Umai

English 


Umai

Umai is to Melanaus and sushi for Japanese. Umai was originally food of convenience for Melanau fisherman on fishing trips to the sea.

Traditionally, umai is thinly sliced raw fish manirated with “assampaya”, a very sour fruit of a wild palm, onions, chillies, and a pinch of salt.

A very simple recipe that could be prepared with the minimum of fuss. It was an ideal recipe for the fisherman as it would have been inconvenient and dangerous to cook anything in their small boats.

The fisherman also did not have to cook any rice as umai was traditionally eaten with baked sago pellets, a staple food of Melanaus besides the linut.

sagu or sago pellets

Umai prepared by marinating the fish is called umai campur or mixed umai. Another way of preparing umai is to use the marinade as sauce and the sliver of fish fillet is dipped into the sauce before eating.

This recipe is known as umaijup and umai connoisseurs claim it is the best way to eat umai because you get the original taste of the raw fish. Not all fish are suitable for umai and fresh water fish are seldom used. The rule of the thumb is to use fish that are easy to fillet and with fine flesh textures. At the top of the range are the white or black pomfret locally known in Sarawak as duai, while the cheaper fish used is the empirang or pihieng in Melanau. Freshness of the fish is the key factor to make umai.

Bahasa Malaysia :

Umai 

Umai adalah makanan tradisi masyarakat melanau tetapi popular dan amat digemari warga Sarawak.

Umai seumpama Sushi di Jepun iaitu dibuat daripada ikan mentah yang dihiris nipis dan dicampur dengan antara lainnya bawang, asam payak, halia dan lain-lain. Walaupun banyak ikan dapat digunakan tetapi umai daripada ikan erang (disebut ikan empirang di Sarawak) paling sedap. Tetapi memerlukan kepakaran dan kesabaran sebab ikan 'empirang' mempunyai banyak tulang.

Ikan empirang (atau ikan erang) yang sesuai dibuat umai. Ikan ini juga sedap digoreng garing.

Asam Payak yang biasanya digunakan untuk membuat Umai.

Resepi Umai Ikan Empirang (Ikan Erang)


Bahan-bahannya ( 4-5 orang ) :

1/2 kg ikan empirang
3 biji asam payak (atau 2 biji limau nipis  atau 4-5 biji limau kasturi. Guna yg mana senang dicari.)
1 biji bawang besar (dipotong nipis)
2 biji cili merah (dipotong kecil)
Halia sebesar ibu jari
Garam & serbuk perisa secukup rasa.
10 tangkai cili kering (ditumbuk)

Cara membuatnya :

1.  Buang sisik ikan dan ambil isinya sahaja.
2.  Masukkan ke dalam freezer selama 10 minit ( untuk mengelak isi ikan tidak basah dan licin semasa
     semasa menghirisnya kecil-kecil.
3.  Keluarkan isi ikan dan hiris kecil-kecil.
4.  Gaulkan isi ikan bersama garam dan serbuk perasa secukup rasa.
5.  Perahkan air asam payak atau air limau nipis ke atas campuran tadi.
6.  Gaulkan sehingga isi ikan kelihatan keputihan.
7.  Baru masukkan cili yang sudah dikisar dan gaulkannya.
8.  Akhir sekali, masukkan hirisan cili merah@ cili padi,  hirisan bawang besar dan hirisan halia.
9.  Gaul sampai sebati.
10. Biarkan sekejap sebelum dimakan agar sebati.