Ikan Asam Pedas (Hot and Sour Malay Fish Curry)
Ikan Asam Pedas is a hot and sour, almost soupy, Malay fish curry found in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Traditionally, it’s always served with rice.
Equipment
- Food chopper
Ingredients
Paste Ingredients
- 15-20 dried red chillies non smoky
- 250 ml water hot, almost boiling, for soaking the chillies
- 1 large, brown onion
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 2.5 cm ginger
- 2.5 cm fresh turmeric OR ¼ tsp ground
The Rest of the Ingredients
- 1 heaped Tbsp tamarind pulp
- 5 heaped Tbsp water hot
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 12 okra (left whole) OR 1 large eggplant, sliced
- 1 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
- 250 ml water
- 400 g white fish, cut into large pieces OR 4 fish fillets, skin on - the skin will help to keep the fish intact
- 3 Vietnamese coriander stalks omit if unavailable
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Soak the dried chillies and tamarind
- Cut up the chillies with a pair of scissors and place in a bowl. Pour over hot, almost boiling water, cover and leave to soak for 15 minutes.15-20 dried red chillies, 250 ml water
- Place the tamarind in a bowl and top with about 5 Tbsp of hot water, and leave to soak for 15 minutes.1 heaped Tbsp tamarind pulp, 5 heaped Tbsp water
Chop up all the other ingredients while waiting
- Quarter the onion and place in a chopper. Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric.1 large, brown onion, 2 medium cloves garlic, 2.5 cm ginger, 2.5 cm fresh turmeric OR ¼ tsp ground
- Cut off the top quarter of the lemongrass and discard. With the back of your knife, pound down hard on the thick end to smash it. Set aside.2 stalks lemongrass
- Quarter the tomatoes and set aside.2 medium tomatoes
- Rinse the okra and cut off any unsightly dark stalk ends (not the tips).12 okra (left whole)
Grind the paste ingredients
- Rinse and drain the soaked chillies, discarding the seeds. Add to the chopper (that’s already got the onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric).
- Chop everything up to a fairly fine paste. Add a little water if you need to, but the onions should provide enough moisture.
Let’s cook the ikan asam pedas
- Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-low heat and fry the paste ingredients for 2 minutes.1 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
- Add the lemongrass and fry for a minute.
- Mash the soaked tamarind up with your fingers and strain through a large mesh sieve into the saucepan. Stir and cook for a minute.
- Add the water and bring to a simmer. Add the okra and bring back to a simmer. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes. If your okra is young, they’ll need about 10 minutes. Older okra need less time to cook.250 ml water
- Add the fish, tomatoes, Vietnamese coriander and salt, and bring back to a simmer. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish.400 g white fish, cut into large pieces , 3 Vietnamese coriander stalks, ½ tsp salt
- When the fish is done, check the seasoning, and add more salt if you need it. Take off the heat and serve with some rice. Ikan asam pedas can be reheated gently on the stove, so as not to break up the fish.
Nutrition
Calories: 174kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 22gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 355mgPotassium: 675mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1268IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @azlinbloor or tag #linsfood!
Made it? Upload your Photos!Mention @azlinbloor or tag #linsfood!