Ikan assam pedas (hot and sour fish stew)

Name: Ikan assam pedas (hot and sour fish stew)
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 90g of red onion, roughly chopped; 80g of lemongrass, green tops removed about halfway, roughly chopped; 90g of red chillies, roughly chopped; 6g of shrimp paste, belacan; 8 whole dried kashmiri chillies; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 100g of vegetable oil; 20g of granulated sugar; 1 tsp fine sea salt; 140g of aubergine, sliced into chunks; 500ml of water, or homemade fish stock; 1 plum tomato, cut in half; 50g of tamarind concentrate, ideally a Southeast Asian brand; 120g of okra, keep whole; 30g of Vietnamese coriander, plus more to serve; 2 whole mackerel, or 4 × 140g fillets (other good options include skate wing and sea bass); mint, for garnish

by Abby Lee

Item 1 of 1

Main
easy
4
1 hour 15 minutes

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

5.00

Ikan assam pedas literally means 'sour and spicy fish', but it's also the term for this classic Malaysian dish of fish simmered with sambal and tamarind. Resist the urge to skimp on cooking out the rempah - a well-cooked rempah takes this dish to another level.

First published in 2023

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Ingredients

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Rempah (paste)

90g of red onion, roughly chopped
80g of lemongrass, green tops removed about halfway, roughly chopped
90g of red chillies, roughly chopped
6g of shrimp paste, belacan
8 whole dried kashmiri chillies
1/2 tsp ground turmeric

100g of vegetable oil
20g of granulated sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
140g of aubergine, sliced into chunks
500ml of water, or homemade fish stock
1 plum tomato, cut in half
50g of tamarind concentrate, ideally a Southeast Asian brand
120g of okra, keep whole
30g of Vietnamese coriander, plus more to serve
2 whole mackerel, or 4 × 140g fillets (other good options include skate wing and sea bass)
mint, for garnish

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Method

Blend the rempah ingredients until smooth

90g of red onion, roughly chopped
80g of lemongrass, green tops removed about halfway, roughly chopped
90g of red chillies, roughly chopped
6g of shrimp paste, belacan
8 whole dried kashmiri chillies
1/2 tsp ground turmeric

In a deep saucepan, heat up oil on medium heat. Fry the rempah, stirring regularly, until the oil separates. This process needs patience, it will take around 20 minutes. Add sugar and salt, then let it caramelise for a couple of minutes

100g of vegetable oil
20g of granulated sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt

Add aubergine, water, tomato, and tamarind, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Add okra and Vietnamese coriander, and simmer for another 5 minutes

140g of aubergine, sliced into chunks
500ml of water, or homemade fish stock
1 plum tomato, cut in half
50g of tamarind concentrate, ideally a Southeast Asian brand
120g of okra, keep whole
30g of Vietnamese coriander, plus more to serve

Turn heat down to low, ensuring no bubbles are breaking the surface. Gently poach the mackerel in the stew for about 5-7 minutes. The meat should easily flake apart once it's done

2 whole mackerel, or 4 × 140g fillets (other good options include skate wing and sea bass)

Season with extra tamarind, salt and sugar if you prefer it more sour, salty or sweet. Serve with rice and extra slices of mint and coriander

mint, for garnish

First published in 2023

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Abby Lee

Abby Lee began her career predominantly cooking Italian food but after moving back to Malaysia during the coronavirus pandemic, began to learn more about the food she grew up eating and decided to pivot towards Malaysian cookery. She has since made a name for herself at her London restaurant Mambow, where her bold modern Malaysian dishes have gone down a storm.

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