Balinese food series: Pepes Ikan recipe (steamed fish in banana leaf)
Pepes Ikan (also pepesan ikan) is an Indonesian dish consisting of a fish wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed. It is Sundanese in origin but it is very popular all over Indonesia. The process of steaming the fish within the banana leaf (and often grilling it as well) makes the fragrance of the leaves sink into the fish, making the dish very aromatic. Let’s prepare this Pepes Ikan recipe!
The basis of this dish is gluten- and lactose-free so it is a good option for people with dietary restrictions. It can also be adapted for a vegetarian or vegan diet (see variations).
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Post Contents
Pepes Ikan recipe: ingredients (4-6 pax)
½ kilo of tuna
3 medium sized tomatoes
1 cup of lemon basil leaves
2tbsp of base gede, basic yellow sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
6 page-sized pieces of banana leaf, or aluminum foil
1 large slice of lemon
6 toothpicks
Pepes Ikan recipe: instructions
- Slice the tuna into 1 centimeter sized cubes. Dice the tomato.
- Roughly mix tuna, tomato, lemon basil, base gede, salt and pepper and squeeze the lemon over the mixture.
- Place two tablespoons of the mixture onto a banana leaf and roll until the mixture is completely wrapped. Take a toothpick and fasten it to each end of the package (if you use aluminium foil, just fold it to fasten it).
- Steam the packages for ten minutes.
- And that’s how you make Pepes Ikan! Serve immediately after cooking.
Gado Gado recipe: variations
You can also grill the pepes ikan for around 3 minutes until the banana leaf darkens, ideally over charcoal, to increase the banan leaf fragrance of the dish.
While this dish is often prepared with fish, pepesan can be prepared with almost every other ingredient, including white and red meat, eggs, tofu, seafood and vegetables. The only difference will be the steaming time depending on the ingredients. If you want to mix ingredients, it is recommended to use in each batch only ingredients with similar steaming time (i.e. fish and seafood).
Closing statement
As you can see, there is not secret to this Pepes Ikan recipe. It is a fragrant and delicious dish and, to top it up, very healthy! Try it at home and let me know how it turns out!
I learned this Pepes Ikan recipe at Paon Bali Cooking Class by the hand of Mama Puspa, the sassy chef that led our class. You can read more about our experience with Paon Bali and Mama Puspa in my dedicated post.
Paon Bali Cooking Class review: our experience in a Balinese cooking class
You can book your class here, through Paon Bali’s website or phone number (+62 813-3793-9095).
If you’re planning a trip to Indonesia, have a look at these posts:
Perfect 3 days itinerary in Ubud, Bali
What to do in North Sumatra, the secret Indonesia keeps from you
11 top things to do in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Perfect 3-day itinerary in Nusa Penida, Indonesia
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