Fish Stew with Lemongrass and Turmeric – Kepala Ikan

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs (700 g) whole snapper, tuna or sea bream, or fish fillets

1 tablespoons oil

4 cups (1 liter) water

1 teaspoon salt

3 stalks lemongrass, thick bottom third only, outer layers discarded, inner part bruised

5 kaffir lime leaves

2 red finger-length chilies, sliced

2 spring onions,cut into lengths

Crispy Fried Shallots – see our sambals categories-

Spice paste

1 ½ in (4 cm) fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced, or 1 ½ teaspoons ground

2 in (5 cm) ginger, peeled and sliced

2 to 3 red finger-length chilies, deseeded

6 shallots, peeled

3 cloves garlic, peeled

Cooking Directions:

1. If using whole fish, scale, gut  and clean the fish, then make several shallow diagonal slits on each side
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. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry the Spice Paste for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the water, salt,lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, and bring to a boil. Add the fish is cooked, 7 to  10 minutes. Adjust the taste with more salt or water as desired and remove from the heat.
4. Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot  with stearned rice, garnished with sliced chili, spring onions and Crispy Fried Shallots (if using).