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1
Pound the Fish into a Paste
12 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Put the cold fish chunks in a food processor with the salt and sugar and process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides twice. Add the sago flour in two batches, then the ice water a spoonful at a time, processing until the paste is stiff, sticky and smooth, and holds a peak when you lift the blade.
Do not over-process once the flour is in — a few seconds past smooth and the paste turns gummy instead of springy.
Done when: A stiff, smooth, sticky paste that holds its shape on a spoon.
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2
Roll the Lekor Sausages
8 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Wet your hands and roll the paste into sausages about 3 cm thick and 15 cm long, rolling them on a lightly floured board. You should get about 8 sausages. Keep them even — thin ends overcook while thick middles stay raw.
Wet hands are the trick: dry hands stick to the paste and tear the surface, which makes the sausages split in the water.
Done when: Smooth, even sausages with no cracks or thin ends.
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3
Boil Until They Float
10 Mins
Boiling water 100°C (212°F)
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and lower the sausages in gently, a few at a time. Boil for 8–10 minutes until they float to the surface and feel firm and springy when pressed — the fish inside must reach 63°C (145°F). Lift out, drain and cool for 5 minutes.
Do not crowd the pot: the sausages need room to float freely, or they stick together and cook unevenly.
Done when: Sausages float, feel firm and springy, and bounce back when pressed.
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4
Slice and Fry Until Golden
12 Mins
Oil 180°C (350°F)
Slice each cooled sausage on the diagonal into pieces about 1 cm thick. Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry the slices in batches for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until puffed, golden and crisp at the edges. Drain on paper and sprinkle with a little salt while hot.
Fry in small batches so the oil stays hot — cold oil soaks in and the lekor turns greasy instead of crisp.
Done when: Puffed, golden slices, crisp outside and chewy inside.
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5
Serve Hot with Chilli Sauce
3 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Pile the hot lekor on a plate with the sweet chilli sauce in a small bowl for dipping — one serving is about 233 g, including the sauce. Eat at once, while the outside is still crisp and the inside is springy.
Lekor softens as it cools, so fry the last batch just before serving and keep the sauce on the side.
Done when: Hot, crisp, golden lekor with a bowl of glossy chilli sauce.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the lekor hot from the fryer with the chilli sauce for dipping — crisp outside, chewy inside, and best eaten with your fingers while it is still warm.
Malaysia
1h 10m
