Otak-Otak (Spiced Fish Cake)
Aromatic grilled fish cakes wrapped in banana leaves with a fragrant blend of spices, coconut, and fresh herbs. A beloved Malaysian street food that's crispy outside and tender within.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 185
- Protein
- 22g
Ingredients
- 400 g mackerel or white fish fillets
- 3 tbsp red curry paste
- 100 g fresh grated coconut
- 3 whole shallots, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 whole egg
- 2 leaves banana leaves, cut into 12 pieces
Instructions
- 1
Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels.
- 2
Roughly chop fish fillets into 2-inch chunks.
- 3
Blanch banana leaf pieces over a gas flame for 5 seconds until pliable.
- 4
Pulse fish chunks in a food processor until coarsely ground, 10–15 seconds.
- 5
Transfer ground fish to a bowl.
- 6
Add curry paste, grated coconut, shallots, cilantro, and lime juice.
- 7
Crack egg into the bowl.
- 8
Mix with your hands until the mixture just comes together, about 1 minute.
- 9
Divide mixture into 12 equal portions.
- 10
Place one portion onto the center of each banana leaf piece.
- 11
Fold banana leaf edges up and over the mixture to create a sealed packet.
- 12
Preheat charcoal grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
- 13
Place packets seam-side down on the grill.
- 14
Grill for 4 minutes until banana leaves char lightly.
- 15
Flip packets carefully with tongs.
- 16
Grill for another 3–4 minutes until the second side chars and fish is cooked.
- 17
Transfer to a serving platter and cool for 1 minute before serving.
Tools you’ll need
- paper towels
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- gas burner or torch
- food processor
- large mixing bowl
- charcoal grill or grill pan
- long-handled tongs
- serving platter
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
