Siomay Bandung with Creamy Peanut Sauce

If Chinese cuisine has Siumay, Indonesia has Siomay—dressed in an aromatic, spicy peanut sauce that is just soooooo addictive! These are bouncy, soft, and dressed in a smooth, complex sauce. This is such an iconic street food and one I always bought after school. I adjusted this version to my liking, and it turned out so good my friends couldn't stop eating them!

What is Siomay Bandung?

Siomay Bandung is a sundanese-style steamed dumpling, typically made from fish or chicken. Unlike the bite-sized dim sum version, this is a full meal. It’s served with a variety of steamed goodies like potatoes, bitter melon, tofu, and hard-boiled eggs, all smothered in a rich, pourable peanut sauce.

Recipe Overview

  • Yield: 4–6 portions

  • Prep time: 30 minutes

  • Cook time: 1-1.5 hour

  • Storage: Perfect for meal prep! Freeze the cooked siomay and sauce for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

The Siomay Base (Part 1)

  • 500g chicken thigh fillet (chilled)

  • 150ml ice water

  • 1.5 tsp salt

  • 2 tbsp sugar

  • 2 tsp chicken stock powder

  • 2 tsp seasoning powder

  • 3/4 tsp pepper

The Siomay Mix-ins (Part 2)

  • 200g tapioca flour

  • 50g plain

  • 50g chayote (choko), finely grated and squeezed bone-dry

  • 1 egg white

  • 2 tbsp fish sauce

  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce

  • 5 cloves garlic (crushed)

  • 2 stalks spring onions (finely chopped)

  • 2 tbsp cooking oil

The Legendary Peanut Sauce

  • 150g peanuts (fried)

  • 6 big red chilies

  • 6 shallots

  • 5 cloves garlic

  • 30g palm sugar

  • 8 kaffir lime leaves

  • 900ml water

  • 60g sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis)

  • 1.5 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp mushroom powder or MSG

The Steamed Sides (Condiments)

  • 2 large potatoes (peeled and halved)

  • 1 small bitter melon (sliced into rings, seeds removed)

  • 4 eggs (hard-boiled)

  • 1/2 cabbage (rolled or cut into chunks)

  • Mini fried tofu

  • Fresh lime wedges & extra sweet soy sauce

Cooking Instructions

1. Make the Peanut Sauce

  1. Heat oil over medium heat and fry the shallots, chilies, and garlic until the skins start to brown. Strain and set aside.

  2. In the same oil, fry the peanuts until golden brown (be careful not to burn them!). Strain and set aside.

  3. Blend the fried peanuts, chilies, shallots, and garlic with the water until completely smooth.

  4. Pour the mixture into a pot. Add palm sugar, lime leaves, salt, mushroom powder, and sweet soy sauce.

  5. Simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil starts to separate. Taste and adjust to your liking.

2. Prepare the Siomay

PRO TIP: Keep your ingredients chilled before blending! This is the secret to getting that perfect, bouncy texture.

  1. Blend Part 1: Place the chilled chicken and Part 1 seasonings into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture turns a light pink and forms a smooth paste.

  2. Combine Part 2: Transfer to a large bowl. Add all ingredients from Part 2. Fold gently using a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix, or the siomay will become too tough!

  3. Assemble: Scoop the mixture onto your prepared potatoes, bitter melon, fried tofu, or simply roll them into plain round balls.

  4. Steam: Place all the components (including the cabbage) into a steamer and cook for 10–15 minutes until firm and cooked through.

Why I Love This (and Meal Prep Tip!)

This is a perfect meal-prep recipe. If you want to freeze it, just freeze the cooked siomay and the sauce separately. Whenever you’re craving a fix, just microwave the siomay and freshly boil some eggs and potatoes to go with it!

Assemble your plate, drench it in that creamy sauce, add a squeeze of lime, and a drizzle of sweet soy sauce. SERIOUSLY SO GOOD!