Otak Otak Recipe (Malaysian Spiced Fish in Banana Leaves)

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I know this otak otak recipe looks quite unusual if you haven’t cooked with banana leaves before, although you’ll find the method itself pretty straightforward.

Fish is blended with coconut milk, chilies, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and a little belacan, then spread onto banana leaves and grilled until the filling sets. The leaves darken and char in places as the fish cooks inside.

This recipe is similar to the grilled otak otak bakar associated with Muar in Johor rather than the softer steamed Nyonya style found in Penang. You don’t eat the banana leaves, although heating them gives the fish a distinctive aroma that’s part of what makes this dish so recognizable.

Why It’s Worth Trying

Otak otak isn’t quite like a conventional fish cake. Instead of shaping the mixture into patties and frying them, the seasoned fish paste is spread onto banana leaves and cooked inside them. The filling sets while the leaves scorch in places, so you get the fragrance of the banana leaf as well as the chilies, lemongrass, galangal and belacan in the fish mixture.

It’s also a good recipe to try if you’ve bought frozen banana leaves for another Malaysian dish and have plenty left over. They’re commonly sold in large packages and you only need relatively small pieces for each parcel. I find that banana leaves freeze very well, which is just as well since I ordered some and got 30 huge leaves! Guess what one drawer of my freezer is full of.

What is Otak Otak?

Otak-otak is a Southeast Asian seasoned fish paste cooked inside leaves. Different versions are found in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, and the preparation varies by region. Some are grilled while others are steamed.

Muar in Johor is especially well known for grilled otak-otak. The fish mixture is spread fairly flat inside the leaf so it cooks quickly over the heat. Penang-style Nyonya otak-otak is generally steamed and has more of a soft fish custard consistency, so it makes more sense to treat them as separate regional styles rather than assuming all otak-otak is prepared the same way.

Otak Otak Bakar and Otak Otak Ikan

You might also see this dish described as otak otak ikan or otak otak bakar. Ikan means fish, while bakar refers to grilling or roasting over heat. Since this recipe is made with fish and cooked in banana leaves on a grill, both terms are relevant.

Otak otak goreng is different. Goreng refers to frying and this particular recipe is grilled not fried.

What Does Otak Otak Taste Like?

You can still taste the fish even with all the aromatics added to it. Chili and turmeric give the filling its characteristic color, while lemongrass and galangal add fragrance. Coconut milk adds richness and belacan contributes the salty fermented flavor that’s common in Malaysian cooking.

The fish mixture is soft rather than bouncy like some fried fish cakes. The outer surface firms up more where the filling is closest to the hot banana leaf.

Otak Otak Recipe Ingredients

• Fish: I really like the bold flavor of Spanish mackerel. That’s a good choice if you can find it but there are alternatives that are just as good, including red snapper, cod, bream or hake.
• Coconut milk: I always use full-fat coconut milk because it gives the fish mixture more richness than a light version.
• Dried red chilies: These add chili heat as well as color. Soaking them before blending makes them easier to process. I recommend Kashmiri dried chilies because they give the otak otak plenty of red color with relatively mild heat. Other long dried Asian red chilies also work, especially medium or mild varieties. I’d avoid very hot Thai bird’s eye chilies unless you reduce the quantity, and skip smoky Mexican chilies such as chipotle because they’ll change the flavor of the dish.
• Shallots and garlic: These form part of the spice paste and are blended with the chilies and other aromatics.
• Lemongrass: Use the tender inner part of the stalk and slice it before blending.
• Galangal: Fresh galangal has a distinctive flavor that’s different from ginger. Peel and slice it before adding it to the blender.
• Turmeric: Ground turmeric works well here and adds both flavor and color.
• Belacan: Malaysian fermented shrimp paste has a very strong aroma on its own, although only a small amount is needed in the fish mixture.
• Tapioca starch: This helps bind the fish mixture in this otak otak recipe as it cooks.
• Makrut lime leaves: Also sold as kaffir lime leaves, these fragrant citrus leaves are used widely in Malaysian and other Southeast Asian cooking. Fresh or frozen leaves are best here because they’re finely sliced into the fish mixture.
• Banana leaves: Frozen banana leaves are fine. Thaw them, wipe them clean and warm them briefly before folding so they don’t split. You can get banana leaves from Amazon or check out whether any ethnic or Asian stores nearby sell them.

