Umai

Umai is "Melanau's sashimi"! It is thinly sliced fish either eaten raw by dipped into a specially prepared sauce or marinated with calamondin lime, onions, chillies and some gingers.Few types of fish can be used to prepare Umai, but the most common one is this Empirang fish with gold body color. It is not too hard to recognize this fish in the market.

Empirang Fish

The umai is made of raw fish. The fish is cut and sliced into pieces and are then mixed with lime, vinegar, chilies and onion to taste. As far as I know, the acidic vinegar and lime somehow caused the fish to turn from raw to cook. The gist in preparing a good umai is of course the fish. As fresh fish is easily available in Mukah, it is no doubt that the bountiful catch is used to make umai.

Ingredients (A)

8 large scallops (approx. 150g)
6 limes, juiced (limau kasturi)
A pinch of sugar
1/4 tsp salt
A pinch of white pepper


Ingredients (B)
4-5 red chillies (I used cili padi)
3cm lemongrass
1/2 clove garlic
1 shallot
1.5cm ginger


A few coriander leaves

Method:

1. Fillet the fish and cut into smaller slices.

2. Add in sliced onion, red chilli, shallot, ginger, bunga kantan.

3. Add in lime juice.

4. Season to taste with salt and sugar. Mix evenly.

5. Refrigerate for minimum 1-hour.

6. Groundnut can be mixed together before refrigerate, or just before serving.

7. Serve.