Quick Asian Recipes

Payeh Bileh Recipe (Spiced Anchovies Wrapped in Banana Leaves

HomeEasy RecipesPayeh Bileh Recipe (Spiced Anchovies Wrapped in Banana Leaves – Aceh Style)January 30, 2012147ShareFacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsAppLinkedinReddItEmailPrintTelegramMixLINE

Payeh Bileh is one of Aceh style side dishes that is made from anchovies and spice up with numbers different herbs before wrapping them in banana leaves. There are many other different kinds name of pepes in Indonesia depend on the area. Pepes is a cooking technique employing banana leaf for wrapping and widely use in Indonesia. Brengkesan in Javanese, Brengkes in South Sumatra, Pais in Sundanese, Palai in Minangkabau, and Payeh in Acehnese.

I mentioned on my previous post on my Curry Leaves post that Acehnese food has more influenced from Southern Indian food compare to other regions in Indonesia. There is one ingredient here that is speciality to Aceh dishes, asam sunti. By giving the name asam, it means sour and made from dried bilimbi. If you don’t have any asam sunti, just add more bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi or kamias in Tagalog. For those who are not familiar with bilimbi, please check out my Tart or Sour Flavourings in Indonesian Cooking post and wikipedia

Payeh Bileh Recipe
Aceh Style Spiced Anchovies Wrapped in Banana Leaves

Ingredients:
454 grams (1lb) frozen anchovies, thawed
1 ½ teaspoons fresh squeezed calamansi
seasalt
6 bilimbi, angle cut
2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
5 shallots (double up the amount if you use smaller size like the ones in Indonesia), finely sliced
2 tablespoons ground lemongrass
6 kaffir lime leaves, remove the midribs and chopped
3 sprigs curry leaves, take the leaves
banana leaves to wrap

Spice Paste:
15 pieces asam sunti (dried bilimbi)
5 long red cayenne pepper *
5 bird eyes chilies*
4 shallots (double up the amount if you use smaller size like the ones in Indonesia)
4 cloves garlic
2.5-centimeters (1-inch) fresh turmeric root, peeled
4-centimeters (1.5-inches) ginger, scrapped

Method:
1. Combine anchovies with calamansi juice and seasalt. Set a side.
2. With a mortar and pestle or food processor, pound/grind red cayenne pepper, bird eyes chilies, shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger and asam sunti into a paste.
3. Fry slices of shallot with extra virgin coconut oil.
4. Combine anchovies mixture with spice paste, fried shallots, chopped kaffir lime leaves, ground lemongrass and curry leaves.
5. Place 1/3 cup of spiced anchovies mixture on the centre of banana leaves. Wrap and secure the edges with toothpicks. Repeat this step until all mixture is used up.
6. Steam for 30 minutes. Broil or grill until you can smell the aroma.

See also >>  Es Pallu Butung Recipe (Makassar Iced Banana) » Indonesia Eats

*The amount of chili peppers can be reduced to your liking.

FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsAppLinkedinReddItEmailPrintTelegramMixLINEPrevious articleCurry Leaves (Daun Salam Koja, Daun Temurui, Daun Kari)Next articlePotato Perkedel Patties RecipeIndonesia Eatshttps://indonesiaeats.comAn Indonesian-born who lived in Winnipeg Edmonton, Canada for more than a decade prior to move to Edmonton in 2017. Indonesia Eats is a memoir of her homeland.

  1. Namitha January 30, 2012 At 4:40 PMWe just had anchovies for lunch 🙂 but in a completely different way. We (in Kerala) also use banana leaves for wrapping many things while they get cooked. I have a fish fry roasted after wrapping in banana leaves, posted on my blog 🙂Reply
  2. tatabonita January 30, 2012 At 10:06 PMWow, Acehnese style of Pepes :D. I have a complete Indonesian recipe book from Sabang to Merauke. Yes, you’re right, Acehnese food has more influenced from Southern Indian food compare to other regions in Indonesia . It seems that Acehnese food calls for rich spices ^^ (dan semakin ke timur bumbunya semakin sedikit yang dipake, inget masakan papua heheheh). Mbak Pep, can I use this post as your January IFP entry? It will be so odd if I don’t have any entries from you heheheheeh 😀Reply
  3. Bam's Kitchen January 31, 2012 At 8:21 AMCalamansi, a Lime? This fish dish is stunning and so is your photography. I might have to lower the bird chili count for me but my teenage boys like it spicy. I love visiting your website. Take Care, BAMReply
  4. Aulia March 10, 2012 At 1:53 PMpayeh with combination bileh so delicious and nyuummmyyy 🙂Reply
  5. Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi) and Asam Sunti | Indonesia Eats July 24, 2012 At 3:39 AM[…] what I have used asam sunti for, please check my post of Sambai On Peuga-ga (Pennywort Sambal), Payeh Bileh (Anchovies Wrapped in Banana Leaves), Gulai Ikan Kembung Aceh (Acehnese Mackerel Curry), and Cumi Tumis Aceh (Aceh Squid Stir Fry) […]Reply

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