Tangy Asam Pedas Dory

0/4

Work top to bottom — prep ahead while timers run

Gather everything first, then follow the steps

Protein· 1

180 g dory fillet180g

Carbs· 1

50 g rice50g

Vegetables· 4

4 okra60g
½ tomato60g
2 shallots20g
1 clove garlic(staple)5g

Sauces· 3

25 g cili boh25g
15 g tamarind paste (in 200 ml water)15g
3 g belacan (fingernail-size)(staple)3g

Spices· 2

pinch of salt(staple)1g
½ tsp sugar(staple)2g

Fats & oils· 1

½ tsp oil(staple)3g

Rice on. Pound (or blitz) shallots, garlic and belacan to a paste. Dissolve the tamarind in 200 ml warm water; strain.
Why? Asam pedas runs on a sour-spicy-umami triangle: tamarind, cili boh, belacan — all three nearly calorie-free.
Tip: Fingernail-size belacan only — it's an umami bomb and takes over fast.
Next up:Sauté the paste and cili boh in the ½ tsp of oil over low heat for 2 min until fragrant.
Sauté the paste and cili boh in the ½ tsp of oil over low heat for 2 min until fragrant.
Why? Raw cili boh tastes green; two minutes of gentle frying transforms it — THAT is the restaurant flavour, not the oil slick on top.
Watch out: Low heat! Scorched chili paste turns the whole pot bitter.
Next up:Add the tamarind water, salt and sugar; once boiling, add okra and tomato, 5 min on medium.
5 min · hands-free
Add the tamarind water, salt and sugar; once boiling, add okra and tomato, 5 min on medium.
Why? Vegetables first, fish later: the fillet needs only the final minutes — wrong order and it falls apart.
05:00
Next up:Slide in big chunks of dory; 4 min on a gentle simmer. Opaque flesh that flakes to a nudge = done. Serve with rice.
4 min · hands-free
Slide in big chunks of dory; 4 min on a gentle simmer. Opaque flesh that flakes to a nudge = done. Serve with rice.
Why? The whole pot contains half a teaspoon of oil — asam pedas is one of the rare Malay classics that was ALREADY lean; we just tuned portions and timing.
Tip: Drink the broth freely — and yes, pour it over the rice.
04:00