Asam Pedas Fish

Name: Asam Pedas Fish
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 1 piece pomfret; 5 tbsp cooking oil; 1 tsp fish curry powder; 1 piece tomato; 10 piece okra; 2 sprig daun kesum (Vietnamese mint); 0.5 tsp salt; 1 tbsp palm sugar; 1 clove garlic; 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only; 4 piece shallots; 9 piece dried chillies; 0.5 tbsp belacan (prawn paste); 1.25 cup water; 30 g tamarind pulp

Asam Pedas, or 'sour spicy,' is a must-try classic Malaysian dish that brings the heat with tangy tamarind, fiery chilies, and a rich, savory broth.

35 min 4 servingsRasa Malaysia Source

Extracted by chinwei271Extracted 1 Jul 2026

Nutrition· per serving · estimated

211

Calories

Protein

12g

Carbs

18g

Fat

Scale recipe

4 servings

Original recipe

Ingredients15 items

Produce

🍅tomato1 piece

🥒okra10 piece

🌿daun kesum (Vietnamese mint)2 sprig

🧄garlic1 clove

🌾lemongrass, white part only1 stalk

🧅shallots4 piece

Seafood

🐟pomfret1 piece

Pantry

🛢️cooking oil5 tbsp

🍯palm sugar1 tbsp

🦐belacan (prawn paste)½ tbsp

🫘tamarind pulp30 g

Spices

🍛fish curry powder1 tsp

🧂salt½ tsp

🌶️dried chillies9 piece

Other

💧water1¼ cup

Instructions

1
For the best flavor and texture, choose fresh fish — pomfret, mackerel, or snapper all work well.
2
Prepare the spice paste aromatics: peel the garlic and shallots, and trim the lemongrass to use only the white part.
3
Pound the garlic, lemongrass, shallots, dried chillies, and belacan into a spice paste using a mortar and pestle, or grind in a food processor. Take your time to get it smooth — a finer paste releases more flavor into the dish. Set aside.
4
Soak the tamarind pulp in the warm water for 15 minutes, squeezing it every so often to release the flavor.
15:00 timer
5
Drain the tamarind pulp through a sieve, pressing to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids and reserve the tamarind juice.
6
Heat the cooking oil in a pot or wok over medium heat.
7
Add the spice paste and fry for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
2:00 timer
8
Pour in the reserved tamarind juice and the fish curry powder, and bring to a boil.
9
Add the tomato wedges, okra, and daun kesum, and bring back to a boil.
10
Add the fish, salt, and palm sugar (or regular sugar).
11
Lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through — it should turn opaque and flake easily with a fork. Avoid overcooking so it stays tender and juicy.
5:00 timer
12
Serve hot. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

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CuisineMalaysian