Asam Pedas from Slimming Foodie Easy Meals Every Day

Asam pedas
By Erin Brown
Related Categories: Cookbook Confidential

“This is my take on a very special curry which is grounded in the sourness of tamarind and spiciness of chilli. In the UK, it’s not easy to get hold of some of the authentic spices which are integral to the amazing flavours in Malaysian cuisine. However, tamarind paste is widely available, and by using other ingredients that we can find in our shops, it’s still possible to create a delicious sour and spicy Malaysian-inspired fish curry.” Pip Payne, author of Slimming Foodie Easy Meals Every Day

1 onion, quartered

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2cm (¾ inch) piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped

15g (½oz) bunch of coriander, stems finely chopped, leaves set aside

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground turmeric spray oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (or brown if you can’t find black)

2 salad tomatoes, quartered

200ml (7fl oz) water

2 tablespoons tamarind paste

175g (6oz) okra, trimmed (If you can’t get hold of okra, you could substitute green beans, courgette or broccoli.)

250g (9oz) jasmine rice

½ teaspoon coarse ground salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 fresh white fish fillets, such as hake, cod or haddock

In a mini chopper, blend together the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander stems, ground coriander, cumin and turmeric to make a paste.

Spray a sauté pan, which has a lid, with oil and set over a medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cook them for about 1 minute until they just start sizzling, then add the curry paste, give it a good stir and let it fry gently for about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the tomato quarters to the mini chopper and whizz them up into a purée. Stir the tomatoes into the curry paste, then add the measured water, bring to a simmer, then stir in the tamarind paste.

Add the okra to the sauce, place the lid on the pan and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. (If using any of these alternatives, give them 5 minutes less cooking time, adding them after the sauce has been simmering for 5 minutes.)

Cook the jasmine rice according to the packet instructions.

After the sauce has simmered for 10 minutes, stir in the salt and pepper, lay the fish fillets on top, place the lid back on and simmer for another 5–8 minutes until the fish is cooked through. (To test whether your fish is done, you can insert a fork at an angle at the thickest point and give it a little twist: when it is cooked it will flake easily and will have lost its translucent/raw appearance.) Divide the cooked jasmine rice between 4 plates and top each portion with a fish fillet, the sauce and okra. Scatter the coriander leaves over to serve.