Bakso Ikan [ Fish Meatballs ]

I've never liked fish balls before, I always found it too fishy for my taste. You know, not the good kind of fresh-fishy smell but rather strong-dead-fishy kind of smell. Fortunately, my fishball-phobia is now gone after I try this recipe. It was easy, cheap and very good!

Ingredients:

¼ kg of Basa fillet, pounded into a paste (food processor will give a great help!)

1 Tsp Soy sauce (Chinese soy sauce)

½ Tsp Sesame Oil

3 Stalks scallion, chopped

3 red Thai chili, seeds removed and chopped

½ Tsp White pepper

1 Tsp Corn starch

½ Tsp dried garlic powder or 2 cloves finely chopped

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil for frying

1. After you pound the fish fillet into a paste, add in Soy sauce, Sesame oil, Scallion, white pepper, pepper and garlic. Mix well. 

2. Split the mix into 2 parts, put the chili into one of the parts.

3. Now, this the fun part: try to mold the mix into small balls. This is how I did it: 

  

   I pick up a tbsp of the mix with the spoon, and try to roll it with another spoon until it become nice and   round then I gently put it on my bamboo steamer.

4. Steam the fish balls for about 10 minutes.

5. If you want it to be a bit golden and crispy on the outside, fry the steamed fish balls with sesame oil until they turn golden. 

PS: If you are curious about what is underneath the baking sheet on my bamboo steamer, it was shredded lemon grass. I thought it might help to give a hint of lemon-grassy but it was not a big success. I guess I should have not layer it with baking sheet.

Happy cooking!