Red Snapper Poached in Malay Tamarind Broth (Assam Pedas Ikan Merah)

Red Snapper Poached in Malay Tamarind Broth With Eggplant and Okra (Assam Pedas Ikan Merah)

If someone were to ask me what is the one quintessential Malay dish that I grew up with, I would say 'Assam Pedas Ikan Merah' without missing a beat. This is fish slowly poached in a golden and spicy Malay tamarind broth, with eggplant and okra. In Singapore, this dish has crossed racial barriers to be appreciated in the Chinese, Indian and also Eurasian homes. I have always been a bit intimidated about cooking this dish - perhaps because I was too afraid to make a rendition that is less than worthy of its reputation. But here I was, in early Spring in Chicago, halfway across the world from my hometown and craving for assam fish. We found fresh red snapper at the supermarket. Red snapper is perfect for this dish. Other large fish like white snapper or mackerel can also be used in lieu of red snapper. We also added eggplant and okra to the pot to make it a complete meal. The dish, although not nearly as delicious as my mom's rendition, brought me back home to Singapore. I dedicate this dish and recipe to my mom, with love. - Ros

The Taste:  For me, tasting this dish for the first time was like an adventure.  Being Latin American, I've never had tamarind with fish.  In Guatemala, tamarind is frequently used to produce a tea-like drink, but never a seafood broth!  ...and living in America, the only time I've had okra has been in Southern dishes, in which the okra is sliced and the 'slime' texture is sometimes overpowering.  In this case, ingredients I never saw combined were united in a perfect marriage!  The tamarind was infused with a backdrop of spice and richness from the fish; and both the olive oil fried eggplants and okra lent a sweet 'umaminess' to the dish that was unique.  In short, it is not a seafood curry or a boullaibase; definitely not a jambalaya - but something quite different and special.  To top up the experience, Ros taught me to put a few drops of sweet Malay soy sauce over the fish as I ate it, and the flavor was out of this world!  Best of all was that the fish was perfectly poached and the exquisite broth accentuated the fish without overpowering it.  This became one of my favorite Malay dishes of all time. - Connie

Level: Intermediate

Time to cook: 30 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

- For blending / grating into a paste

- 1 large onion

- 3 large shallots

- 3 tbsp sambal olek (chilli paste)

- 1 inch ginger

- 1 tsp tumeric powder

- 3 cloves garlic

- 1 tbsp belachan (shrimp paste)

- 1 medium size fresh red snapper 

- 3 tbsp tamarind paste

- 2 medium sized eggplant (sliced into 4 and panfried)

- 10 small okras

- Olive oil

- Salt to taste

- Sugar to taste

Preparation

1. Clean the fish. Freshness is key. Cut into individual serving slices.  We recommend including the fish head in the dish, in addition to the fish filets, as it is essential to the broth's flavor 

2. Use 1 tbsp of salt to season the fish on both sides. Set aside.

3. Pan fry the sliced eggplant with olive oil over high heat.  Use a bit more of olive oil if needed if the eggplant looks too dry. Set aside.

4. Heat a wok over high flame. Add 3 tbsp of olive oil.

5. Pound the base of the lemongrass, and place it inside the wok. Let it fry for 1 min. The idea is to let the lemongrass infuse into the oil.

6. Pour the blended paste (recipe for the paste above) into the wok. Fry until the paste becomes fragrant for about 2 mins.

7. Pour water into a large bowl together with the tamarind paste.  Mix the paste with the water and strain out the tamarind (just keep the tamarind water).

8. Pour the tamarind water into the wok and mix with the paste.

9. Add more water to the wok, such that it is two-thirds full.  Bring it to a boil over high heat and let the broth cook for about 1 min.

10. Add the eggplant and okras into the wok and cook over medium heat.

11. Let the vegetables cook until tender - for about 10 mins.

12. Gently slide fish into the wok on top of the vegetables, and let it poach slowly (reduce the heat further if its boiling too strongly). Poach the fish in the simmering broth for about 15 minutes.   Poaching time will depend on the type and size of the fish.

13. Take out the vegetables if necessary first to prevent overcooking, whilst the fish is poaching.
14. Season with sugar to taste to balance the tamarind flavor.

15. When cooking is completed, serve it immediately with freshly steamed jasmine rice.

16. A great side sauce is sweet soy sauce.

17. Jemput makan - Bon Appetit!


Copyrighted by delimilli 2011