Ikan Goreng Sambal Lebur (Fried Fish with Sambal Lebur)

After I did a post on Sambal Lebur, my mum whatsapp me asking for the recipe. You know you have arrived when your mum asks you for recipe and not the other way around wahahaha!!

So over my head, while computing capital allowances, I recalled what I chucked into the lesung batu. Mum tried the recipe and reported that it was delicious.

I will share the exact same recipe below because Kris remarked that she would not know where to start if she did not have the exact proportions of ingredients for the sambal.

Since I made quite a lot of the sambal, I thought why not use it as a topping for fried fish. So the very next day, I fried a pomfret (which had been sleeping in the freezer) and topped it generously with the sambal. 

Ooohhh...la...la....it was so so good! It reminded me of my mum's asam pomfret which she did not cook often because she said my dad disliked it. Aiya, Pa! ho chiak lah! 

Frying fish is not as traumatic (hah..hah..) as before. I dabbed the fish dry with paper towels and rubbed the fish with turmeric powder. The turmeric powder absorbed whatever remaining moisture and when the fish hit the hot oil, there was no dramatic spluttering. Phew!

Since I also cooked Nasi Goreng Sambal Belacan, the two were eaten together with some pineapple chunks. Delish!

Ikan Goreng Sambal Lebur

Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :

- 1 pomfret, make 3 slits on each side of the fish

- 1 tsp turmeric powder

- 1 Holland onion, sliced into rings

For the sambal lebur

- 7 red chillies

- 5 chili padi

- 3 cloves garlic

- 1 big onion

- 3 belacan (the Belacan Kampung or use approximately 1 heaped tablespoon belacan)

- a handful of ikan bilis

- 6-8 cherry tomatoes, each cut into 2 (you can use a small regular tomato, sliced)

- 1 tablespoon asam jawa juice

- 2 tbsp sugar

Method :

1. To make the sambal lebur, pound or blend the chilies, garlic, onion, belacan and ikan bilis.

2. Heat oil (must use more oil) in a wok or pan and saute the pounded ingredients together with the tomatoes over medium flame until aromatic and the tomatoes are softened.

3. Season with asam jawa juice and sugar (I did not add any salt as the belacan was salty enough). Taste and adjust, the sambal must be sweet, sour and salty.

4. Set aside to cool and excess can be stored in a bottle and kept in the fridge.

5. Now for the fish. Dab dry and rub with turmeric powder.

6. Fry the fish until cooked and remove to a plate.

7. Remove some oil from the pan and give the Holland onions a quick stir fry. Add as much sambal lebur into the pan as you like to mix with the onions. Pour sambal over the fried fish.