Monday, June 3, 2013

Nyonya Assam Pedas Fish [Tamarind Curry Fish]

Nyonya tamarind juice curry, quite a close, simplified version of Assam Laksa which enables you to enjoy this thick, tangy soup hassle-free.  You can omit the optional ingredients, the soup is still good.  Quite spicy, acceptable according to my hubby's taste buds [he loves 'strong' flavoured curries]. 
This quantity is enough to cook 1 to 1.5 kg fish with 1.5 litre water [tamarind juice].  I like this kind of spicy curry cos' no oil is required and it is good to serve with blanched rice vermicelli and garnish with mint leaves or any leafy greens.

The original recipe uses stingray [cut into chunks] but here I used Mahogany Snapper [from my hubby's fishing trip].  You can also use whole Ikan Kembong [mackerel] and medium big prawns [if serving with noodles].



Ingredients
[original recipe from Nyonya Flavours with slight modifications]
1.5 heaped tbsp tamarind pulp
1.5 litre water
1.5 kg stingray - cut into chunks [I used fresh Mahogany snapper]
2 stalks ginger flower - halved and sliced finely
3/4 tbsp salt to taste
2 tbsp sugar to taste
a few stalks of Vietnamese mint [daun kesom] - optional
some mint leaves - optional
Spice Paste - Ground Together
20 gm [15-20] dried red chillies - soaked in hot water and drained
2 stalks lemongrass - sliced
2 cm fresh tumeric - skinned and sliced or 1 tsp tumeric powder
150 gm [15-20] shallots
20 gm [2 cloves] garlic
20 gm belacan
  1. Blend spice ingredients in a blender until fine.  Set aside.
  2. Mix tamarind pulp with water and strain to extract the juice.
  3. Bring tamarind juice and spice paste to a boil in a pot for 5-10 minutes until aromatic.  Season with salt and sugar.
  4. Add the fish and daun kesum [if using] boil until cooked for about 2 minutes.

  5. Add sliced ginger flower and serve hot with mint leaves.
Notes:  You can prepare half portion of the curry paste to cook about 600 gm of fish.

This post is linked to the event,  Little Thumbs Up [June 2013 - Curry Paste/Powder] organised by Zoe [Bake for Happy Kids] and Mui Mui [My Little Favourite DIY] and hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders

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I'm also submitting this to  Malaysian Food Fest [June 2013] - Penang hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodie
MALAYSIAN FOOD FEST

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9 comments:

  1. Sokehah cheahJune 3, 2013 at 11:43 AM

    Wow, I can smell it from here. Can I come over for lunch?

    ReplyDelete
  2. kimmyJune 3, 2013 at 2:00 PM

    Hi Cheah, it's really aromatic and I'm still thinking of it. Will be cooking it again once I can get fresh stingrays.

    ReplyDelete
  3. PHJune 3, 2013 at 2:17 PM

    Kimmy, my saliva already coming out thinking of the nice sourish gravy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. kimmyJune 3, 2013 at 2:23 PM

    Hi Phong Hong, this one good for dieting...yah!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Esther@thefussfreechefJune 3, 2013 at 9:24 PM

    Ooo i like this dish Kimmy. Oil free, sour and loads of gravy. healthy and appetizing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. kimmyJune 4, 2013 at 11:51 AM

    Hi Esther, not sinful at all with this dish, hehehe! I prefer this to the Sambal Tumis Fish.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Miss B @ Everybody Eats Well in FlandersJune 5, 2013 at 12:04 AM

    I like assam fish, but we can't get such fresh fish with skin and head in angmoh countries, it's very rare, have to specially go to fish market. Angmohs only eat fish fillet, no skin, no head. :(

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nasifriet @ by the way...June 5, 2013 at 2:17 AM

    Great dish and what an opener to the Curry Event :-)

    I'm drooling looking at your fish platter. I miss eating fish - I mean whole fresh fish. What a sin browsing your gorgeous assam pedas fish.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  9. mui muiJune 30, 2013 at 10:14 AM

    Hi Kimmy,
    Wow! By looking at your Assam fish I am already salivating! I would have extra rice with just the gravy..

    Thanks for linking this to LTU:)
    mui

    ReplyDelete