Ingredients:
Serves 6
175 ml (6 fl oz) cooking oil
750 ml (24 fl oz) tamarind juice, extracted from 75 g tamarind pulp
and 750 ml water
900 g (2 lbs) Spanish mackerel, sliced into 3.5-cm (1½-inch thick)
pieces
2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
½ teaspoon sugar
2½ teaspoons salt
20 young lady's fingers (okra), stemmed and halved
diagonally
Finely ground
paste:
20 dried chilies, soaked in water and drained
18 shallots, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
5 candlenuts
1.25 cm (½ inch) fresh turmeric, peeled
2.5 cm (1 inch) galangal, peeled
4 stalks lemon grass, sliced (use only the bottom white inner
part)
1½ teaspoons crushed dried shrimp paste
(belachan)
Method:
Heat the cooking oil and fry finely ground paste until
fragrant. Add the tamarind juice and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 4 minutes. Increase the heat and add fish, kaffir
lime leaves (optional), sugar and salt. Cook for 4
minutes. Add lady's fingers (okra) and cook for another 5
minutes until the fish is done and lady's fingers (okra) are
tender.
Note: Stingray can be used instead
of Spanish mackerel. Cut the fish into 5-cm (2-inch) thick
pieces.