Pempek Recipe
Pempek at glance: A fish cake delicacy from Palembang, usually made from mackerel and tapioca. It’s often served with a sweet and sour vinegar sauce called cuko.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb mackerel fillet, minced
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Water, as needed
Sauce (Cuko):
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup palm sugar
- 4 cloves garlic
- 5-6 bird’s eye chilies
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Mix the minced mackerel, tapioca flour, garlic, egg, salt, and sugar. Add water as needed to form a dough.
- Shape the dough into oval patties or cylinders.
- Boil the patties in water until they float. Remove and set aside.
- For the sauce, blend the garlic and chilies. Boil water, palm sugar, and tamarind paste until the sugar dissolves. Add the garlic and chili mixture. Simmer until thickened.
- Serve the pempek with the sauce on the side.
