Indonesian Fish Cakes with Vinegar Sauce (Pempek)
Pempek Say it: PEM-pek
Pempek is a beloved street-food snack from Palembang, South Sumatra, made from finely minced fish and tapioca starch. The dough is shaped into logs or rings, boiled until springy, then deep-fried so the outside turns crisp and golden while the inside stays chewy. It is always served with cuko, a dark, glossy sauce that balances palm-sugar sweetness with tamarind sourness, vinegar sharpness and fresh chili heat. Eaten as a snack or light meal, pempek is prized for its bouncy texture and the bright, punchy contrast of the sauce.
Indonesian Fish Cakes with Vinegar Sauce (Pempek)
Pempek
Pronounced PEM-pek
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Fish cakes
For boiling and frying
Cuko sauce
To serve
Method
For the cuko, combine the palm sugar, 1/2 cup (120 ml) water, tamarind paste, vinegar, chilies, garlic, and 1 tsp salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10–12 minutes, until the sauce is glossy, slightly syrupy, and tastes balanced between sweet, sour, and spicy. Set aside to cool.
Pat the fish dry and mince it very finely with a knife or in a food processor, keeping it cold. In a large bowl, mix the fish with 1 tsp salt, sugar, and white pepper until sticky.
Add the ice-cold water gradually, then add the tapioca starch in three batches, kneading with your hand until the dough is smooth, pliable, and just slightly tacky. If it feels dry or cracks, work in a little more water; if it is too sticky to handle, dust with a little extra tapioca starch.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces and, with tapioca-starch-dusted hands, roll each into a log about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long and 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, or form small rings. Keep the shaped pempek on a starch-dusted tray while you work.
Bring 8 cups (2 L) water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Lower the pempek into the water in batches and boil for 5–7 minutes, until they float to the surface and feel firm and springy. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on a rack until cool and dry.
Heat the neutral oil in a deep pan to 350°F (175°C). Fry the cooled pempek in batches for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and crisp at the edges. Drain on paper towels.
Serve the hot pempek with the cooled cuko for dipping and cucumber slices on the side. Cut one open to check that the center is chewy and cooked through.
Regional variant: Pempek Kapal Selam (Egg-Stuffed Pempek)
For 4 large pieces, use the same dough but make each portion about 1/2 cup (100 g). Flatten each portion into a cup, slip in 1 whole raw egg, and seal the dough carefully around it. Boil for 12–15 minutes, until the egg is set, then cool and fry as above. Cut open to serve; the egg should be just cooked, not runny.
Cook's notes
- Keep the fish and dough cold; warm dough becomes sticky and hard to shape.
- Boil one small test piece first; it should float and feel springy, not mushy.
- Fry boiled pempek only when dry and cooled to avoid oil splatter.
Serve with
Cuko for dipping, cucumber slices, and iced tea or fresh coconut water.
Make ahead and storage
Boiled and cooled pempek keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; fry just before serving. Cuko can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated.
