SimPle PleaSures (in EveRy BiTe)

Never ever knew these existed in Indonesia.  Man, was I soo anti-social!  Hehe.  I’ve always had siomay.  But that was way back when during "dimsum" days.  You know, going to the chinese restaurants early in the morning just to taste those lovely little dumplings.  I used to only eat the shrimps, since, um, most of the others contains pork, which… I absolutely cannot have.

After what it felt like a decade, I finally got married, and guess what!  He’s from Indonesia as well.  From Bandung, to be exact.  The funny thing was, when we first got to know each other, I asked him what his favorite food was.  And guess what!!  It has to be… Siomay Bandung!  Of course yours truly was clueless of what he meant by that food.  Thank God for the internet, I finally understood that it was a form of dumpling famously sold in Bandung, West Java. 

Instead of using chicken or beef like in chinese dumplings, Indonesian siomays mostly uses fish and prawns.  On top of that, you eat the siomays with yummy peanut sauce, instead of salty soy sauce and chilly paste as in the chinese restaurants.  I come to like this form of siomay lately, perhaps my husband’s taste is rubbing on me.. argggh!

Here is the recipe for those of you who like steamed food (or if you just like dumplings in general.. )

Skin

Any wonton skin available.  I usually get the thin ones cause they tend to melt in the mouth.

Filling

• Any fish fillet (I usually use smooth-dory or basa), blend and smooth out with food processor or blender, about 2 or 3 medium size, about 3 to 4 cups after processing.
• Ice water (about 3/4 cups)
• Tapioca starch (about 1/2 – 3/4 cups)
• Prawn, 1 cup, also blend with fish in blender
• Salt to taste (I usually put about 1 tbsp)
• Oyster sauce to taste
• Ebi (dried crushed shrimp), about 1 tbsp or to taste
• Sesame oil 2 tbsp
• One whole egg

Peanut Sauce

• One cup peanut butter
• 3 tbsp tom yum paste
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• salt to taste
• sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) to taste.
• water about 1/2 cup to 1 cup

Instruction

• Combine filling and knead until well mixed. 
• Take about 1 tsp of filling and center into wonton skin. 
• Take edges and fold in so that it makes a round shape
• Heat up steamer
• Put siomay or dumpling into steamer
• Steam until cooked (usually expands after about 20 minutes or so)

To make the sauce

• combine all sauce ingreadients in a pan on top of medium heat
• stir until mixed well, and wait until boiled
• Do not let it boiled too long, it can burn the bottom of the pan
• Take a way from heat.

Serve and enjoy!