Assam Fish Curry

I've been wanting to make this dish ever so long, but I didn't have any daun kesum so I had to KIV this project until Kak Mimi gave me some before she went back for Raya (Thank You Kak!). I made this for buka puasa on the last day of Ramadhan. This recipe is actually from Amy Beh's conundrums that I tried years ago when I was a practicing Veterinarian. On days that I didn't have cases, that's what I used to do-cutting out her recipes from the papers and compile! Nizam especially love this dish if it was cooked with Stingray.


Ingredients:-

1. 1kg mackerel (ikan kembong)
2. 250g ladies fingers
3. 1 tomatoe, quartered
4. 3 sprigs polygonum leaves (daun kesum)
5. 4 tbsp tamarind paste mixed with 500ml water
6. 1 wild ginger bud, halve and smash stem
7. 2 pieces of tamarind skin
8. 5 tbsp oil

Ground Ingredients:-

1. 12 shallots
2. 8 fresh red chillies (i used homemade dried chilly paste)
3. 4 slices galangal
4. 1 cm fresh turmeric
5. 2 tsp fish curry
6. 2cm square belacan
7. 2 stalks lemon grass

Seasoning:-

1. 3/4-1 tsp sugar
2. 1/2-1 tsp salt
3. 1 tbsp chicken stock granule

Method
Heat oil in a deep saucepan and sauté ground ingredients and wild ginger bud halves and polygonum leaves until aromatic and the oil rises.

Add asam jawa juice and bring to the boil. Add ladies fingers, dried tamarind skin and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Put in mackerel and cook for 10 minutes. Add tomato and adjust seasoning to taste. Dish out and serve with hot plain rice immediately.