San Mui is not well. Pearlyn is sincerely worried and does her best to work up a storm of healthy Peranakan food with a lot of tradition.

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Otak Otak (Spicy)

1.2kg Spanish Mackerel
250ml Santan
20g Galangal
50g Candlenuts
340g Shallots
20g Lemongrass
40g Red Chillies
50g Belachan
6 Lime Leaves
1 Turmeric Leaf
5 Eggs
4 tablespoon Sugar
Banana Leaves
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1. To make the Rempah, pound the galangal and the candlenuts till fine.
2. Add in the red chillies, shallots and belachan, continue pounding until you get a smooth paste.
3. Fry the paste till it is dry but not burnt.
4. Fillet the spanish mackerel, then cut half the portion finely to be pounded, and the other half in big chunks.
5. Chop lime leaves and the turmeric leaf finely.
6. Add 300g of Rempah, eggs, chopped lime leaves and chopped turmeric leaves to the fish paste.
7. Then add sugar and salt, and pour in the santan. Mix well.
8. Cut banana leaves into rectangles.
9. Place about 1½ tablespoon of spicy Otak filling onto a piece of banana leaf.
10. Fold in longer sides and secure ends with toothpicks.
11. Cut off excess leaves at the end if needed.
12. Prepare charcoal stove with wire mesh over it.
13. When the charcoal is in amber, place the Otak Otak on it, flipping them regularly to prevent them from burning.

Otak Otak (White)

570g Spanish Mackerel
2 Egg Whites
10 tablespoon Santan
1 tablespoon Galangal Juice
½ Turmeric Leaf
3 Lime Leaves
1 teaspoon Sugar
Banana Leaves
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1. Pound the spanish mackerel.
2. Chop lime leaves and turmeric leaf finely.
3. Add the egg whites, chopped lime leaves, chopped turmeric leaf, santan and galangal juice to the fish paste.
4. Then add salt, sugar and pepper. Mix well.
5. Cut banana leaves into rectangles.
6. Place about 1½ tablespoon of white Otak filling onto a piece of banana leaf.
7. Fold in longer sides and secure ends with toothpicks.
8. Cut off excess leaves at the end if needed.
9. Prepare charcoal stove with wire mesh over it.
10. When the charcoal is in amber, place the Otak Otak on it, flipping them regularly to prevent them from burning.

Kueh Bolu

170g Plain Flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
5 Eggs
155g Castor Sugar

Directions:

1. Beat the eggs until nice and light.
2. Then add sugar and continue beating.
3. Add the baking powder to the plain flour and sift it.
4. Sift the flour again.
5. Add the flour to the eggs to make the Kueh Bolu batter. Mix well.
6. Prepare charcoal stove.
7. Grease the mould with oil and then fill the mould with batter ¾ way.
8. Place the batter-filled mould over the fire.
9. Cover the mould, and put hot charcoal pieces on top. Cook for about 10 minutes. Stick a thin stick into each kueh. If the stick comes out clean, the kuehs are cooked.