 Unopened botok in banana leaves wrapping. | |
| Alternative names | Bobotok, Botok-botok |
|---|---|
| Course | Main course |
| Place of origin | Indonesia[1] |
| Region or state | Central Java,Yogyakarta,East Java |
| Serving temperature | Hot or room temperature |
| Main ingredients | Grated coconut with various ingredients (tempeh, tofu, anchovy, fish, meat or mushroom) spiced and steamed inbanana leaf |
| Variations | Buntil,Pepes,Otak-otak |
Botok orꦧꦺꦴꦛꦺꦴꦏ꧀(Bothok) (sometimes calledBobotok in its plural form orBotok-botok) is a traditionalJavanese dish made from gratedcoconut flesh which has been squeezed of itscoconut milk, often mixed with other ingredients such as vegetables or fish, and wrapped inbanana leaf and steamed. It is commonly found in the Javanese people area of Java Island (Yogyakarta Special Region,Central, andEast Java.[2] It has a soft texture like themozzarella cheese and is usually colored white.
Botok seems to be a byproduct of coconut milk production, to save and reuse the grated coconut flesh that might be otherwise discarded. Commonly, the grated coconut flesh flakes are discarded after squeezing them to acquire the coconut milk. However, by cooking them in banana leaves with an additional mixture and spices, they can also be eaten as an additional dish. Another way to save the grated coconut residue is to saute them asserundeng. Today, however, to acquire tastier and richer taste, many recipes insist on using only freshly grated coconut flesh that still contains coconut milk. Botok is typically consumed withrice.[3]
The grated coconut flesh is mixed withchili, salt, pepper,lemon basil, andsalam (Indonesian bay leaf) and additional ingredients. This mixture is placed upon a piece of banana leaf, and then the leaf is wrapped tight and secured with a stick, then placed on a steamer. The most basicbotok usually uses simple and cheaper ingredients, such as minced tempeh, tofu, or anchovy.[2] After thebotok is cooked, the banana leaf package is opened and served with steamed rice. After perfectly cooked, the grated coconut and sometimes the egg addition, act as the binding agent of the wholebotok ingredients.[4]
To add flavor and nutrients, many botok recipes and variants might use additional ingredients as a protein source, such aspetai cina,belimbing wuluh,ares (the core of a banana trunk),mushroom,tofu,tempeh,anchovy,wahoo,catfish,salted fish,egg,salted egg,shrimp, mincedbeef or evenbeelarvae.[5] Thebotok method is used in several variant ingredients, and also becomes the name of a dish prepared in this manner, for example:
Buntil is prepared similarly, but usespapaya orcassava leaves instead of banana leaves, making the wrapping edible as part of the dish. Botok is often considered as the variations ofpepes, the cooking method using banana leaf. However, botok is identified more specifically by using shredded coconut flesh, while pepes usually contain no coconut at all.
TheSouth African dish ofbobotie is thought to be the derivative of Indonesianbobotok.[13] It is, however, quite different as it uses minced beef and eggs, with the absence of grated coconut and banana leaf packages. The role of grated coconut and eggs as binding agents inbobotok seems to be replaced by beaten eggs, milk, and shredded bread inbobotie.
