Pepes Ikan (Indonesian Steamed Fish)

Ingredients

• •2 cloves garlic
• •4 shallot
• •2 cm fresh ginger
• •2 cm fresh turmeric
• •50 g fresh chile pepper
• •5 candlenut
• •5 g tamarind
• •½ tsp salt
• •25 ml water
• •1 kg whole fish (carp or snapper)
• •1 chopped tomato
• •1 stalk green onion
• •1 stalk lemongrass
• •5 salam leaves
• •50 g kemangi leaves (sweet basil; optional)
• •Salt
• •1 tsp sugar
• •2 tbsp salad oil
• •Banana leaves or aluminum foil to wrap

Instructions

1. 1Grind together all the ingredients for the spice paste.
2. 2Scale and clean the fish. Take out the intestines but not the eggs.
3. 3Make three diagonal slashes on each side of the fish for spice paste flavor to immerse.
4. 4Marinate the fish with salt and tamarind for 15 minutes then wash the fish with a bowl of water to remove excess salt.
5. 5Add cooking oil to the spice-paste, mix.
6. 6Coat fish with spice paste.
7. 7Put kemangi leaves, salam leaves and sliced lemon grass for the flavor.
8. 8Wrap the fish in banana leaves or aluminum foil.
9. 9Steam over medium heat for 30 minutes. Use pressure cooker for faster cooking time and better taste.
10. 10Let it cool and grill the wrapped fish over charcoal fire.