Fish! Fish! Fish!

A fishy entry?
I guess.... :-)

There's one more fish dish, but I'll save that for tomorrow, ehehehhee...

And yes, I still have a few more belimbing entries since Mom's tree is still fruiting and we've been raiding the tree on a weekly basis now LOL



This asam pedas was our dinner dish last Friday. I added in brinjal and tomatoes on top of the belimbing, and it was a yummy dish to say the least.

ASAM PEDAS IKAN KEMBUNG
you need:
2 - 3 whole kembung fish, cleaned
1 med-sized brinjal, cut into chunks
1 tomato, cut into sections
5 - 6 belimbing buluh
1/2 Tbs tamarind paste + 1 cup water
* the amount of tamarind really depends on the type that you have. some are sweeter, some salty and some are really sour. so, you need to taste to be sure.
1 ginger bud (bunga kantan), halved
a handful vietnamese mint (daun kesum)
salt and sugar, to taste (if necessary)
to blend:
10 - 15 dried chilies, soaked in hot water for about 10 mins and
seeded
5 small red onions
1 large onion
1 small clove garlic
1 small piece galangal
1 thumb-sized piece fresh turmeric root
a bit of roasted belacan

how to:
heat oil, a large amount. the access can always be scooped out later. fry the ground ingredients until dry and fragrant, and oil rises to the surface. the oil that comes up should be a rich red in colour. then add in the brinjal and add half the tamarind juice. when the brinjal is slightly tender, add in the fish and belimbing. bring up to boil, and then simmer gently, adding the remainder of the liquid. cook slowly until fish is nearly done, then add in the ginger bud and vietnamese mint together with the tomatoes. finish cooking the dish and check seasoning. serve HOT.

For our Sunday lunch, since Babah was at work, I raided the freezer and found some fish fillets. And so, it was fish and chips for lunch :-)

LIGHT & CRISPY FISH BATTER

you need:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup water

1 tsp. vinegar

how to:

mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and slowly whisk while adding the water. the batter should still be a bit thick. just before you start dredging the fish, stir in the vinegar. the batter should look bubbly. dip the fish slices/fillet into the batter and deep fry in 180'C oil till golden brown. drain and serve with chips and choice of veg.

note: i found this recipe in recipegroup.com and it has a beautiful light and crispy texture that we may also use to make our most revered pisang goreng!!

Needless to say, we had the best lunch and Aina is now lounging in bed, watching Little Eisteins :-D

Till then, Cheers!!