Fried Catfish with Chilli Sambal
Origin: Lamongan- East Java Province
Ingredients
- 2 pc pieces / 500 gr/ 1 lb catfish, cleaned, washed
- oil for deep-frying
Marinating paste
- 3 gloves garlic
- 2 cm fresh turmeric or 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 2 tbsp salt or to taste
Dried Shrimp Paste Sambal
- 3 pc large red chilli, raughly chopped
- 5 pc small red chillies / bird chillies
- 3 pc shallots
- 1 glove garlic
- 1 tsp roasted shrimp paste/ terasi
- 1 pc middle size tomato, raughly chopped
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
Fried Catfish with Chilli Sambal
This is one of street dishes in East Java region: Pecel Lele. Pecel is actually refers to Sambal Pecel, a Peanut Sauce/ dressing which usually served with blanched vegetables. But Pecel here means other than this reference. Pecel Lele is a special dish which originated from Lamongan, a municipal city in East Java Province where the famous "Soto Lamongan" comes from.Pecel Lele is a side dish which comprises of Crispy Fried Catfish, serve together with spicy sambal and raw vegetables/salad. But why the name have similarity with Sambal Pecel/ Peanut Dressing, I also have no idea???!!But one thing I can assure you, this is a delicious side dish that I'd love to cook again and again ha ha 😉 A yummy & crunchy fried catfish with HOT & SPICY sambal hmmmmmmmmmmm… a mouth watering Indonesian delicacy !!!!
Instructions
- Marinating and Frying the Fish: Clean & discard the fish innard & wash throughly ( rub with lime juice/tamarinde to get rid from fish mucus). Set aside to drain.
- Grind garlic, turmeric, coriander & salt with stone mortar & pestle into smooth paste.
- (If you use blender instead mortar, add litlle bit water from 250 ml water to help the blending process).
- Transfer the mixture in a bowl, add 250 ml water (or rest of water )& stir to mix.
- Adjust the seasoning liquid, add more sat if necessary. Transfer the fish into the bowl, rub around the fishes with the spaice mixture & let aside for 15 minutes to marinate.
- Heat 500 ml or enough oil. Rub the catfish with the marianting paste then deep-fry the fish until crispy goldbrown. Set aside to drain.
- Making Sambal Terasi Goreng: Heat 5 tbsp oil in a wok or saucepan over medium heat.
- Fry chilli, shallot, garlic & tomato till just soften. (Do not fry the chilli too long otherwise they will be too hard to grind).
- Transfer all fried ingredients onto grinding stone (or mortar & pestle) and grind until smooth.
- Add the dried shrimp paste, pound it together to mix. Adjust the sesoning. Add salt & sugar to taste.
- (If possible use grinding stone not blender. One meal sambal is to be made traditionally to get the best-authentic taste).
- Serve Your Fried Catfish with rice, sambal terasi & raw vegetables (ex: cucumber, lettuce & lemon basil)
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