Fish Otah

Singapore Fish Otah

Served as a snack item, or part of a main dish. Fish Otah is a slightly spicy fish cake and is wrapped and grilled in banana leaf. The fish used for this is usually the mackerel family. The fish is minced and added with prawn or cuttlefish paste for different texture. It is mixed with some rempah (spices all grounded together) to form a paste before wrapped in banana leaves and secured with toothpicks on each end.

The wrapped Otahs are then transferred onto a grill or open fire charcoal for barbecuing. Some other versions of the Otah are the Popular Muar Otah (this one is spicier and usually sold in a block in supermarkets) and the Penang Otah Otah. Penang ones are slightly different in their taste which is richer in coconut with fish fillets and also has a layer of daun kaduk (wild pepper leaves) at the base. The Penang Otah Otah is steamed and not barbecued.