Siomay or Somai (Chinese: 烧卖; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sio-māi), is an Indonesian fish dumpling (wonton wrapper) steamed with vegetables, served with peanut sauce or sweet and sour sauce.
It is a variant of the Chinese Shumai (pork-based dumpling) and, just like bakso, lumpia, and pempek, it has been influenced by Chinese-Indonesian cuisine.
It is considered a light meal, similar to those served in Chinese dim sum.
It is traditionally made with pork, but is often substituted with tenggiri (Spanish mackerel) as many Indonesians observe halal dietary law.
Sometimes, other types of fish like tuna, mackerel, and shrimp may also be used to make siomay.
Traditional accompaniments include: steamed cabbage, potatoes, bitter melon, boiled egg, and tofu.
Siomay is often cut into pieces and served with peanut sauce or sweet soy sauce (kecap manis), or sweet-sour sauce with a squeeze of lime juice.
However, Indonesian siomay is rarely served with peanut sauce; instead, it is served with a sweet and spicy chili sambal sauce, or without sauce, resembling authentic Chinese shumai.
Having long been assimilated into Indonesian cuisine, the most famous version of the dish is the Bandung-style siomay (siomay Bandung).
My version is shrimp-based and served with sambal sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups flour
- 2/3 cup water (hot)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- to taste salt
- 9 oz shrimp
- 1 shallot
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste white pepper
- to taste sesame oil
- 1 carrot
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- to taste salt
- 3 1/2 oz chili peppers
- 100 leaves shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tomato (large)
- to taste vegetable oil
Tools
- 1 bamboo steamer
Steps
To prepare the wonton wrapper: mix the ingredients, work the dough, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Roll out and cut into circles.
For the filling: combine all the chopped ingredients.
Incorporate the filling into the dough wrapper and steam for 20 minutes.
For the sambal sauce: blend the chili or green chili together with garlic, shallot, red or green tomato, add salt and lemon or lime juice, then sauté with oil.
Season the siomay with the sauce.
Serve with boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, steamed cabbage, tofu… your choice.
Cooking with Magic Cooker:
I used my Magic Cooker lid for steaming: 1 glass of water in the pot with the siomay, 1 minute on high heat and 20 minutes on low heat, covered.
I used my Magic Cooker lid for steaming: 1 glass of water in the pot with the siomay, 1 minute on high heat and 20 minutes on low heat, covered.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is Chinese Shumai and what are its variations?
You can find detailed information about Shumai (Chinese: 烧卖; pinyin: shāomài; Cantonese Yale: sīu-máai; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sio-māi), a type of traditional Chinese dumpling made with minced pork, at this link.
