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Asam Pedas Ikan Pari - Spicy & Sour Stingray Curry

Somjit Najaireeb
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Prep Time 40 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Resting Time 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 40 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Malay, Malaysian, Nyonya
Servings 8
Calories 323 kcal

Equipment

  • Sharp Kitchen Knife
  • Chopping Board
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Blender/ Food Processor
  • Stainless Steel Pan
  • Turner

Ingredients

US Customary | Metric

Marination

  • 950 g stingray fish, cut and cleaned
  • 1/2 tbsp salt

Vegetables

  • 120 g tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 70 g four angled beans, cut into 1.5-2 inches
  • 50 g Vietnamese Basil, "Daun Kesom", leaves plucked and stems discarded
  • 170 g okra, lady's fingers, top removed

Blend into a Paste

  • 15 g galangal, young, chopped roughly
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, chopped roughly
  • 1/2 torch ginger flower, chopped roughly
  • 1 red onion, small, chopped roughly
  • 80 g red chilli
  • 1 thumb-sized turmeric, cut roughly with skin on
  • 35 g garlic, peeled & washed
  • 110 g shallots, peeled & washed
  • 100 g chilli paste
  • 20 g shrimp paste, belacan, less salty type
  • 200 ml water

Cook with the Paste

  • 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into half (3 inches), smashed lightly
  • 1/2 torch ginger flower, cut into quarters vertically
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 50 ml cooking oil, unscented
  • 40 g palm sugar, cut to cubes
  • 300 ml tamarind water, concentrated
  • 600 ml water
  • 1/4 tbsp salt, optional, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Prepare all the ingredients.
  • Marinate the stingray with salt, rubbing them to evenly distribute the salt evenly. Cover with cling wrap, or transfer to an air tight container and let them rest in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes.
  • Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Remove the tips from the four angled beans, and cut them into 1.5-2 inches pieces. Remove the stalks and heads of the okra. Pluck the Vietnamese basil leaves and set them all aside.
  • Chop the ingredients for blending into small pieces: galangal, lemongrass, 1/2 the torch ginger flower, red onion, red chilli and turmeric. Place them all into the blender.
  • Add the garlic, shallots, chilli paste, shrimp paste (belacan) and 200ml of water to the blender. Blend all the ingredients for about 1 minute, or until a rough asam pedas paste is formed.
  • Heat the cooking oil in a stainless steel pan over medium heat. Add the asam pedas paste while the oil is still cool, and stir for about 30 seconds, or until just combined.
  • Add the palm sugar and stir for 10 minutes, or until the sugar has fully melted.
  • Add the cut lemongrass, onions, and torch ginger flower. Stir continuously for 5 minutes, or until the paste clumps together and sticks lightly to the spatula.
  • Add the concentrated tamarind water and 600ml of water to the paste, and stir until well-combined. Cover the pan and let it cook for 5 minutes, or until it comes to a rolling boil.
  • Remove the stingray from the fridge and discard the cling wrap.
  • After 5 minutes, stir the gravy lightly. Taste and adjust. I added 1/4 tbsp of salt as my shrimp paste was not very salty.
  • Increase the heat to high, and wait a little until the gravy is bubbling vigorously.
  • Add the stingray one-by-one, being careful not to move the ones already submerged in the pan. Distribute the okra, four angled beans, tomatoes and 1/2 of the Vietnamese Basil leaves on top of the gravy. Cover the pan and let it boil for 8 minutes.
  • Open the cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir the gravy a little before tasting to adjust.
  • Add some cut torch ginger flower and the rest of the Vietnamese Basil Leaves. Pour the gravy over them and switch off the heat.
  • Cover the pan and let the Asam Pedas Ikan Pari rest for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  • Dish it out and serve with fluffy white rice.

Notes

Tips
  • Marinating the stingray with salt for 20-30 minutes in the fridge slows the deterioration rate, and allows the salt to be absorbed into the flesh.
  • Pluck the matured Vietnamese Basil leaves and the young stems with leaves.
  • Marinating the stingray with salt for 20-30 minutes in the fridge slows the deterioration rate, and allows the salt to be absorbed into the flesh.
  • Pluck the matured Vietnamese Basil leaves and the young stems with leaves.
  • For the lemongrass used to cook with the paste, smash it lightly for a stronger fragrance and citrusy flavour.
  • Lightly break the turmeric with the skin on to prevent it from staining the chopping board.
  • Scrape all the asam pedas paste stuck to the blender when pouring it into the pan.
  • Stir the asam pedas paste continuously to reduce splattering and to prevent burning at the bottom of the pan.
  • Adjust the gravy based on the saltiness of the shrimp paste - as mine was not very salty, I added more salt to the gravy.
  • The heat is increased to high to quickly cook the stingray in boiling asam pedas gravy. This reduces the released fishiness from the stingray.
  • Once the stingray is submerged into the gravy, avoid stirring until they are completely cooked. This also reduces the fishiness from being released into the gravy.
  • Allow the asam pedas gravy to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes for the flavours to mature and combine well before serving.
  • This Asam Pedas Ikan Pari can be refrigerated for 2 - 3 days.
  • Once the stingray and vegetables have finished, the gravy can be used to cook another batch of fish and vegetables. Leftover gravy can also be kept frozen for 1-2 weeks.
  • Make sure to watch the full video to see how I made it exactly!

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 30gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 694mgPotassium: 299mgFiber: 6gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 17IUVitamin C: 127mgCalcium: 171mgIron: 5mg
Keyword asam pedas, curry, stingray
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