Lemongrass Tamarind Fish

Name: Lemongrass Tamarind Fish (Arsin Ikan Mas)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 in (2½ cm) fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 2 lbs (1 kg) freshwater fish such as carp or trout, either whole fish or fillets; 6 candlenuts, roughly chopped; 1 in (2½ cm) fresh galangal, peeled and sliced; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 in (2½ cm) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced; 2 cups (500 ml) water; 1 teaspoon ground white pepper; 2 limes or ½ lemon, cut into wedges, to serve; 2–3 red finger-length chilies, deseeded; 1 spring onion, sliced, to garnish; 4–5 shallots, peeled; 2 stalks lemongrass, thick bottom third only, outer layers discarded, inner part bruised; 2 tablespoons tamarind juice

Arsin Ikan Mas

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
50 min

Appears in

The Food of Indonesia

By Heinz Von Holzen

Published 2015

About

With plentiful lakes and rivers, Sumatra is the source of many delicious freshwater fish recipes, including this one.

Ingredients

2 lbs (1 kg) freshwater fish such as carp or trout, either whole fish or fillets

Asia
Indonesia
Fish course
Pescatarian
Gluten-free
South East Asia

Method

If using whole fish, scale, gut and clean the fish, then make several shallow diagonal slits on each side. Season the fish with the salt and pepper, and set aside for 15 minutes.
Make the Spice Paste by grinding all the ingredients to a smooth paste in a mortar or blender, adding a little water if necessary to keep the mixture turning.
Bring the Spice