Recipe Ingredient
- 250g good quality salt fish (danau fish)
- 35g dried prawns, soaked and coarsely chopped
- 4 stalks curry leaves
- Oil for deep-frying
- Spice ingredients (A) - ground
- 15 shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2cm fresh turmeric
- 3cm galangal, sliced
- 8 candlenuts
- 1cm square shrimp paste (belacan), toasted
- 15 dried chillies
- 13 red chilllies
- Ingredients (B)
- 200ml white rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste, mixed with 2 tbsp water and strained for juice
- Seasoning (C)
- 5 tbsp castor sugar or to taste
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Rinse salt fish and cut into small cubes. Deep-fry salt fish until golden and crispy. Remove and drain from oil. Leave ½ cup oil in the wok, sauté dried prawns and curry leaves until fragrant.
- Add ground spice ingredients and continue to fry until oil separates. Add vinegar, tamarind juice and sugars. Bring to a slow boil then simmer for 10-12 minutes until gravy is thick. Cool gravy thoroughly before adding fried salt fish. Keep salt fish acar in airtight glass jars before use.