Assam fish

Chinese-style assam fish

My mom’s version of assam fish was fish with a robust gravy clinging to it, and coriander scattered over the top. It wasn’t until I started working at Candlenut that I was introduced to the Nyonya version that is fragranced with laksa leaves, ginger flower and fresh pineapple. Call it nostalgia or conditioning, but I still prefer the coriander in the dish, but feel free to infuse the gravy with laksa leaves and serve the dish with ginger flower and pineapple if you are so inclined!

Assam Fish
Serves 3-4

Rempah:
125g shallots/ red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
35g garlic, peeled
20g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 fresh chillies, two deseeded, roughly chopped
6 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 stalks lemongrass, cut in half, bruised
4 kaffir lime leaves, crushed between fingers
2 tablespoons seedless tamarind paste (assam)
Salt and sugar to taste
200g brinjal, cut into bite-sized chunks
165g lady’s fingers, halved lengthwise
1 tomato, cut into wedges
400g fish fillets
Handful of coriander leaves

Blend the rempah ingredients to a fine paste. Heat oil in a large pot or wok. Add the rempah, turmeric, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and fry until fragrant, about 5 minutes on low heat. Add 750g water and tamarind paste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and sugar to taste (I use about 2 teaspoons salt and 2 tablespoons sugar) – you want the gravy to have the sharp tang of tamarind, balanced out with sweetness. Add the vegetables and allow to cook until the brinjal is almost tender. Taste and do a final season of the gravy, thinning out with water if necessary – the gravy should be neither thick nor thin (should be soupy but still have some body to it). Give a final stir and add the fish. Allow it to cook for a few minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. Snip the coriander leaves with scissors over the dish before transferring to a serving dish.