Stewed Fish Stomach with Vegetables (Nyonya Perut Ikan)

(Recipe and the photographs are courtesy of Madam Kwong.)

All my family members love a great serving of perut ikan, or Nyonya stewed fish stomach (previously salted and preserved) with various vegetables and exotic herbs, including daun kadok (betel leaf) and bunga kantan (ginger flower).

It’s a very tedious dish to make but the taste structure is so deep and complex. Each sip of the gravy reveals an exciting layer of flavor. Perut ikan is utterly delicious!

I remember vividly my childhood days when I watched my late grandmother pickled and preserved fresh fish stomach. In Southeast Asia, many authentic and unique dishes are prepared with the “unused” part of the ingredients, and in this case, it’s fish stomach.

The fish stomach, or perut ikan in Malay, are extracted from fresh fish. They are cleaned thoroughly, rubbed with salt before being preserved inside a glass bottle.

My late grandmother always paid special attention to the sealing process, enclosing the bottle with a cork tightly to facilitate the fermentation.

The fish stomach are then left out in the kitchen at room temperature until the cork is slightly popped out on its own—a clear indication that the fermentation process is complete as it releases the fermentation gas that forces the cork to pop…

A couple of years ago, I was lucky to learn how to make perut ikan from my aunt, but I didn’t do a good job in the exact measurement. My aunt taught me to make a lemak version, with a little coconut milk added. 

For the sour perut ikan, I refer to Madam Kwong and am so glad that she has a well-written recipe for us. If you are a fan of perut ikan, please try out this fabulous recipe. I could really use a bowl of savory and pipping hot perut ikan now. Slurp!

How Many Calories per Serving?

This recipe is only 247 calories per serving.

What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

Stir-fried Fish Fillet with Black Bean Sauce

Ayam Masak Merah (Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce)

Cincaluk Omelet (Telur Dadar Cincaluk)

Crab Noodles

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Stewed Fish Stomach with Vegetables (Nyonya Perut Ikan)

Servings 4 people

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Perut ikan is one of the most requested recipes on Nyonya Food. It’s also one of my favorite Nyonya dish. Even though it’s a Nyonya recipe, I believe it’s mostly found in Penang, and not Melaka and Singapore.

Calories 247 kcal

Author Bee | Rasa Malaysia

Ingredients

Curry Paste Stock

• 2 tablespoons chilli powder
• 10 shallots minced
• 2 tablespoons lemongrass minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon blue ginger powder
• 2 teaspoons belacan powder
• 100 g tamarind juice
• 1.5 litres 50 oz. water
• 60 g pickled fish stomach
• 600 g peeled fresh prawns
• 14 oz diced pineapple
• 2 eggplant/ aubergine cut 2.5 cm
• 10 snake beans or 17 oz. french beans, cut 2.5 cm length ways
• 1 ginger flower/bunga kantan

Finely Shredded Vegetables

• 20 Vietnamese mint polygonum leaves/ daun kesom/ daun laksa
• 30 beatle leaves daun kadok
• 2 turmeric leaves
• 5 kaffir lime leave
• salt and sugar to taste

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Directions

1. 1
   Boil curry paste stock for 15 minutes.
2. 2
   Add the shredded vegetables, pickled fish stomach and prawn.
3. 3
   Add seasonings and cook for another 15 minutes.
4. 4
   Dish out and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Stewed Fish Stomach with Vegetables (Nyonya Perut Ikan)

Amount Per Serving (4 people)

Calories 247 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 189mg63%

Sodium 931mg40%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 11g46%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 25g50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Nyonya Recipes

Cuisine: Fish

Keyword: Stewed Fish Stomach with Vegetables (Nyonya Perut Ikan)