Pempek is an Indonesian pastry made with ground fish and tapioca flour, with variations including fillings such as egg, papaya, fish skin, tofu, or shrimp. The dough is boiled, steamed, fried, or a combination of these methods. It is traditionally served with sweet and sour kuah cuko sauce and can be sprinkled with dried shrimp powder or served with prawn chips. Different variations of pempek have their own names and the dough is kneaded to ensure a heavy and firm texture.
Pempek is a type of pastry originally from Indonesia. It is made by combining ground fish with tapioca flour and forming the dough into a specific shape. Sometimes fillings such as egg, papaya, fish skin, tofu or shrimp are added. The dough may be boiled, steamed, fried, or any combination of these before being served. When not used as a component in a larger appetizer, pempek may be served with a type of sweet and sour sauce called kuah cuko and then sprinkled with powdered, dried prawns, or served with crunchy krupuk, also known as prawn chips.
The different forms in which pempek can be made and the variations of ingredients each bear their own names. A long log-shaped cake is called a lenjer and a small ball is an adaan. When the dough is wrapped around an egg it is known as kapal selam, when filled with tofu it becomes tahu and when filled with papaya it is called pistal. There are many other variations as well.
The basis of all pempek, regardless of the final shape or content, is the dough. One of the main flavoring elements is the fish that is used. Traditionally, the fish is one of many local varieties, including snakeheads and wahoo, although mackerel is often used outside Indonesia. The flesh of the fish is separated from the bones and skin and is dried and made into a powder or ground into a very smooth paste.
Ground fish, some ice water, and tapioca flour, sometimes mixed with some wheat flour, are mixed together. The dough is then kneaded until it has a very uniform and soft texture. Unlike other types of dough, pempek dough needs to be mixed and kneaded so that no air is incorporated into the mix to ensure that the final product is heavy and firm.
Some versions of pempek, such as kulit, add additional ingredients such as diced fish skin and incorporate it directly into the dough. Other variations, such as kapal selam, wrap the dough around an ingredient, in this case a boiled egg. Whatever the preparation, the dough is formed into the desired shape and is therefore ready for cooking.
Most pempek is boiled in water or steamed until done, a process that can sometimes take an hour or more. Some varieties, such as kapal selam, are fried in oil. Another option is to parboil or steam the fish cake to cook it through, then fry it to create texture.
The traditional way of serving pempek is with kuah cuko sauce made from brown sugar, vinegar, garlic and chili peppers which are cooked in boiling water. The finished dish can be sprinkled with dried shrimp powder or have a small amount of shrimp paste powder on the side. It can also be used as an element in dishes such as tekwan soup.
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