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Assam Pedas Fish - Classic Malaysian dish that's sour, fiery hot, and tastes extraordinarily satisfying.
Assam Pedas, or literally “sour spicy,” is a classic Malaysian dish. Everyone has their own interpretation for this favorite dish and there are endless adaptations; suffice it to say, it’s sour, fiery hot, and tastes extraordinarily satisfying.
When I made my sambal for nasi lemak last weekend, I made a point to prepare some extra spice paste for this Assam Pedas dish. While traditional Assam Pedas calls for ikan tenggiri (Spanish mackerel) or ikan pari (stingray), I used pomfret instead. (In the United States, even in California, it’s almost impossible to find fish commonly found in Malaysia.) I love pomfret and it’s a good substitute for Assam Pedas.
Much like nasi lemak, if you haven’t tried Assam Pedas, it’s very hard to describe just how wonderful this is. I hope my pictures and recipe do it justice.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 211 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Asam Pedas Fish
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Asam Pedas Fish
- 1 pomfret, 1/2 pound to 1 pound (200 g-400 g)
- 10 small okras
- 1 tomato, cut into wedges
- 1 teaspoon fish curry powder
- 2 sprigs of daun kesum, Vietnamese mint/Vietnamese coriander
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar/sugar
- Salt , to taste
Spice Paste:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 stalk of lemongrass, white part only
- 4 shallots
- 8-10 dried chillies, depends how spicy you like
- 1/2 tablespoon belacan, prawn paste
Tamarind Juice:
- 1 1/4 cup water
- Tamarind pulp, size of a small ping pong ball
- Pound the spice paste with a mortar and pestle or grind it in a food processor. Set aside.
- Soak the tamarind pulp in warm water for 15 minutes, squeezing constantly to extract the flavor. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.
- Heat oil and fry the spice paste for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the tamarind juice and fish curry powder, and bring to a boil. Add the tomato wedges, okras, and daun kesom, and bring to a boil again. Add the fish, salt, and palm sugar or regular sugar.
- Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. Serve hot.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Jeez, I always thought the fish has to be steamed! I shall try this recipe soon.
No you don’t have to.
I cooked this dish today and it was so so good! Another serving of rice would be nice. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
My pleasure! Very glad you liked the recipe. Thank you for your support.
No buah keras added?
NO need.
Very good!
Hi I managed to make this but when I asked my mum to taste she said it was missing bunga kantan. I used tamarind paste about 2 thumbs. It came out beautifully.
Yes you need bunga kantan if you could get. I can’t get it where I am.
Hi
Please advise on which type of belacan, prawn paste are you using?
Thank you so much.
Malaysian belacan. Any brand is fine.
Hi
can I skip the belacan paste?
No.
Hi. That looks delicious. Our regular customers who has been buying fish from us www.gogopasar.com definitely would love to have this recipe too. Awesome!
What can I use as substitute to tamarind? I can’t get tamarind from where I am.
Lemon juice.
Hai may I ask. Beside then the pomfret fish and sting Ray or ikan pari. What other fish that I put in to taste good in the assam pedas
I only like those two. Other fish are hardly used for Assam Pedas.
I would use ikan patin aka basa fish
Hi
Please advise on which type of belacan, prawn paste are you using?
Thank you so much.
Nice recipe Bee. Made it this evening great flavour. Btw I cooked a snapper head. Thanks!
Ikan merah, or red snapper the best in da world
Usually people use Seabass also good and Red Snapper because it is much more sweeter taste of the fish. U can also use Catfish. Will lift up the flavour. Can try if u like
Could I use Tamarind paste instead of meaning the water? If so, to approximately what ratio?
Thanks!
Yes you can. I don’t know as I didn’t use the paste.