Asam Pedas Ikan Pari (instant)

Ingredients
stringray or other fish, fish head etc.
sambal tumis (follow recipe minus the ikan bilis)
ginger
fresh tumeric
lemongrass
tamarind juice
black pepper
daun kesum
ladies finger
tomatoes
salt and sugar to taste
salted vege or sawi asin (optional)
oil

Directions

• grind fresh tumeric and ginger to find paste and place into a pot together with sambal tumis and some oil
• add pounded lemongrass and cook until fragrant
• pour in tamarind juice together with the fish
• leave it to boil and simmer for approximately 10mins or so
• (add in salted vege at this point if you want)
• add salt and a bit of sugar to taste... stir in daun kesum
• adjust water to your desired consistency and add in tomatoes and ladies finger till cooked

Foodnote
I love asam pedas (because SPICY) and I like my gravy thick and not watery just like mum used to make. Nice to eat with warm rice or with bread oh yesss. Taste better the next day. I love to put more ladies finger yumm. I called this instant because I always make my sambal stock 3 ways. After I make my cili boh, I will pack some in containers to freeze. The rest I will continue cooking to make sambal tumis. Then I pack my sambal tumis, which I can cook sambal fish, sambal egg, etc. The balance I will add ikan bilis and tadaaaa... easy peasy for whatever dishes I need to cook jeng jeng jeng. 

Sambal Tumis Ikan Bilis

Ingredients

cili boh

onion

garlic

candlenut

blachan (shrimp paste)

tamarind juice

sugar

gula perang

ikan bilis

salt

oil

Directions

• fry ikan bilis in some oil and put aside
• blend onion, garlic, candlenut and shrimp paste
• fry blended ingredients in a large wok till fragrant
• add in cili boh and tamarind juice in low flame till fully cooked
• add more water if too thick
• add sugar and salt to taste
• add ikan bilis...cook a bit more and done!

Foodnote

Nice to eat with bread or prata or just plain rice... anything! For just sambal tumis just don't add ikan bilis hehe. Adjust consistency accordingly... I just prefer mine not watery.

Actually I need to stock up my cili boh so I decided to make my sambal 3-ways. I first make my cili boh. Once cooled I pack half in small containers. The other half I added all ingredients except for ikan bilis. I packed half and the other leftovers I added anchovies. Tadaaa.... enough stock to last me for 2-3 months? Maybe less since I can eat sambal almost daily!

Egg Sambal

Ingredients
3 large onions
2 garlic
1 candlenut (buah keras)
1 tbsp grilled belachan 
0.5 to 1 cup cili boh (if you like spicy)
0.5 cup tamarind juice
3 tbsp sugar
0.5 knorr ikan bilis cube
4-6 hard boiled eggs
0.5 cup oil

Directions

• slice thickly one of the onions and put aside (optional step)
• blend onions, garlic, candlenut and belachan
• heat oil in a wok and add the blended ingredients together with cili boh
• fry for a while till fragrant... then add the sliced onion, tamarind juice, sugar and ikan bilis cube
• taste and add more sugar or salt if necessary
• if you don't like it too dry, add a bit of water 
• add the hard boiled eggs and simmer for 5 more minutes or so

Foodnote
Oh one of my comfort food. I can just omit the egg, add anchovies... or use the sambal recipes for other sambal dishes. I like my sambal sweet, very spicy and thick. Will definitely make the sambal again for nasi lemak soon.

Sambal Cili Boh

Ingredients
200g dried chilli
1 cup of shallots
some garlic
0.5 cup vegetable/olive oil

Directions

• cut and remove as much seeds from the dried chilli
• rinse and boil the chilli for about 10mins and leave to simmer for 30mins more
• leave to cool and blend together with the shallots and garlic
• cook with some oil till the chilli is fragrant for about 30mins or so
• store in small containers in the fridge/freezer

Foodnote
I prepared this in anticipation for the month of Ramadan. It will help me prep for my iftar meals so that I don't have to rush after work. I can make sambal tumis ikan bilis or fry noodles or make curry... whatever that needs cili boh. I bought the dried chilli from Mustafa. It looks so fresh and smells good. The small containers which are stainless steel and some enamel were bought from Daiso. Planning to get more so that I can prep up other things... like my favorite sambal pecel! I am so looking forward to fasting month :)