Индонезиялық дәстүрлі балықтан жасалған тоқаш

Indonesian traditional fish cake

Otak otak (lit. brains in Malay and Indonesian) is a Southeast Asian fish cake made of ground fish mixed with spices and wrapped in leaf parcels. Otak otak is traditionally served steamed or grilled, encased within the leaf parcel it is cooked in, and can be eaten solely as a snack or with steamed rice as part of a meal. The earliest preparations of otak otak is believed to have originated in Palembang cuisine of South Sumatra, where it takes the form of grilled banana leaf parcels filled with a mixture of ground fish, tapioca starch and spices. Regional varieties which bear the name otak otak are widely known across Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries, though they may have little in common with the Palembang version. In Singapore and southern Malaysia, the reddish orange or brown colour of its contents is acquired from chili, turmeric and other spices. Three Indonesian cities are famous for their otak otak: Palembang, Jakarta and Makassar. It is a culinary attraction for tourists from surrounding states and neighbouring Singapore, where the dish is known as otah or 烏打 in Chinese.

There are different varieties of otak otak originating from different regions. Although otak otak is traditionally made with fish meat, modern versions of otak otak may use crab or prawn meat or even fish head. In Indonesia, otak otak is commonly associated with Palembang, South Sumatra. The otak otak from southern Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore is wrapped up as a thin slice using banana or coconut leaf and grilled over a charcoal fire. As a result, it ends up drier and with a more distinct smoky fish aroma. Unlike the pale white colouration of most Indonesian otak otak, otak otak from Malaysia and Singapore is reddish orange from the use of chilli paste and often heavily spiced. Muar style otak otak is wrapped inside attap (Nipa palm) leaves and clipped using stapler or toothpick at both ends before being grilled or roasted on the stove.

A type of delicacy similar to otak otak from the Malaysian state of Terengganu is called sata. A similar Indonesian dish employing banana leaf is called pepes. Other types of otak otak include dishes called pais ikan, botok that are made of fish paste cooked in banana leaves. The northern Philippine province of Pangasinan has a similar delicacy called tupig, which is cooked in the same manner as otak otak, though tupig is sweetened. A thick batter made of glutinous rice flour (known locally as galapong) coconut strips, coconut milk, sugar and nuts is wrapped in banana leaves, and then grilled over coals.