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A dish of Pesmol Ikan - fish dish in tangy and spicy sauce from west Java
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5 from 1 vote

Ikan Pesmol

Ikan Pesmol is a fish dish from West Java, Indonesia that has a refreshing tangy and spicy flavour.
Author: Devy Dar
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Indonesian
Servings: 7

Equipment

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 2.2 pounds firm flesh fish.
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste.
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder.
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.
  • 1- inch ginger minced.
  • 6 cloves of garlic minced.
  • 1 red onion chopped.
  • 15 Kemiri/ candlenuts.
  • 2 Salam leaves.
  • 2 Lemongrass.
  • ½ - inch Galangal.
  • 1 tablespoon Sugar.
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Salt + extra for the marinade.
  • 2 teaspoons White vinegar or juice from one lemon.
  • 1 cup water.
  • 5-7 fresh bird’s eye chillies.
  • 4 tablespoons cooking oil

Instructions

  • Clean, scale, cut, and wash the fish. Marinate it with tamarind paste and 1 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
  • Using pestle and mortar, or a food processor, pound the ginger, garlic, chopped onion, candlenuts and galangal into a paste. Set aside.
  • Grill the fish until it’s thoroughly cooked. Or, if you want to do it traditionally, you can deep fry the fish. Set aside.
  • Heat 4 tablespoons of oil on a large cooking pan or a wok. Put the pounded spices, chilli powder, turmeric, Salam leaf, lemongrass, salt, and sugar in. Let it fry until the spices release aroma, and it looks shiny. 
  • Add in the vinegar or lemon juice. Cook further for a minute.
  • Then add the water in, give it a stir and let it cook with a lid on. Until the water is reduced and you have a nice thick sauce.
  • Put the fish in the sauce. Stir carefully until all the fish is coated with the spice. Leave it to cook with a lid on for about 3 minutes. 

Notes

  • If candlenuts are not available, you can substitute them with macadamia nuts. Or you can omit altogether.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 784kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 48g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1334mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g

Disclaimer

Nutritional info in this recipe is only estimate using online calculator. You should refer to it as a guide only. Please verify with your own data if you seek an accurate info.