57. Ketupat Sotong

• January
• 30

9:38 am Appetizer, Home Cooking, Seafood

I would never have thought that seafood stuffed with glutinous rice, and cooked in sweetish coconut milk gravy would taste very delicious, but this one does.

I think the first time I even heard and tasted this dish was in 1997. A wife of a post-grad student, who is not from Kelantan, but her husband is, made this one afternoon, and invited us over. Easy since she lived like a few doors away heh.

She made this, and informed me basically how it was done. It was pretty easy, the condiments/spiced used are similar to nasi dagang. The husband who screwed his nose when I mentioned this dish had even asked me to make more.

This is as I remembered.

KETUPAT SOTONG

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg medium sized squid, cleaned.
• 3 cups glutinous rice, soaked overnight
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 1 inch ginger, julienned
• 1 tbs fenugreek
• 2 cups thick coconut milk
• 1 cup milk (or more, as needed)
• 2 TB regular sugar (or some gula kabung if you could get your hands on it)
• Salt to taste
• Toothpicks

Method

1. Steam the soaked glutinous rice for 30 minutes. Then the take it off heat, add about 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 tsp salt, mix it well. Put it back under the steamer for another 15 minutes.
2. Take off heat, and let it cool.
3. Once cooled, stuff the cooked glutinous rice inside the squid sac. First put the squid tentacles/head inside, then stuff it about 2/3 full with the rice. Use the toothpicks to cover the opening.
4. Finish it all, don’t worry about finishing all the rice since you might have some leftovers. Set it aside while you prepare the coconut gravy.
5. Inside a pan, add the rest of the coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt, fenugreek, shallots and ginger. Turn the heat up, let it come to a boil, then turn the heat to medium.
6. Add all the squids at this point. If the gravy is too thick, then add some water. If not, more coconut milk would be needed.
7. Add the sugar at this point, and continue cooking. It would take only a few minutes since the glutinous rice is already cooked.
8. Ready to be served. I would strain the sauce, and serve it with the squid.