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Assam Pedas Fish - Classic Malaysian dish that's sour, fiery hot, and tastes extraordinarily satisfying.
Assam Pedas, or literally “sour spicy,” is a classic Malaysian dish. Everyone has their own interpretation for this favorite dish and there are endless adaptations; suffice it to say, it’s sour, fiery hot, and tastes extraordinarily satisfying.
When I made my sambal for nasi lemak last weekend, I made a point to prepare some extra spice paste for this Assam Pedas dish. While traditional Assam Pedas calls for ikan tenggiri (Spanish mackerel) or ikan pari (stingray), I used pomfret instead. (In the United States, even in California, it’s almost impossible to find fish commonly found in Malaysia.) I love pomfret and it’s a good substitute for Assam Pedas.
Much like nasi lemak, if you haven’t tried Assam Pedas, it’s very hard to describe just how wonderful this is. I hope my pictures and recipe do it justice.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 211 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Asam Pedas Fish
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Asam Pedas Fish
Ingredients
- 1 pomfret, 1/2 pound to 1 pound (200 g-400 g)
- 10 small okras
- 1 tomato, cut into wedges
- 1 teaspoon fish curry powder
- 2 sprigs of daun kesum, Vietnamese mint/Vietnamese coriander
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar/sugar
- Salt , to taste
Spice Paste:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 stalk of lemongrass, white part only
- 4 shallots
- 8-10 dried chillies, depends how spicy you like
- 1/2 tablespoon belacan, prawn paste
Tamarind Juice:
- 1 1/4 cup water
- Tamarind pulp, size of a small ping pong ball
Instructions
- Pound the spice paste with a mortar and pestle or grind it in a food processor. Set aside.
- Soak the tamarind pulp in warm water for 15 minutes, squeezing constantly to extract the flavor. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.
- Heat oil and fry the spice paste for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the tamarind juice and fish curry powder, and bring to a boil. Add the tomato wedges, okras, and daun kesom, and bring to a boil again. Add the fish, salt, and palm sugar or regular sugar.
- Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried tje Assam pedas fish yesterday without the vietnamese basil and it still taste very good. I added ikam bills cube to it, delicious! Thanks for sharing and i just love it amd will make again!
Hi, the instructions don’t stipulate when to add the daun kesum. Is it part of the cooking process or merely used as a garnish?
Hello !! :)
I am definitely going to try to make this !
May I know.. if the dried chillies need to be soaked and seeds removed ?
Thank You !
Yes.
Yes .. ! Thank you .. got it..! i have tired it..! and everyone LOVES it !!!
I am sooooo happy to have made this.. and THANK YOU soo much for sharing this
recipe !
How my family love eating it
1. Try with Basmati Rice
2. Any left over, debone fish & mashed it the gravy.
Reboil and dip Yu Cha Kueh into the gravy
I have heard there are also asam pedas recipes which use coconut milk. How does that work?
i am in columbus,ohio and have yet to see pomfret being sold in supermarkets.
failing which,what other “mat salleh”fish can i use? :)
Hmm, none, haha, pomfret.
U can use like red snapper..
Hello! Thanks for sharing the recipe. May I ask if frozen fish can be used? And if so, how to rid the fishy smell? Was told to soak in vinegar water.
Yes you can use frozen fish and yes vinegar will help.
wow nice blog…and all recipes
Good looks tasty will share this in my blog :)
http://fishyummies.blogspot.com/
Only the special, grill, bake and steam fish recipes of the world with fun fish facts
Hi Bee, I am not supposed to eat shellfish, or mabe I did as this was our favourite dish when we visited KL. Could you please suggest a substitute for the shrimp paste? Maybe some fish sauce?
Yes fish sauce is fine.