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Fish fillets, a tasty snack found on the streets
Food, ironically, is in higher demand during Ramadan, a recurring trend eagerly anticipated by food hawkers
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Food, ironically, is in higher demand during Ramadan, a recurring trend eagerly anticipated by food hawkers.
The preference for hot and savory dishes such as rendang (beef cooked in spicy coconut milk) and opor ayam (chicken cooked in coconut milk) is quite obvious, as food stalls selling these items enjoy a brisk business during the fasting month.
Deep-fried snacks, which appeal as a starter for those breaking the fast, also sell well during Ramadan.
Female office workers, who can be seen rushing home most afternoons to prepare meals, fall for these ready-to-take-home goodies, as it saves them the trouble of cooking. Arriving home with a savory pre-prepared food package is certainly a welcome solution after a tired day at the office.
However, it cannot be denied that these hot and spicy fried foods contain a high cholesterol content that could have repercussions for one's health.
Grilled otak-otak, or spiced fish fillets served with peanut sauce, is a good alternative as it is both healthy and delicious.
This unique food item, which is readily available at most busy street stalls as well as in upscale restaurants, is worth considering as a healthy meal to break the fast.
Otak-otak can be eaten as a snack or even as part of a meal with rice. It can be consumed either hot or cold, though some say it is best eaten while hot, straight from the grill.
An otak-otak seller serving customers on a busy street near the Lebak Bulus bus terminal in South Jakarta dexterously flipped over the snack wrapped in a banana leaf on his charcoal-fueled grill.
As soon as the hot embers had singed one side of the otak-otak package, a mouth-watering aroma arose from it. After some vigorous fanning, the fish fillet was ready to be packaged for a customer to take home.
The vendor said he had been selling otak-otak for the past four years. A migrant from Purwakarta in West Java, he said he was grateful as he could earn around Rp 50,000 (US$5.40) per day from selling about 800 fillets.
He said he arrived at his selling station every day by bicycle, which had a box attached to the back which contained all the equipment and ingredients needed to cook the otak-otak.
He said business during Ramadan was brisker and he could go home earlier as his fish fillets were usually sold out by 9 p.m.
Many commuters passing through the bus terminal who cannot make it home to break their fast might find it hard to resist the mouth-watering aroma of the hot otak-otak, which is prepared and grilled on the spot.
Many customers are tempted to buy the snack before continuing on their way home.
He also prepares take-away packages, each containing 10 wrappings of otak-otak for those who are in a hurry, allowing them to just buy two or three packages costing Rp 4,000 each.
