Siomay - Indonesian Steamed Fishcakes with Peanut Sauce

Siomay is a very popular dish in Indonesia. I believe it's adapted from the Chinese shaoi mai by the Chinese immigrants who settled in long ago in Indonesia. Since the majority of the Indonesian population is Muslim, Siomay is normally not made from pork and prawn like the original shaoi mai, but usually with fish, or a combination of chicken and prawn. I nevertheless like my siomay best with fish and a little bit of pork fat. Siomay is usually served with peanut sauce, sweet soy sauce, chilli sauce and a drizzle of kaffir lime juice. Siomay can also be served together with steamed potatoes, bitter gourds, tofu, cabbage and hard-boiled eggs.

Siomay is also such a reminiscene of my childhood. I still remember the siomay men who sold their steamed goods with their bicycles. Almost every afternoon I could hear the bicycle bell of a siomay hawker passing by my house. It was so cool...! I really miss those hawkers in Indonesia...! If you want to see a blog that features lots of hawker foods in Indonesia, please visit Selby's Food Corner - she has so many mouthwatering posts about hawker foods.

Ingredients
Siomay

• 400 gr mackerel fish paste
• 100 gr minced pork
• 400 gr tapioca flour
• 400 gr water
• 2-3 tbs chopped spring onions
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• Salt, sugar and pepper to taste
• Wonton wrappers (optional)
  

Mix all ingredients. You can use wonton wrappers to wrap the siomay, but it's not completely necessary. Just scoop a tablespoon of the siomay mixture and place it in the steamer. Steam for 10 minutes.

Peanut Sauce

• 200 gr peanuts (or use peanut butter)
• 1-2 tbs oil
  
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1 tbs minced chilli
• 200 ml water
• 1 tbs vinegar
• 1 tbs sugar

Heat the wok and add 2 tbs oil. Pan fry the peanuts, when they are golden brown, add in garlic and chilli. Add the pan fried peanuts, chilli, and garlic in a mixer, including water, vinegar and sugar. Mix all ingredients until smooth.

As accompaniments, I added steamed rolled-cabbage and hard-boiled eggs to my siomay.

Drizzle with peanut sauce, sweet soy sauce, chilli sauce and kaffir lime juice. Enjoy with a glass of avocado smoothie:)!

I am still looking for other delicious siomay recipes, if you've got one, please let me know!!