Mrs. Liem's Indonesian Pempek
Ingredients
- 300 grams mackerel fish meat
- 200 grams sago or tapioca flour (e.g., 150 grams tapioca flour and 50 grams wheat flour)
- 2 eggs
- Ground pepper to taste
- Additional sago or tapioca flour as needed
Dough starter
- 125 grams wheat flour
- 250 ml water
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2-3 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Vinegar sauce
- 250 grams palm sugar
- 500 ml water
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 bird's eye chilies
- Tamarind water to taste
- Salt to taste
Preparation
Mix all vinegar sauce ingredients, boil until dissolved, and strain to remove solids.
Boil water with garlic, salt, and sugar for the dough starter, then add wheat flour and stir until thick and dense, being careful not to burn it, and cool completely.
Knead the cooled dough starter with mackerel fish meat and ground pepper until well combined, then add eggs and knead thoroughly.
Incorporate sago or tapioca flour into the mixture and knead until the dough is elastic and easy to shape, adding more flour if it remains too soft or sticky.
Boil water in a pot, shape the dough into desired forms, and boil until the pieces float, adding an egg filling for submarine-style pempek if desired.
Fry the boiled pempek in oil until golden brown and serve with the vinegar sauce and sliced cucumber.
