Pempek Ikan Palembang Saus Cuko (Indonesian Fish Cakes)

Course: Appetizer, Entree

Cuisine: Indonesian Chinese

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: -20 pieces

Author: Marvellina

Learn how to make Indonesian style fried fish sticks served with delicious spicy tamarind sauce (saus cuko).

600 gr fresh boneless skinless mackerel fish or any fresh lean fish of your choice, I use tilapia
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp better-than-bouillon or chicken seasoning powder
175 gr tapioca starch
100 gr all-purpose flour

Put sugar, salt, water, vinegar, and tamarind paste in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar has dissolves. Strain the mixture. Add the garlic, chili, and bring back to a boil and cook just another minute. Saus cuko is sweet, spicy, and tangy

Cut the fish into small pieces. Freeze them in the freezer for about 40 minutes. They should be partially frozen. Place them in a blender along with salt, sugar, and chicken powder. Blend into a smooth paste
Remove from the food processor into a large bowl. Add tapioca starch and all-purpose flour. Knead into a dough that is just slightly sticky to touch, but it shouldn't be too sticky. If it is sticky, add just a bit more all-purpose flour but not too much

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pinch of small amount of pempek dough and boil until it cooks through. Have a taste. If you think it needs more salt and/or sugar, add it to the dough and try again until you are happy with the taste

You can shape pempek into whatever shapes you want. You can shape it into a log to be pempek lenjer, shape it like a disc (pempek gepeng), pempek kapal selam (usually with egg filling inside). I recommend oil your palms during shaping instead of dusting with more flour. The more flour you use, the tougher the pempek going to be
If you want to fill the pempek with egg, crack two eggs into a container with a spout (to make your life easier). Beat the eggs with a fork or use a whisk. Shape the pempek dough into a bowl-like and then carefully pour in some of the beaten egg. Try not to fill too much (at least not on the first try) or you will have trouble sealing the dough. Then carefully seal the edge tightly. The pempek will roughtly shape like a submarine (kapal selam)

Bring the large pot of water you boil earlier back to a rolling boil. Carefully add the shaped pempek into the boiling water. Once they float to the top, don't take them out yet. They are usually not fully cooked yet even though they have floated to the top (I've learned my lessons). It depends on the size of the pempek too. You have to take out one and cut it to check and make sure the inside is cooked through
Let the pempek cools down before proceeding to deep frying

Preheat about 2-3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottom pot. When the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium. Put the cooked pempek in and fry until golden brown. Try not to overcrowd the pot. Remove and place on an absorbent paper towel
You can also use an air fryer. I lightly brush the pempek with a bit of oil and then place them in the air fryer basket and fry at 350 F (180 C) until slightly golden brown, about 5 minutes or so. The time is just a reference, it depends on your air fryer too. It won't be as browned as if you deep fry them, but it should give you that crispy crust too. You will do this in several batches

Cut the pempek into smaller pieces. Add cubes of fresh cucumber. If you want to make it a complete meal, add cooked yellow noodles, or mung bean thread noodles (soun) and generously pour the saus cuko over everything and enjoy!