Asam Pedas Ikan

Ingredients

• 800 g stingray wing, mackerel or red snapper, cut into large pieces
• 4 tbsp tamarind pulp
• 800 ml warm water
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 20 dried chillies
• 10 shallots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 cm fresh turmeric
• 3 cm galangal
• 2 tsp belacan (shrimp paste)
• 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised
• 1 aubergine, cut into thick batons
• 8 okra, tops trimmed
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 torch ginger bud (bunga kantan), quartered lengthways
• 2 sprigs daun kesum (Vietnamese mint)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 tsp salt
• steamed rice, to serve

Before you cook

• Soak the dried chillies in hot water for twenty minutes, then drain them.
• Blend the chillies, shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal and belacan to a smooth paste.
• Squash the tamarind pulp into the warm water and strain out the seeds and fibres.
• Rub the fish pieces with a teaspoon of the salt, then rinse and drain them.
• Trim the okra, quarter the tomatoes and cut the aubergine into thick batons.

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
2. Add the blended rempah and fry it for ten minutes, until it darkens and the oil separates.
3. Pour in the tamarind water and add the bruised lemongrass.
4. Bring the gravy to a boil, then lower it to a steady simmer for ten minutes.
5. Add the aubergine batons and cook them for five minutes.
6. Season the gravy with the sugar and the remaining salt.
7. Slide in the fish pieces in a single layer and cook them for six minutes without stirring.
8. Add the okra, tomatoes and torch ginger and cook for four minutes more.
9. Spoon gravy over the fish rather than stirring, so the pieces stay whole.
10. Drop in the daun kesum and cook for one final minute.
11. Taste the gravy and push it with more salt, sugar or tamarind until it is aggressively sour and hot.
12. Serve straight from the pan with plenty of steamed rice.