Pempek Palembang

pada tanggal
     Hello everyone, back again with me Ferin. For this post, I want to share with you some of the photos that I recreate. So I was given the assignment to recreate the food picture. After some consideration, I choose one of the signature dishes from Palembang called Pempek. But before we look at the photos I have taken, let's talk about the history of Pempek.
   Pempek, or others are known as Empek-Empek or Mpek Mpek, is one of the signature dishes from Palembang, South Sumatera. Pempek is a typical fish cake made of ground fish meat, tapioca, and spices, and it serves with a sweet and sour sauce called Cuko, which type of brown sugar vinegar, that made of brown sugar, vinegar, chili, garlic, and salt. The taste of the sauce must be acidly strong with the taste of sweetness and hotness at the same time.
    In one plate of Pempek, we will find a plate full of the Pempek dough that has been fried and cut into pieces, yellow noddle, and the sauce. In some modifications, there will be chopped cucumber and ebi powder for sprinkles.
   History said the early idea of this dish came up during the 16th Century when an old Chinese immigrant settled in near to Musi River. After noticed the abundance of fishes around the neighborhood was plentiful and mostly wasted for there was refrigerator at that time, he had an idea to make something by those fishes, besides consuming it in a traditional way like indigenous people did, like grilled, fried, or boiled. The old man was starting to make the fish dough and the sauce and he sold around the village with his cart. The people at that time noticed him as Pek Apek, that referred to an old man, in Chinese slang word. Since then, the dish became popular as Mpek-Mpek.
   Formerly, Pempek is made from a kind of river fish called Belida. However, because this fish is very rare and expensive now, people alternate the fish with other river fish such as Gabus, Toman, Bujuk, and even with sea fish as Tenggiri, Kakap Merah, Parang-Parang, and Ekor Kuning. Although they are cheaper the Pempek made of these fish is still delicious. 
   There are some variants of Pempek that we can found in the menu. The most popular one is Pempek Kapal Selam. Kapal selam in Bahasa means Submarine, which resemble to the shape of the dish. Pempek Kapal Selam is pempek dough with an egg inside. Other popular variant is pempek Lenjer, which is pempek in long cylindrical  shape that similar to sausage. Others are known as Pempek Kulit (Fish Skin Pempek), Pempek Keriting (Curly Pempek), Pempek Pistel (containing slices of young papaya fruit mix with some ingredients), Pempek  Adaan (Small Ball Shape Pempek), Pempek Tahu (Tofu Pempek), Pempek Panggang (Grilled Pempek), and Otak-Otak (Grilled Pempek Wrapped with Banana Leaf). 

 
 Pempek Kapal Selam
   I personally really enjoy every variant of Pempek. Every variant has its own flavor and if you have tasted it you will not be able to stop eating them. So, now you already know about Pempek, right? 

   Now, let us move on to the photo that I recreate. I took this photo from three different angles. Let's take a look.  
                 

 
 
Here is the recipe for Pempek: (The recipe from Indo Food Store)

  • 500 gram mackerels, grinded 

  • 200 ml of ice water

  • 2 tbsp  salt

  • 1 tbsp white sugar

  • 1 tbsp white pepper

  • 1 tbsp garlic powder

  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 800 – 1000 g sago/tapioca flour

The recipe for Cuko:

  • 250 g palm sugar

  • 2 tbsp white sugar

  • 6 cloves garlic, 

  • 25 g bird’s eyes chilies

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 tbsp of tamarind

  • 250 ml of water

The steps to make Pempek:

  1. Grind all the ingredients to make a fish cake, except sago/tapioca flour.

  2. Mix them well.

  3. Then take 1 tablespoon of fish batter, add about 2-3 tablespoons of sago flour, mix and shape Pempek as you wish. Set aside and shape the rest of the batter until finished.

  4. Boil the water using a saucepan, and cook the Pempek, about 15 minutes. When they are coming up to the surface, meaning it cooked.

  5. Deep fry the cooked Pempek.

  6. Make the cuko: puree the garlic and chilies. 

  7. Boil the water, add the puree and palm sugar, cook until the sugar dissolved. Then, strain it. 

  8. Place the Pempek in a plate (you can cut into small pieces), add the noodle, and then pour with the cuko. Garnish with the cucumber. Some people like to add ebi (ground dried shrimp).

That is all from my post today. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thank you and have a good day. See you in the next post.



Sincerely, 

Ferin



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