Pindang Ikan (Fish Cooked With Tamarind)
Ingredients:
4 mackerel, cleaned, and with the heads removeed
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cayenne peper
About 30 g (1 oz) tamarind
6 shallots
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ground laos (galingale)
1 tbs sweet soya sauce
Vegetable oil
2 cup water
sliced cucumber
Wedges of lemon
Wash the mackerel with vinegar and rinse in cold water. Steam them for 20 minutes.
Slice the shallots and garlic, and fry in hot oil for 1 minute. Add the chilli, cayenne pepper, laos, soya sauce, tamarind and water. Add a pinch of salt, and taste. Pour this sauce over the fish in a deep saucepan or casserole. With the saucepan, bring the contents to the oil and simmer for about 1 hour. With the casserole, put it in the oven and cook for abour 1 hour on gas mark 3 (about 325 F).
When it is cooked, put the fish on a serving-dish, strain the remainder of the sauce over it, and garnish with thin slices of cucumber and wedges of lemon.