How to Prepare Banana Leaves

Banana leaves can crack if you try to fold them while they’re cold and stiff. Cut them into rectangles first, then briefly pass each piece over a gas flame or press it against a hot dry skillet (frying pan). It only takes a few seconds for the leaf to become more flexible.

If you’re using frozen banana leaves, thaw them before separating the sheets. Wipe away any moisture before warming them. You can cut around small tears or damaged edges rather than discarding a large sheet.

If you don’t have toothpicks or want a more rustic looking approach (like mine!) twine works just as well. It’s a little fiddly. If you have someone to lend a hand or at least a finger, that makes things simpler, for sure.

How to Make Otak Otak

Start by soaking the dried chilies, then blend them with the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and belacan. Blending the aromatics before adding the fish helps break down the more fibrous ingredients.

The fish, coconut milk, egg, tapioca starch, sugar and salt are then blended into the spice paste. Stir in the finely sliced makrut lime leaves, spoon the mixture onto prepared banana leaves and spread it fairly flat. Fold the leaves around the filling and grill the parcels until the fish mixture is cooked through.

Tips for the Best Otak Otak

• Blend the aromatics first: Lemongrass and galangal need more blending than fish, so process the spice paste before adding the fish.
• Don’t make the parcels too thick: A flatter layer of fish paste cooks more evenly.
• Expect some scorching: Brown and black patches on the outside of the banana leaves are normal when they’re cooked over direct heat.
• Keep the fish mixture cold: Refrigerate it while you prepare the banana leaves if your kitchen is warm.
• Check the center: The outside can look ready before a thick parcel has cooked through. The filling should reach 160°F/71°C in the center.

Can You Make Otak Otak without an Outdoor Grill?

Yes. A grill pan works well because you can cook the banana leaf parcels directly on the hot ridges. This gives you some of the scorching you’d get from an outdoor grill.

You can also bake the parcels at 400°F/200°C for about 15 to 18 minutes, checking that the filling reaches 160°F/71°C in the center. For more color on the leaves, put them briefly under the broiler (grill) at the end and watch them closely.

Substitutions and Variations

• Different fish: Spanish mackerel, snapper and cod are all suitable. You can also replace part of the fish with shrimp.
• Less chili: Reduce the number of dried chilies if you prefer less heat.
• No galangal: Fresh ginger can be substituted if necessary, although the flavor won’t be exactly the same.
• No belacan: Thai shrimp paste is a reasonable substitute if Malaysian belacan isn’t available.
• No banana leaves: For an oven-baked version, use parchment paper or foil packets. If you’re cooking over direct heat, use foil rather than parchment. You won’t get the banana leaf aroma.

What to Serve with Otak Otak

Otak otak can be eaten on its own as a snack or appetizer. I also like the idea of serving it as part of a larger Malaysian meal where everyone can open their own banana leaf parcel at the table.

Try it with sambal belacan if you want more chili heat. Nasi lemak or nasi kerabu can provide the rice component, while Malaysian acar adds a sharp pickled vegetable side.

For a bigger selection of grilled Malaysian food, you could also make Malaysian satay.

How to Store

• Make ahead: You can prepare the spice paste up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Blend in the fish, coconut milk and egg when you’re ready to finish the recipe.
• Refrigerator: Put cooked otak otak in a sealed container and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
• Freezer: Cooked parcels can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Reheat: Reheat cooked otak otak until the center reaches 165°F/74°C.

Otak Otak FAQs

More Malaysian Recipes to Try

If you enjoyed cooking fish in banana leaves, try my ikan bakar next. The fish is kept whole or in larger pieces rather than being blended into a paste, so it’s quite a different dish despite sharing the banana leaf cooking method.

Asam pedas is another Malaysian fish dish, this time with tamarind and chilies. My Penang asam laksa is a good one to try if you like the combination of fish, chilies and sour flavors as much as I do.

Explore more Nyonya cooking with babi pongteh, a gentle pork braise seasoned with fermented soybean paste. There are plenty more regional dishes in my Malaysian recipes collection if you want to keep exploring Malaysian cooking.