Lemongrass Tamarind Fish – Arsin Ikan Mas

With plentiful lakes and rivers, Sumatra is the source of many delicious freshwater fish recipes, including this one.
Ingredients:

2 lbs (1 kg) freshwater fish such as carp or trout, either whole fish or fillets

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 cups (500 ml) water

2 stalk lemongrass, thick bottom third only, outer layers discarded, inner part bruised

1 spring onion, sliced to garnish

2 limes or ½ lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Spice Paste:

6 candlenuts, roughly chopped

1 in (2 ½ cm) fresh galangan, peeled and sliced

1 in (2 ½ cm) fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 in (2 ½ cm) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

4 to 6 red finger-length chilies, deseeded

8 shallots, peeled

4 cloves garlic, peeled

½ teaspoon salt

Coking Directions:

1. Using whole fish, scale, gut and clean the fish, then make several shallow diagonal slits on each side. Season the fish with the salt and pepper, and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Make the Spice Paste by grinding all the ingredients to a smooth paste in a mortar or blender, adding a little water if necessary to keep the mixture turning .
3. Bring the Spice Paste, water, lemongrass and tamarind juice to a boil in a wok or skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, adding more water if the sauce evaporates too quickly. Add the fish, cover and simmer until cooked, 6 to 10 minutes, turning the fish over from time to time to cook it evenly on both sides. Removes from the heat