Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Indonesian Ikan Asam Pedas
印尼酸辣魚
Recipe overview
This home-style version preserves the dish's defining flavours with quantities and heat control suited to a Hong Kong kitchen.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 700 g mackerel steaks
- 150 g okra
- 2, wedged tomatoes
- 5 red chillies
- 2 stalks, bruised lemongrass
- 80 g, chopped shallots
- 4 cloves, chopped garlic
- 20 g, chopped galangal
- 4, toasted candlenuts
Sauce seasoning
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 500 ml water
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
02
Tools
- household hob
- heavy lidded pot
- ladle
- wooden spoon
- fine sieve
- food thermometer
- chef's knife
- raw-fish cutting board
- vegetable cutting board
- measuring jug and small bowl
- kitchen paper
- clean raw-fish plate
- blender
- clean shallow serving dish
03
Steps
Step 1
Dry and chill the fish
Pat the 700 g mackerel steaks dry, check each piece for stray bones and keep chilled on a clean raw-fish plate.
Step 2
Blend the sour-spicy spice paste
On the vegetable board, chop red chillies 5, shallots 80 g, garlic 4 cloves and galangal 20 g; blend with toasted candlenuts 4 and ground turmeric 1 tsp into a smooth spice paste, then separately wedge tomatoes 2, trim okra and bruise lemongrass 2 stalks.
Step 3
Mix the tamarind water
Stir the 2 tablespoons tamarind paste into 500 ml water in a bowl, then strain out coarse fibres.
Step 4
Fry the sour-spicy spice paste
Heat cooking oil 2 tbsp in the heavy pot over medium heat; fry the spice paste and bruised lemongrass for 5 minutes, stirring every minute, until moisture evaporates, oil separates and the paste smells aromatic.
Step 5
Boil the sour-spicy broth
Pour in the tamarind water, add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar, stir and bring to a boil.
Step 6
Simmer the tomatoes
Add the tomato wedges and simmer for 5 minutes, pressing some with a wooden spoon to release their juice.
Step 7
Add the mackerel
Lay the mackerel steaks in the sour-spicy broth in one layer with space between them; return to a boil, then reduce to low.
Step 8
Ladle broth over the fish
Cover and simmer for 8 minutes, ladling broth over the fish halfway through without turning the steaks.
Step 9
Add the okra
Add the okra, submerge it in the broth, cover and cook for 5 minutes until bright and just tender.
Step 10
Check the fish
The thickest fish must reach 75°C and flake opaque; cover and cook 2 minutes longer if needed.
Step 11
Rest the asam pedas
Turn off the heat and rest the fish, okra and tomatoes in the sour-spicy broth for 3 minutes.
Step 12
Plate the fish
Lift the fish first into a clean shallow serving dish with a ladle, then add okra, tomatoes and broth without breaking the steaks.
Common mistakes
- Uneven pieces cook at different rates.
- Excessive heat burns the outside before the centre is done.
- Sharing utensils between raw and cooked food risks contamination.
- Adding seasoning before tasting can make the dish too salty.
Tips
Measure and arrange everything first; judge progress by colour, texture and safe centre doneness, not the clock alone.
