Pempek
Pempek, from above
Non vegPalembang

Pempek

Chewy fish cakes, one hiding a whole egg, dunked in sweet sour black vinegar sauce.

70 minTime
38 gProtein each
mediumSpice
Fish cakes of Palembang2 chapters · 1 min read

Make it your way

Grandma's wayFish and tapioca cakes with sweet and sour cuko sauce.
The original
862kcalsame
38 gproteinsame
3 gfibresame
70minutessame

Pempek.

Per serving, worked out from the ingredient table.

Ingredients

4 servings
Fishmackerel or firm white fish, minced to a paste
Water150 ml ice cold for dough, 300 ml for sauce
Salt1½ tsp
Sugar1 tsp
Tapioca starch2½ cups
Egg4, for the submarines
Cooking oil (vegetable oil)for frying, about 40 g absorbed
Palm sugar (gula melaka)for cuko sauce
Tamarindpulp
Garlic6 cloves
Dried red chilli6
Dried shrimp1½ tbsp
Vinegar1½ tbsp
Cucumberdiced
Egg noodlesyellow noodles, cooked (optional)

Method

5 steps
  1. 1Mix the fish paste with the ice cold water, salt and sugar. Add the tapioca a little at a time and mix lightly into a soft dough.
  2. 2Shape some into logs and some into cups. Crack an egg into each cup and seal into a pocket.
  3. 3Boil in plenty of water until they float, then 2 minutes more. Drain and cool.
  4. 4For cuko, simmer the palm sugar, water, tamarind, pounded garlic, chillies and dried shrimp for 20 minutes. Add the vinegar.
  5. 5Fry the pempek until golden and blistered, slice and serve with cuko, cucumber and noodles.
Serve it like this

Slice into a shallow bowl, pour over cuko, top with cucumber and a few noodles. Cuko in a jug for more.

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Make it a meal

What goes with Pempek: a bread or rice, a side, something to drink and something sweet.

With a main Bakso75 min
On the side Urap30 min
On the side Tempe orek30 min
To drink Teh tarik10 min
To drink Masala chai10 min
Something sweet Martabak manis90 min
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