AI-generated photo.
Malaysian · Iconic, Malaysia · Malaysia
Otak otak
Otak otak (otak-otak), a Malaysia plate from Malaysia.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Otak otak is cooked in Malaysia as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Chop the fish, fold it with coconut and lemongrass, and steam it in parcels until it sets. Banana leaf is the usual wrap. Parchment holds the same paste. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
67
Health score
Rich, enjoy occasionally
Indulgent
Richness
Balanced
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 38%
- Carbs 7%
- Fat 55%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 22 g, under the 25 g mark.
Watch · Low sodium
About 673 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
Fat or sugar is high for a day when appetite is low.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- White fish fillet84 kcal
- Canned coconut milk79 kcal
- Neutral oil31 kcal
- Egg18 kcal
- Shallot5 kcal
- Lemongrass4 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 1.7. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 225 kcal. Two portions would be about 450 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. Egg, Fish
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 225 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 225 kcal | 11% |
| Protein | 22 g | 44% |
| Carbohydrate | 4.2 g | 2% |
| Fiber | 0.5 g | 2% |
| Total sugars | 1 g | 2% |
| Fat | 14.1 g | 18% |
| Saturated fat | 8.5 g | 43% |
| Cholesterol | 103 mg | 34% |
| Sodium | 673 mg | 29% |
| Potassium | 456 mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 28 mg | 2% |
| Iron | 2.2 mg | 12% |
| Magnesium | 46 mg | 11% |
| Zinc | 0.9 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 28 mcg | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1.4 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin D | 1.5 mcg | 8% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 0.5 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 16 mcg | 13% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0 mg | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.1 mg | 5% |
| Niacin (B3) · estimate | 6.3 mg | 39% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 0.5 mg | 28% |
| Folate · estimate | 18 mcg | 5% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.6 mcg | 67% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Saturated fat is moderate to high. Worth noticing if cholesterol is on your mind.
- Fish here is a commonly eaten, lower-mercury choice when fully cooked. Follow your own pregnancy fish guidance.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Pot with a lid
- Steamer basket
- Scale
- Timer
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
White fish fillet4 fillets480 g
Canned coconut milk0.67 cup160 ml
Egg1 egg50 g
Lemongrass1 stalk15 g
Ground turmeric0.5 tsp2 g
Chili flakes1 tsp3 g
Makrut lime leaf3 leaves2 g
Shallot1 shallot30 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
Neutral oil1 tbsp15.38 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Otak otak. Heat to steam over water at 212°F / 100°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh white fish fillet, canned coconut milk, egg, lemongrass, ground turmeric, chili flakes, makrut lime leaf, shallot, kosher salt, neutral oil. Otak otak is cooked in Malaysia as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Chop the fish, fold it with coconut and lemongrass, and steam it in parcels until it sets. Banana leaf is the usual wrap. Parchment holds the same paste. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Otak otak is cooked in malaysia. Steam with the lid on. Every peek drops the heat.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Otak otak, until the edges take a little color. The vegetable should keep a little bite. Gray and soft means it waited too long.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Otak otak at steam over water at 212°F / 100°C. Start checking at 16 minutes. Otak otak is done when the thickest piece is opaque and just tender, not dry and not pink at the bone.
Steam 16 min
- 🇲🇾 MalaysiaSoutheast Asiaicon-malaysia-otak-otak-step-4
Otak otak, step 5
Step 5 · Otak otak
5Check the center of Otak otak, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇲🇾 MalaysiaSoutheast Asiaicon-malaysia-otak-otak-step-5
Otak otak, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Otak otak for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in malaysia, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Otak otak in this shot order and no other: citrus cut and squeezed off heat; oil or butter just starting to shimmer; the slice or ladle hitting a warm plate; hands shaping a loaf or patty. Slate words for the editor: jasper, umber, griddle, skillet, honeyed, whisked, kilnfire, windowlight, kiln, violet.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Otak otak is done when the thickest piece is opaque and just tender, not dry and not pink at the bone.
If it goes wrong
- Otak otak looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Otak otak turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Otak otak, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Otak otak is one of the plates people ask for by name from Malaysia.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Chop the fish, fold it with coconut and lemongrass, and steam it in parcels until it sets. Banana leaf is the usual wrap. Parchment holds the same paste.
Allergens in the required list: Egg, Fish.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.