Otak-otak ( grilled fish paste on banana leaf)

Ingredients

• 100 g of mackerel fish (remove bones and mashed)
• banana leaves (soak in hot water for about 3-4 minutes to soften, then cut into square pieces)
• 5-6 lime/kaffir leaves (shredded)
• 1 tablespoon rice/corn flour (either one is fine)
• 13-14 daun kaduk/wild betel leaves (optional)
• 5 tablespoons oil
• salt to taste

Spices to ground/blend :

• 6 red chillies
• 4 shallots
• 1/2 inch turmeric
• 1 inch galangal/lengkuas
• 1 lemon grass
• 1/2 roasted belacan/shrimp paste

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Preparation

• Heat 4 tablespoons of oil and when heated, fry the spices until fragrant and becomes a thick paste. Let is cool down first before adding only 1/2 of the fried spices in the fish paste and mixing all up together.
• Also add salt to taste. Keep the other half for the dipping sauce to be made later.
  
• Put one daun kaduk/betel on top of one piece of banana leave. Add about 1 tbsp of the fish paste on top.Gently pack the fish paste into the banana leaves by folding/rolling into a flat piece.
• Secure both edges with a toothpick.
  
• Do the same to the rest of the fish paste.
• On a heated flat non-stick pan, put the fish paste wrapped in banana leaves on top. Let it cook until the leaves are brown and then turn over the other side to cook.
  
• To the other half of the fried spices, add 1/2 tablespoon sugar, salt to taste and juice of one lime. Mix and stir all together to be served with the otak-otak.