Fish Stew with Lemongrass and Turmeric

Name: Fish Stew with Lemongrass and Turmeric
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1½ lbs (700 g) whole snapper, tuna or sea bream, or fish fillets; 3 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 tablespoon oil; 2 in (5 cm) ginger, peeled and sliced; 2–3 red finger-length chilies, deseeded; 4–6 shallots, peeled; 2 spring onions, cut into lengths; 1–2 red finger-length chilies, sliced; 4 cups (1 liter) water; 1½ in (4 cm) fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced, or 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon salt; 5 kaffir lime leaves; Crispy Fried Shallots; 3 stalks lemongrass, thick bottom third only, outer layers discarded, inner part bruised

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
35 min

Appears in

The Food of Indonesia

By Heinz Von Holzen

Published 2015

About

This dish is typically cooked with fish heads in Indonesia, as shown in the photo above, but is equally delicious with whole fish or fillets.

Ingredients

1½ lbs (700 g) whole snapper, tuna or sea bream, or fish fillets
1

Asia
Indonesia
Fish course
Stew
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.
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.
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry the Spice Paste for 1 to 2 minutes un