Botok
Encyclopedia
Botok is a traditional Javanese dish made from shredded coconut flesh
which has been squeezed of its coconut milk
, often mixed with other ingredients such as vegetable or fish, and wrapped in banana leaf
and steamed. In the past the coconut flesh is discarded after squeezing the coconut milk, but this way it can also be eaten. Botok is typically consumed with rice
.
, anchovy
, wahoo
, shrimp
, beef
or even bee
larvae
.
Buntil
is prepared in a similar way, but used papaya
or cassava
leaves instead of banana leaves, making the wrapping edible as part of the dish. Botok is often considered as the variations of Pepes
, the cooking method using banana leaf. However botok is identified more specific by using shredded coconut flesh, while pepes usually contains no coconut at all.
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
which has been squeezed of its coconut milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, often mixed with other ingredients such as vegetable or fish, and wrapped in banana leaf
Banana leaf
Banana leaf is the leaf of the Banana plant. It is used for various functions, such as for decorative elements, wrappings, plate mat, and employed in cooking method....
and steamed. In the past the coconut flesh is discarded after squeezing the coconut milk, but this way it can also be eaten. Botok is typically consumed with rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
.
Preparation
On a piece of banana leaf, the coconut flesh is mixed with chilli, salt, pepper, and salam (Indonesian bay-leaf). The leaf is wrapped tight and secured with a stick, then placed on a steamer.Variations
To add flavour, many botok recipes use additional ingredients, such as Petai Cina, tofuTofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
, anchovy
Anchovy
Anchovies are a family of small, common salt-water forage fish. There are 144 species in 17 genera, found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as an oily fish.-Description:...
, wahoo
Wahoo
The wahoo is a scombrid fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is best known to sports fishermen, as its speed and high-quality flesh make it a prize game fish...
, shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
or even bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
.
Buntil
Buntil
Buntil is a traditional Javanese dish of "scraped coconut meat mixed with teri and spices, wrapped in a papaya leaf, then boiled in coconut milk." Described as "shredded coconut with anchovy-type fish wrapped in papaya leaves," the dish is served at Tembi's Resort Ndeso.-See...
is prepared in a similar way, but used papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
or cassava
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
leaves instead of banana leaves, making the wrapping edible as part of the dish. Botok is often considered as the variations of Pepes
Pepes
Pepes is an Indonesian cooking method using banana leaf as food wrappings. The banana-leaf package containing food is secured with lidi seumat , cooked on steam, in boiled water or grilled on charcoal...
, the cooking method using banana leaf. However botok is identified more specific by using shredded coconut flesh, while pepes usually contains no coconut at all.