Otah 
From Singapore Hotels & Singapore Lifestyle
|
Otah is also commonly known as "otah otah".
A perennial favourite among Singaporeans, this Peranakan Cuisine was originally spicy fish grilled with banana leaves. Over time, this has evolved to a chilli and spice paste with fish flakes that is grilled in a banana leaf over a charcoal fire. Otah is made from fish paste mixed with spices, which include coriander, candle nut, tumeric, lemon grass, coconut milk and shallots. The right combination of spices and chilli with create a paste that is not too mushy with just the right blend of spice and coconut flavour to offset the fish taste. The fish paste being mixed with chilli is orange in color when ready to serve.
The fish paste is wrapped in a banana or coconut leaves and then grilled over a charcoal grill. There are some otah that also add shrimps, squid or crab meant into the fish paste to give an added taste. The aroma of the otah is very pleasant and enticing.
A good otah is one where the pandan leave is slightly burnt, and the otah is not too spicy hot. When you eat the otah, it must be soft and the spices should linger in your mouth after you have eaten it.
Otah can be eaten on its own. but Singaporeans usually have it with bread white loaf bread (A definite must try). Otah is also served in Nasi Lemak as well.
In Singapore, there are also crab and prawn otah as well. In the prawn otah, you can find traces of small prawns in it that improves the eating experience tremendously when you are chewing it.
Now there are canned otahs for sale in Singapore. So visitors can bring this exquisite Singapore Cuisine back to their hometown, microwave and serve it to their guests. To cater to the growing vegetarian population, vegetarian otah can also be found now.

![Back to previous page [backspace]](/skins/monobook/back.jpg)








