Passport & Plate - Fish Sambal (to samba with your tastebuds....)
Samoa | Monday, March 2, 2015 | 4 photos
Ingredients
750g fish (cutlets or fillets), seasoned with 1 teaspoon each of chilli powder, turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt - I used King Fish
30g ikan bilis (dried anchovies), dry roasted in the microwave or fried crispy
300g tofu, diced and lightly fried (optional)
1 large onion, diced finely
2 tablespoons sambal olek (or dried chillies soaked and ground into a paste)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 large tomatoes (@260g) diced finely
40g tamarind paste made into 1 cup with water
35g dry root ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 cup (@15g) spring onions, chopped roughly
6cm piece of lemon grass, sliced thinly, if available
1 tablespoon oil (and extra for frying)
How to prepare this recipe1 Clean fish, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon each of chilli powder and turmeric powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lightly fry and set aside. Frying the fish keeps it intact when the dish is complete.
2 Dry roast cleaned ikan bilis (dried anchovies) in the microwave by roasting for 1 minute at a time, stirring between each time, for about 10-12 times.
3 Lightly fry tofu, and set aside (frying also keeps the tofu intact when the dish is complete)
4 In a large frypan, heat one tablespoon oil. Add onions and saute until onions turn soft.
5 Add sambal olek, minced garlic, brown sugar and diced tomatoes, cover and cook on medium heat until well combined, stirring regularly.
6 Add tamarind juice, turn up the heat, cover and cook further for 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks thickened.
7 Add grated ginger, spring onions (and lemon grass if using) and the ikan bilis and stir to coat. If the Sambal is too spicy, coconut cream may be added.
8 When the sauce has coated the ikan bilis, add fish and lastly the tofu, taking care to coat the fish, without breaking it.
9 Cover and turn off heat after about a minute. Leave the Sambal to rest for a while, before serving with white rice and a salad.
10 Enjoy!
The story behind this recipeFish Sambal - a dish that will samba with your tastebuds!
Born and brought up in Singapore, I grew up with this dish originating in Malaysia, but popular in various forms throughout Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. This versatile dish that can be made with any good fish, tuna or mackerel cutlets or fillets, or prawns.
During those days, Sambal used to be made just with Ikan Bilis and served with rice made with coconut cream and ginger, believe it or not, for breakfast! Nasi Lemak it was called and there were hawkers just about everywhere, in canteens and on our way to work, who would prepare tiny parcels early in the morning. On a piece of newspaper of about 8x10", they would place a banana leaf slightly smaller. They would then place a small amount of rice, probably about 8 tablespoons, place on it a tiny fried fish (a smaller version of trevally), one, yes, just one slice of cucumber and just about one tablespoon of Sambal, with about 6-8 fried pieces of Ikan Bilis. On this they would place another piece of banana leaf, about 3 x 6", then make a fold upwards on both the long sides and tuck the ends down. These small parcels would sell for 20-30 cents in Singapore. And how tasty they used to be!
My Fish Sambal recipe, which I have modified over a period of 30 years with the mix of Ikan Bilis and Tofu adds texture. Occasionally adding coconut cream gives a rich flavour. This is a dish I make almost on a weekly basis. The beauty of this Sambal is that it can be had with rice, bread (French loaf), Roti Parata, Cous Cous, or even Sri Lankan string hoppers or pittu! And when the fish has all finished and the sauce is left over, what better way to enjoy it than to add a boiled egg or two, to enjoy all the flavours that have soaked in? Yum!!!!
