Pesan-Pesan: Balinese Fish Steamed in Banana Leaf

Pesan-pesan is a Balinese dish of fish seasoned with a spice paste, wrapped in banana leaf and cooked over heat until the flesh is firm and the aroma fills the parcel. In Bali the same preparation is known as pesan be pasih, named after the seafood spice paste that colours and flavours it. The sections below explain what goes into the parcel, how the fish is marinated and folded, how it is steamed and finished, how it is served at the table and where it sits among Bali’s other leaf-wrapped dishes.

What pesan pesan is

At its core, pesan pesan is a parcel. Pieces of fish are coated with a seasoning paste, placed on a square of banana leaf with aromatic leaves and a slice of tomato, and folded into a sealed packet. The packet holds the moisture and the spice together while the fish cooks, so the flavour stays in the fish rather than running off into the pan. When the parcel is opened, the leaf gives off a grassy, smoky scent that is part of the dish’s character.

The dish is Bali’s version of the Javanese ikan pepes, the leaf-wrapped fish that is common across Java. Bali keeps the basic idea of the parcel and changes the seasoning, using a seafood spice paste with a Balinese character, and it adds the lemon basil and salam leaves that are typical of island cooking.

Fish choices and the seafood spice paste

Which fish works best

Sea fish are the usual choice. Skipjack, mahi-mahi and tuna are common, and snapper is often used in recipes written for home cooks. Small whole fish were traditionally used, and modern versions often use fillets cut into portions, because they are easier to portion and cook evenly. Choose firm-fleshed fish that will hold its shape when steamed and grilled. Oily fish can work too, but the marinade will need to be sharper to cut through the richness.

The seafood spice paste

The paste that gives pesan pesan its character is called base be pasih, the Balinese seafood spice paste. It is built on large red chillies, garlic, shallots, fresh turmeric, ginger, candlenuts, tomato and coriander seed, with roasted dried shrimp paste providing the savoury depth. Coconut oil, tamarind, salam leaves and lemongrass appear in many versions. The fresh ingredients are ground coarsely, then cooked slowly with tamarind, water, salt, salam and lemongrass until the liquid reduces and the paste turns golden. A paste made this way keeps well in the refrigerator, and cooks in Bali often make a larger batch so that it is ready for grilled fish, curries and sambal.

The paste is the part of the dish that most often separates a good parcel from a flat one. Too little tamarind leaves the fish heavy, while too much makes the flavour sour and sharp. Roasted shrimp paste should be fragrant but not bitter, and the turmeric should colour the fish without tasting raw.

Marinating and folding the parcels

Season the fish with salt, then coat it evenly with the spice paste. Cover the fish and leave it in a cool place to marinate for several hours.

To build each parcel, lay a square of banana leaf and place a little lemon basil on it, followed by a piece of fish, a salam leaf and a slice of tomato. Fold the leaf around the fish so that the edges overlap, and close the packet firmly. Traditionally the parcel is held shut with a small stick made from the central rib of a coconut leaf, called lidi seumat in Balinese cooking. A toothpick does the same job in home kitchens, but it needs to be pushed through both layers of leaf so the packet does not open in the heat.

Banana leaves need to be softened before folding. Rinse them, then pass them quickly over a flame or soak them in warm water until they become pliable. Brittle leaves crack at the folds and let the juices escape, so this small step matters more than it seems.

Steaming and finishing the fish

Steam the parcels until the fish is cooked through. Then finish them over charcoal or under a grill for a few minutes, until the leaves are lightly browned and the edges begin to char. The grill adds a smoky finish that steaming alone does not give. Some cooks bake the parcels in an oven at a moderate heat instead, which works well when charcoal is not available, and some grill the parcels directly. Methods vary from kitchen to kitchen, so judge doneness by the fish itself. The flesh should flake easily and look opaque all the way through.

If banana leaves are not available, greased aluminium foil or parchment paper can stand in for them. The result is less aromatic, but the spice paste still carries the flavour. A little lemon basil and salam leaf inside the wrap keep the dish close to the original.

How the parcel is served

Pesan pesan is brought to the table still in its leaf. Each diner opens the parcel and eats the fish with the paste and the softened tomato. The dish is usually eaten with warm rice, which soaks up the juices and the spice. In older Balinese meals the fish was also eaten with boiled cassava or moran rice, a traditional grain. Today a plate of rice and a simple vegetable side is the most common way to eat it.

Because the parcel holds its heat, it is best eaten soon after it leaves the grill. Opening it at the table gives the aroma a chance to rise, and it is part of why the dish is so often presented this way at family meals.

Where this dish sits among Bali’s leaf dishes

This dish belongs to a wider family of Balinese dishes wrapped in leaves. The Balinese food guide sets out the island’s main dishes and their spice bases. Tum ayam is a steamed parcel of minced chicken seasoned with bumbu genep, the all-purpose Balinese base spice paste, and tum names the technique of wrapping and steaming in leaf. The tum ayam guide explains that parcel step by step, and the be tum guide covers the spiced meat version of the same idea. Bebek tepesan uses the same leaf wrap for duck. What sets the fish parcel apart is its seafood spice paste and the tamarind and salam leaves that give it a sharper, more tangy profile.

A visitor who has eaten tum ayam will recognise the wrapping and the steaming, but will notice that the fish version tastes brighter and cleaner, because fish carries less fat than minced chicken or duck. For the spice bases behind these dishes, the guide to bumbu genep explains the all-purpose paste, and the guide to base tugel covers a simpler everyday base.

The Javanese link and the wider banana-leaf tradition

Banana leaves are used across Indonesia to wrap food for cooking. Javanese ikan pepes is the fish version of the technique, and the Sundanese pepes is a close relative. Whether the dish came from Java or grew up on the island independently is not settled, so it is safest to treat the connection as one of technique and family resemblance rather than a firm line of descent.

Where a visitor is likely to meet it

Pesan pesan is most often met at family meals and in kitchens that cook traditional Balinese food, where the parcels are prepared for the table. A visitor who asks about it in a warung or at a home-cooking class is likely to find it on the menu or to be shown how to build a parcel. Because the dish depends on fresh fish, it varies with the catch and the season, and the paste is usually made fresh in each kitchen rather than bought ready-made.

When you eat it, ask how the fish was marinated and whether the paste was made that day. A cook who is willing to explain the paste is usually a cook who takes the dish seriously, and the answer will tell you a good deal about the balance of tamarind and shrimp paste you are about to taste.

Common questions about the dish

Is pesan pesan spicy?

It depends on the cook. The paste contains a generous amount of large red chillies, which give colour and body rather than heat. Most versions are mild to medium, and cooks often add fresh chillies at the table for those who want more heat.

Can pesan pesan be made without fish?

Yes. The same parcel technique is used for chicken and duck, and tofu or tempeh can take the place of fish in a vegetarian version. The paste and the leaf wrap stay the same, while the cooking time changes with the protein.

Related guides: Laklak, What telur bumbu Bali is, pisang cokelat, bubuh mengguh.