The Hirshon Indonesian Fish Dumplings With Accompaniments - Siomay Ikan Bandung — Siomay Ikan Bandung Image Used Under Creative Commons License From review.bukalapak.com

My prolifically-engaged Citizens! This week of rare Asian dumpling recipes has ignited a firestorm of gastronomic fervor amongst you, as My last recipes for Nepali jhol momo and Chiu Chow dumplings have been amongst the most shared recipes EVER here on TFD! The Chiu Chow crystal dumpling is now – BY FAR – the most popular recipe ever on TFD with nearly *32,000* shares! My sincere hope is that this most-favored street food post – siomay ikan bandungi – will surpass even that exalted level!

My previous most-shared recipes have all been from Indonesia, so this is not a surprising circumstance in the least – as it is one of the world’s most populous nations and with practically every one of the country’s denizens nearly as obsessed with food as Myself. Plus, Indonesian food is truly representative of one of the great cuisines of the world, it is an especial favorite of mine! Whilst it is a veritable fact that TFD is not a huge fan of fish as a rule, this recipe was one of the first to convert me to Team Fin! 😉

Regarding Indonesian cuisine, this authoritative excerpted discourse from theculturetrip.com sounds off:

‘Indonesian cuisine’ is an oversimplification

Just like many things in Indonesia, the food is as diverse as it gets. Every ethnicity in the country holds unique recipes specific to their culture. The popular Padang cuisine, for example, uses a lot of chili and spices to keep people warm, as they live in cold highlands. Sweet Javanese food on the other hand, was influenced by the abundance of sugar production during colonial times. Other than climate and historical influence, traditional recipes usually feature ingredients native to that area.

It’s not a real meal without rice

Rice is a staple food in the Indonesian diet. The goddess of rice, Dewi Sri, is highly revered in Java and Bali and because of this divine inspiration almost everything comes with rice on the side – even carb-loaded meals like noodles or potatoes! For many people, meals like bread, cereal, or even pizza count only as snacks, as they are not consumed with a portion of rice. Indonesians also use rice to make various desserts, such as tasty rice pudding. Aside from rice, some cultures in Indonesia have other staple foods such as cassava, sweet potatoes, and corn.

Indonesia and halal food

Indonesia is home to the largest Muslim population in the world, a reality that extends to the realms of food. Since the arrival of Islam in the archipelago, many traditional recipes have been modified to comply with the principles of halal, most evidently by substituting pork with other meat. Nowadays, pork dishes are rather hard to come by – except in non-Muslim regions and Chinatowns.

Everything tastes better with sambal and krupuk

There are dozens of sambal (spicy condiment) recipes known in Indonesia. If the French pair their meals with wine, you’ll learn that dishes in Indonesia go with a certain sambal to make it complete. The same goes with krupuk or crackers. Sambal and krupuk may come with the dish you order or provided as a condiment on the restaurant table. Indonesians can be content with really simple food as long as there is sambal and krupuk to accompany it.

Some popular sambal recipes include the Balinese sambal matah with its fresh chilli, lemongrass, and lime; sambal terasi with the local favourite shrimp paste; and sambal kacang, which uses peanuts and chilli.

Indonesians love their spices

Indonesia is home to the Moluccas archipelago, known as the fabled ‘Spice Islands’ sought out by 16th century European nations. The country is credited with introducing the world to a tapestry of new flavours and sensations. Indonesia remains one of the world’s top producers of spices, giving us nutmeg, clove, galangal, pandan leaves, and others which are incorporated into many traditional recipes. These native spices soon mix with other herbs introduced from India and China, such as turmeric, lemongrass and scallions. An authentic traditional recipe may list almost a dozen herb and spice ingredients to make one dish, resulting in a remarkable and distinctive taste loved by many.

Eating is better together

Many Indonesian meals were originally created as communal dishes, served during traditional ceremonies, rituals, or gatherings. The Sundanese, for example, have a tradition called ngaliwet, which started by pooling money together to buy ingredients, followed by cooking together and then eating the dish as a group, as communal portions are laid on one big banana leaf. This sense of togetherness is still an important part of a local dining experience, no matter what meal you’re having.

In Indonesia, one dish can have dozens of versions across localities. The famed satay, for example, has at least 20 different recipes adopted in different regions, depending on the local taste and availability of ingredients. For example, the Balinese satay lilit uses coconut milk and lemongrass, ingredients that are readily available in the region. Satay from Padang on the other hand, is drenched in a curry-like sauce typical to Padang cuisine.

Like so many of the Asian dumpling recipes, this one is a direct descendant of the classic Chinese siu mai – just look at its name in Indonesian as “siomay” and you should be convinced of the inextricable link between these two seemingly disparate dishes. During its journey from China, the siu mai was changed from a pork and shrimp dim sum delicacy to a fish-based dumpling beloved as street food (as the world’s most populous Muslim nation, pork cannot be eaten in any way, shape or form).

Siomay (also known as Somai), is an Indonesian steamed fish dumpling with vegetables served in peanut sauce. Traditionally made with tenggiri (Spanish mackerel), sometimes other types of seafood such as tuna, mackerel, and prawn also can be used to make siomay. Other complements to siomay include steamed cabbage, potatoes, bitter gourd, boiled egg, and tofu. Siomay is often cut into bite size pieces and topped with peanut sauce, sweet soy sauce, chili sauce and a dash of lime juice.

