Malaysian Cuisine: 'Patin' fish cooked sour with durian paste

When you to the Temerloh, located in state of Pahang, Malaysia, you will see the long river of Pahang river there. It was popular with the aquaculture industry, the most special fish that we have is 'Patin' fish or 'Ikan Patin' in Malay language. Here is the special recipe in Temerloh that you need to taste and try it during the holiday or trip to Temerloh. Pahang.

'Patin' fish cooked sour with durian paste or in Malay we called it " Ikan Patin masak asam tempoyak"

The Ingredient

* 10 pieces of 'Patin' fish (from 2 number of fish cut to became small portion easy to eat), it better we get the
   fresh fish from the cage in Pahang river. Beware of cheater seller because if you buy the fish from the
   unknown sources maybe it from the fish that was breed and grower in the pond whether the water does
   not flowing and the taste of is fish is like soil and fishy. latest market price for this fish is about RM14.00
   per kg (US Dollar 4.70$) while the wild fish that we called 'Patin Muncung' because the muzzle of the fish
   is longer that commerial 'Patin' fish.

main ingredient

* 3 numbers of onion and 1 number of garlic

Onion & Garlic

* 1 cm of fresh turmeric

fresh turmeric

* 15 numbers of small chili (cili api)

small chili

* 3 bud of ginger flower or torch ginger bud (medium size)

ginger flower or torch ginger bud

* 10 stalk of Vietnamese coriander leaf of ('kesum' leaf in Malay language)

Vietnamese coriander leaf of ('kesum' leaf in Malay language)

* 3 slices of preserved sour plum (asam gelugur @asam keping in Malay language

preserved sour plum (asam gelugur @asam keping in Malay language

* 1/2 of cucumber (cut to become rectangular )
* 3 number of lemongrass of 'serai' in Malay language
* 4 spoon of Durian paste or 'Tempoyak' common name in our country

Durian paste (Tempoyak)

* Water as enough
* A little bit of salt
* A little bit of Ajinomoto for seasoning
* 1/2 cup of coconut oil

Methods

1. Wash the fish until clean with the plenty of water, (also can soak the fish about 30min into the preserved sour plum or tamarind paste or wheat flour or lime to remove the fishy smell from the fish
2. Blender all onion, garlic, turmeric and small chili to become a paste, just smash a big knife onto the lemongrass.
3. Heat up the coconut oil into the pot, wait until it heated and then put in the paste that we make from the onion, garlic, turmeric and small chili. Put also the lemon grass. Fry the things until it come out with the good smell.
4. Put in the water about half of the pot.

It become like this after step 4

5. Put in the fish slowly into the solution, be careful because the texture of the fish is soft,
6. Then put in ginger flower or torch ginger bud, Vietnamese coriander leaf, cucumber and the preserved sour plum.

It become like this after step 6

7. Let it boil with the small heat of fire.
8. Put in 'Tempoyak' about 4-5 spoon inside the boil solution, a little bit of salt and 'Ajinomoto' as seasoning
9. When the dishes going thick shut down the heat and ready to eat.