Garang Asem Ikan Tenggiri - Spanish Mackerel in Spicy and Sour Soup

5.0 from 2 reviews

Author: Anita Jacobson

Categories: Main Dish

Cuisines: Indonesian

Ingredients: Seafood

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 hour

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram Spanish mackerel (Indonesian: ikan tenggiri), 1/2 inch thick steaks
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 2 Indonesian bay leaves (Indonesian: daun salam)
• 100 gram tomatillos (Indonesian: tomat hijau), cut into halves
• 750 ml coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• tamarind solution (1 teaspoon tamarind (Indonesian: asam Jawa) + 1 tablespoon water)
• Spice Paste
• 8 red chilies (Note 1)
• 100 gram shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 inch kaempferia galangal (Indonesian: kencur)
• 1 inch turmeric (Indonesian: kunyit)
• 1/2 inch ginger (Indonesian: jahe)
• 1/2 inch galangal (Indonesian: lengkuas)

Instructions

1. Marinate the fish: Massage lime juice and salt into the fish steaks and set them aside for at least 15 minutes.
2. Prepare spice paste: Use a food processor/mortar-and-pestle to grind chilies, shallot, garlic, ginger, galangal, kaempferia galangal, and turmeric into a smooth paste to create our spice paste.
3. Sauté spice paste: Heat oil in a wok and sauté spice paste, Indonesian bay leaves, and tomatillos for 3 minutes or until fragrant.
4. Add coconut milk: Add coconut milk, mix well, and bring to a boil.
5. Add fish: Add fish, salt, sugar, and tamarind solution. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes until the fish is cooked and the sauce is slightly reduced.
6. Serve: Turn off the heat and transfer the dish to a serving bowl. Serve the dish hot with steamed rice, or add boiled noodles/vermicelli to make a noodle/vermicelli bowl.

Notes

• (1) I use a mix of Indonesian cabe keriting and Fresno chilies, but you can also go with half bird-eye chilies and half Fresno chilies.