The Otak-otak is widely associated with nyonya cuisine for their ingenious use of chinese and malay ingredients. The Otak-otak can be cooked in slowly barbecued over glowing coals or in a baking tray in the oven.

Normally, Otak-otak can be found easily at the food stalls (esp in east coast). Sometimes, you may also find it at certain local malay restaurants. It's usually wrapped in banana leaf or enclosed in a coconut leaf.

Otak-otak is the kind of food that you either love or hate. it is equally suitable as a snack between meals or form part of a Nasi Lemak meal, eaten with variety of Seafood dishes or as a savoury appetiser too.

How to make the Otak-otak.
Main ingredients:
600g tenggiri meat - finely chopped
200 g grated coconut
1 cup thick coconut milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Ingredients for paste:
10 g fresh tumeric (kunyit)
20g candlenuts (buah kemiri)
200g lemongrass (serai)
100g galangal (lengkuas)
200g shallots
100g red chilli
10 g lime (limau purut)leaves
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt

Ingredients for wrapper:
Banana leaf or coconut leaf - cut into squares

Method:
1. Ground ingrediants for paste
2. Blend Tenggiri meat with grounded paste, grated coconut, coconut milk and oil
3. Coat banana leaf with oil. Place the tenggiri spice mixture onto leaf and wrap
4. Cook Otak-otak in a steamer oven for about 20 minutes.