Siomay is ubiquitous in Indonesian cities, as it is one of the most popular snacks or light meals in Indonesia. It can be found in street-side food stalls, traveling carts, bicycle vendors, and restaurants, and is considered a popular school meal for Indonesian students.

Just like bakso, lumpia, and pempek, siomay was strongly influenced by Chinese Indonesian cuisine. However, truly Chinese Indonesian siomay are rarely served with peanut sauce; but instead with a sweet-sour and spicy chili sauce in its place, or with no sauce at all, thus resembling authentic Chinese siu mai. It is believed that siomay originated amongst Chinese immigrants who came to Indonesia en-masse during the Dutch colonial period.

Siomay has long been incorporated into Indonesian cuisine, the most famous iteration of the dish being Bandung-style siomay (siomay Bandung) from the Western part of the Indonesian island of Java. It has been adapted into local Sundanese cuisine, where most siomay sellers today are Sundanese. It has similarly been adapted into the batagor, short for bakso tahu goreng, another variety of the dish also from Bandung; it is similar to siomay, except that it is fried instead of steamed.

Some alternatively say the current craze around siomay Bandung orginated when a Bandung mother of Chinese descent won the championship making siomay on the Cap Go Meh show. Since then the name “Bandung” has been inextricably attached to this dish. Regardless of its origin, siomay bandung is one delicious fish dumpling dish, no matter how you slice it – and trust Me, Indonesians DO SLICE it – into small pieces along with the garnishes so it can be easily eaten on the go.

Now, it is worth noting that these ARE fish dumplings and the fish Indonesians greatly prefer to use in this recipe is Spanish mackerel – one of the strongest-tasting fishes I’ve ever sampled. Embracing the fishiness is needed in this dish, as there are many other POWERFUL flavors in here, including peanut sauce, lime juice and bitter melon. The potent flavor of mackerel is needed here, just trust me.

FYI and to put this all in perspective: In Indonesia, premium fish dumplings will only use 100% Spanish mackerel. A slightly less premium choice will use 50% Spanish mackerel and 50% prawns. For the cheapest option, people go with 40% Spanish mackerel, 30% prawns, and 30% chicken. This would seem to go against standard Western thinking as the more “luxurious” proteins LOWER the quality level! Tuna is a common substitute when Spanish mackerel is not available, but is far less enjoyed.

My version of this recipe stays true to the street food origins of this dish – I go with 100% mackerel, with just a hint of ground chicken fat to pay homage to the “lesser” versions of siomay Bandung. In a highly-eccentric (and delicious!) departure, I also add in a can of smoked and spiced mackerel pâté to add additional fat, a hint of smoke and overall richness while keeping a pure fish flavor! You can buy mackerel pâté from here – note that it is optional and can simply be replaced by more fresh-ground mackerel (I prefer My version, of course).

Another highly-unusual change I have made to the recipe is to include a soupçon of Knorr Aromat seasoning – this is a respectful nod to the Dutch influence on Indonesia, as they colonized the entire archipelago and ruled for hundreds of years (Aromat is a common seasoning in modern Dutch cuisine). It can be left out, but again I firmly believe the recipe is substantively improved by its addition. You can buy Aromat of the proper European pedigree from here.

A few other Indonesian ingredients you will need for this recipe include palm sugar, fish sauce, tapioca flour, kecap manis (sweet Indonesian soy sauce), fresh kaffir lime leaves, rice flour and fresh tamarind (dilute the paste with water to taste to make tamarind water). The other ingredients can be easily purchased in any grocery store, butcher or fishmonger – by the way, I STRONGLY encourage you to have the mackerel ground at the fishmongers – the potent smell and mess make it a worthwhile endeavor, just trust Me here.

FYI – the peanut sauce as interpreted through the lens of My gastronomic genius is a true revelation, I promise you! A surprising ingredient (at least to some) is the use of grated chayote squash to lighten the filling – and trust Me, it is GENIUS! You should be able to easily buy one of these at any Mexican or Asian grocery store, although many mainstream markets now carry them as well (they are used a great deal in New Orleans food, for example).

Bitter melon is an ingredient that is typically loathed by many Westerners, and it lives up to its name, being so strong as to be nearly unpalatable to European-centric tastebuds. Asians have always enjoyed this vegetable in moderation, and it is also extremely healthy, being very good for diabetics (I take a bitter melon pill every day to keep My own condition under control). You can omit this ingredient, if you truly desire – but it does work in this recipe and especially as I prep it to remove a lot of bitteness.

My Citizens, this is a rare fish recipe here on the blog and one of the even rarer examples of fish dumplings that have become a national OBSESSION. Citizens of TFD Indonesia, show the world I’m right about you and help Me to set a new Indonesian share record for the benefit of a dumpling-crazed world that NEEDS this delicacy in their belly, with rapidity! In a world of subtly-flavored dumpling recipes, this is a strident Mahler or Stravinsky symphony of flavors amongst polite Handel and Albinoni concerto-like delicacies!

Battle on – the Generalissimo

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