Asam Pedas

the 'sour and hot' fish stew of the Malay Peninsula: fish simmered in a brick-red gravy of pounded chillies and aromatics, sharpened with a generous measure of tamarind and torn daun kesum

Origin: Malaysia

From the journey of Tamarind.

Asam pedas means simply 'sour and hot', and the name is the whole recipe: a fiery, tangy gravy in which fish is simmered, one of the defining dishes of the Malay Peninsula and of the western Indonesian archipelago, and a byword for the region's love of the sour-hot balance. The sourness is tamarind, asam jawa, and in Malay the fruit's name has become so bound up with sourness itself that asam names both the tamarind and the whole class of sour dishes it makes possible. The gravy is built on a rempah, a paste of dried and fresh chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, and toasted shrimp paste, fried until the oil splits from it, then let down with tamarind water and simmered with okra and aubergine before the fish goes in. What lifts the dish above other chilli gravies is the aromatic finish: torn leaves of daun kesum, Vietnamese mint or laksa leaf, and often the sliced bud of the torch ginger, whose perfume plays against the sourness. Every state and family has its version, and the rivalry between the Melaka, Johor, and Penang styles is genuine and cheerfully argued. Served with plain white rice to temper it, asam pedas is one of the great sour dishes of the world.

Ingredients

Fish

700 g firm fish steaks (stingray, mackerel, or snapper), cut into large pieces

Rempah

15 whole dried red chillies, soaked in hot water and drained
8 whole shallots, peeled
5 cloves garlic
30 g galangal, peeled and sliced
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised (1 chopped for the paste, 1 left whole)
1 tbsp toasted shrimp paste (belacan)
5 tbsp neutral oil

Gravy

80 g tamarind pulp, soaked in 700 ml warm water and strained
1 tbsp sugar, or to taste
1 tsp salt, or to taste
8 whole okra, trimmed
1 whole aubergine, cut into wedges
2 whole tomatoes, quartered

To Finish

1 handful daun kesum (Vietnamese mint / laksa leaf), torn
1 whole torch ginger bud (bunga kantan), sliced, optional

Method

Soak the tamarind in the warm water for 20 minutes, work it with your fingers, and strain, pressing hard, to give a generous quantity of sour tamarind water. Discard the seeds and fibres.
Blend or pound the drained soaked chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal, chopped lemongrass, and belacan to a smooth rempah paste, adding a splash of water if needed to move the blades.
Heat the oil in a wide pan and fry the rempah over a medium heat, stirring often, for 12 to 15 minutes, until it darkens to a deep brick red, smells sweet rather than raw, and the oil visibly separates and pools at the edges.
Pour in the tamarind water, add the whole bruised lemongrass stalk, the sugar, and the salt, and bring to a simmer. Add the aubergine and okra and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until nearly tender, then add the tomatoes.
Slide in the fish pieces, spoon the gravy over them, and simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes, without stirring, until just cooked through. Scatter over the torn daun kesum and the torch ginger, and rest for a few minutes before serving with plenty of white rice.

Notes

Stingray is the classic and most prized fish for asam pedas in Malaysia, but mackerel, snapper, or any firm-fleshed fish works well; the dish is also made with prawns or, in some households, without fish at all. The sourness is meant to be pronounced, so do not stint the tamarind; adjust the chilli to your tolerance, remembering that the dried chillies contribute more colour than heat. Daun kesum is characteristic and hard to replace; at a pinch use a mixture of mint and coriander. Every region claims its own version, so treat the balance as yours to set.

The Gastrographer

Name: Asam Pedas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Malaysia
Ingredients: 700 g firm fish steaks (stingray, mackerel, or snapper), cut into large pieces; 15 whole dried red chillies, soaked in hot water and drained; 8 whole shallots, peeled; 5 cloves garlic; 30 g galangal, peeled and sliced; 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised (1 chopped for the paste, 1 left whole); 1 tbsp toasted shrimp paste (belacan); 5 tbsp neutral oil; 80 g tamarind pulp, soaked in 700 ml warm water and strained; 1 tbsp sugar, or to taste; 1 tsp salt, or to taste; 8 whole okra, trimmed; 1 whole aubergine, cut into wedges; 2 whole tomatoes, quartered; 1 handful daun kesum (Vietnamese mint / laksa leaf), torn; 1 whole torch ginger bud (bunga kantan), sliced, optional

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control