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Teochew Steamed Fish - This recipe is easy to to make at home and the ingredients are relatively easy to get.
One of the reason why Malaysian food is so interesting is because of the diverse racial composition of different ethnic groups: the Malays (native), Chinese (mostly came from southern China), and Indian (mostly from southern Indian).
For Chinese food alone, in Malaysia, we get to sample various regional Chinese cuisines: Fujian, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka, Fuchow, etc.
There are always something different to please the palate every day.
Teochew food is quite popular in Malaysia because there are many of them in the Chinese community.
In Penang, there are a few traditional Teochew restaurants and one of the dishes I love the most is Teochew Steamed Fish.
Unlike Cantonese-style steamed fish (click for my recipe), which is basically a very simple dish of steamed fish with soy sauce, Teochew Steamed Fish really takes it to the next level.
The dish is sour (from the sour plum, tomato, and preserved mustard), savory, absolutely delightful and appetizing to the taste buds.
Teochew steamed fish also comes with soft and silken tofu, thinly sliced pork, and the garnishing of scallion, cilantro, and ginger complete the dish.
Teochew steamed fish is easy to to make at home and the ingredients are relatively easy to get.
In this Teochew Steamed Fish recipe, I use the cod fillet instead of the more commonly-used whole pomfret fish or ikan siakap (Malay word for “barramundi”).
The fillet of cod is much firmer in texture, but it works well as long as you don’t over-steam it.
The sour plum gives the dish a deeper flavor.
Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 240 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Teochew Steamed Fish
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Teochew Steamed Fish
Ingredients
- 14 oz (425g) cod fillet, cleaned and patted dry with paper towels
- salt to taste
- 3 dashes white pepper
- 1 big tomato, cut into wedges
- 1 piece pickled, sour and salted plum
- 7 oz (200g) silken tofu, cut into small cubes
- 4-5 slices ginger
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 oz (60g) pork, sliced thinly
- 3.5 oz (100g) preserved mustard, sliced
Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 pinch sugar
Garnishing:
- 1 green onion, trimmed and cut lengthwise into thin strips
- 2.5 cm (1 inch) ginger knob, julienned
- 1 handful coriander, plucked
Instructions
- Sprinkle salt and white pepper on both sides of the fish fillet and place it in a deep dish. Arrange the tomato wedges, sour plum, and tofu around the fish, then place the ginger slices on top.
- In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- In a saucepan, heat the cooking oil and add the chopped garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant, being careful not to burn it. Then, add the pork and stir-fry until half cooked. Lastly, add the preserved mustard slices and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and let it come to a boil, then turn off the heat.
- Scatter the pork and preserved mustard on top of and around the fish.
- Pour the gravy over the fish, then steam the dish for 6 minutes or until the fish is thoroughly cooked. Garnish and serve with steamed rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Simple and easy
Hi Sue, thanks for trying my recipe and for the 5 star rating.
Hi, can I know where u bought the mustard and have a pic for it? Tysm
You can buy it in Asian stores.
you can try poaching method using oven..
Simple and yummy! Reminds me of childhood eating out in Malaysia. I substituted pork with sliced shiitake mushrooms and sour plum with freshly squeezed lime juice as I didn’t have pork nor sour plum at the time. Kids and husband lives them – even the kid who doesn’t like regular steamed fish.
Is there a way to go about this if you don’t have a steamer?
will it be alright to use john dory fish with the above recipe, please ? thanks
You can use any fish you like.
Simple and yummy! Reminds me of childhood eating out in Malaysia. I substituted pork with sliced shiitake mushrooms and sour plum with freshly squeezed lime juice as I didn’t have pork nor sour plum at the time. Kids and husband lives them – even the kid who doesn’t like regular steamed fish.