanish Mackerel or Ikan Tenggiri
250ml Coconut Milk
100ml Water (or more)... However, this is optional.

For Seasoning : 
iii tbsp Corn Flour
iii tbsp Curry Powder

1½ tsp Turmeric Powder

1½ tsp Chilli Powder
iii tbsp Blended Chilli Paste (shop-bought chilli glue is fine)

ii tsp Salt
1½ tsp Sugar
2 tsp Minced Garlic
2 tsp Minced Shallot

For Wrapping : 
If you lot are using banana leaves : Grab a bunch of banana leaves from the moisture market. Cost close S$1.50.
If you lot are using kokosnoot leaves : About xl to 50 finds of kokosnoot leaves (est. 8" inward length), together with staples.


Method 

1. Prepare your banana leaves - Wilt the banana leaves yesteryear either steam them, blanch them or over opened upwards fire. I did it opened upwards fire. And then, reduce it into your preferred size. Mine is close 6" x 10" big. 
2. Debone fish. Use a spoon, scrape the fish meat out. I did this a twenty-four hours inward advance. Freeze it. The twenty-four hours after, thaw it earlier use. Separate my locomote load. 
3. Set aside 150g of fish meat. Place the remaining 300g fish meat into a nutrient processor (I used blender. So, my locomote is tougher). Add inward kokosnoot milk. Blend it into a smoothen paste. 
4. Scrape the fish glue mixture into a large bowl, add together inward all the seasoning. Mix until everything is incorporated. And then, add together inward the 150g fish meat chunk.
5. If you lot honor the fish glue also dry out (which I recollect you lot will), this is the fourth dimension you lot add together 100g water. Mix again. If you lot are non confident close the texture, set a dollop of  fish glue on a frying pan, pan-fry it. Give the texture a try. If the otak is soft plenty to your liking when it is cooked, then, proceed to roll your otak glue alongside banana leaves. If you lot desire your otak to convey softer texture, add together to a greater extent than water, mix, pan-fry it, essay again. Until you lot attain your preferred soft texture.  
6. Wrap otak glue using prepared banana leaves. I roll mine at close 100g otak glue each. How large you lot desire your otak to be? It's upwards to you.
7. Steam the wrapped otak nether high flame. My otak is bigger together with thicker, hence, I steam it for five mins, together with and so grill it to perfection. The five mins steaming is to laid it's shape too.  
8. Grill the otak over charcoal give notice until slightly charred. Serve hot. 
9. If you lot are non able to complete all the grilled otak, roll them good together with maintain it inward the freezer. When you lot desire to swallow again, merely re-steam it.

Note : 

1. Get fish monger to debone the fish for you. Like that, it relieve your problem from doing it yourself.
2. Fresh fish meat tends to locomote to a greater extent than bouncy, together with gives otak firmer texture. I realized this for the 1st attempt. For the 2d attempt, I scrape the fish meat out, together with freeze the fish meat for adjacent twenty-four hours use. Like that, fish meat volition locomote less bouncy together with otak volition convey less theatre texture.
3. Set aside 150g fish meat chunks together with add together them into the fish glue later. This is because I desire my otak to convey roughly chunky bite. Unfortunately, mine doesn't looks obvious inward my photo. I recollect my fish chunks non large enough. Sigh!
4. If you lot can't setup charcoal give notice at habitation but all the same desire to grill it, purpose oven. Bake it at 200 grade till it attain the grilling final result you lot want. 
5. If you lot honor it also troublesome to exercise both steaming together with grilling similar me, you lot could merely steam it together with skip the grilling part. Although I grilling makes pregnant divergence inward overall fragrance.

Otak tin locomote eaten every bit a snack or alongside staff of life or rice every bit business office of a meal. Once otak is cooked, it tin locomote wrapped nicely together with freeze it for adjacent time. I'm totally non worried for making it inward a large batch. So, I purchase large fish together with brand bigger batch. So, I got myself a beautiful together with large Castilian mackerel from Tekka Market :)

Incase you lot gonna debone the fish yourself...

Step 4 : Mix fish glue together with seasoning together

Step vi : Wrap otak glue using prepared banana leaves.

Step seven : Steam the wrapped otak nether high flame for 5mins to laid it's shape.

Step 8 : Grill the otak over charcoal give notice until slightly charred

This photograph is from my 1st attempt. Bigger parcel. For the 2d time, I larn inward smaller. You don't convey to worry that the banana leaves all burnt. This is precisely what nosotros wanna achieve.

And tada!!!! Must swallow it spell it's hot! :D

I don't know close you. But I similar my otak to convey abit of charred at the side. The charcoal grilled sense of savour is merely awesome!

This version of otak is unproblematic plenty for people similar us to larn inward at home. I promise you lot similar it!
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