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Asam Pedas, or ‘sour spicy,’ is a must-try classic Malaysian dish that brings the heat with tangy tamarind, fiery chilies, and a rich, savory broth. It’s the perfect dish to satisfy your cravings for bold, flavorful food!
Nyonya Asam Pedas Recipe
Asam pedas, or ‘sour spicy,’ is a classic Malaysian dish that everyone has their own take on. It’s sour, fiery hot, and incredibly satisfying.
When I made Sambal for Nasi Lemak, I decided to save some extra spice paste for this assam pedas recipe. While the traditional recipe calls for ikan tenggiri (Spanish mackerel) or ikan pari (stingray), I used pomfret since it’s easier to find here. I love pomfret, and it works really well in this dish as a substitute.
If you haven’t tried asam pedas yet, it’s hard to explain just how amazing it is. I hope this asam pedas fish recipe and my pictures do it justice! Be sure to check out my tips below to make the perfect asam pedas fish every time!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Packed with bold flavors. The tangy tamarind, fiery chili, and savory spices come together to create a dish that’s as exciting as it is satisfying.
- Aromatically delicious. The homemade spice paste, with lemongrass and garlic, fills my kitchen with mouth-watering smells as it cooks.
- Seafood lovers rejoice. The pomfret soaks up all that delicious broth, making each bite rich and satisfying.
- Quick and easy in just 4 simple steps. Using fresh ingredients like okra, pomfret, and daun kesum (Vietnamese mint), this assam pedas recipe is super simple to make and loaded with big, bold flavors without the hassle.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pomfret – You can easily swap pomfret with mackerel, snapper, barramundi, tilapia, catfish, kingfish, grouper, or halibut.
- Garlic
- Lemongrass
- Shallots
- Dried chilies
- Belacan
- Water
- Tamarind pulp – You can swap the tamarind pulp with about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of tamarind paste or concentrate. Adjust to taste for the right level of tanginess.
- Cooking oil – Use vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Fish curry powder – If you can’t get your hands on fish curry powder, a combination of curry powder with a pinch of turmeric or cumin can work in a pinch.
- Tomato
- Okras
- Daun kesum (Vietnamese mint/Vietnamese coriander)
- Salt
- Palm sugar – I used palm sugar, but you can use white sugar if that’s what you have.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
How To Make Asam Pedas Fish
Grab your mortar and pestle, or use a food processor, and grind up the spice paste. Once it’s all nice and smooth, just set it aside for later.
Soak the tamarind pulp in warm water for about 15 minutes, and make sure to squeeze it every now and then to get all that flavor out. Once it’s done, drain it and keep the tamarind juice for later.
Heat up some oil and fry the spice paste for about 2 minutes, or until it smells amazing. Then, pour in the tamarind juice and fish curry powder, and let it all come to a boil. Toss in the tomato wedges, okras, and daun kesom, and bring it to a boil again. Finally, throw in the fish, a pinch of salt, and palm sugar (or regular sugar if that’s what you’ve got).
Let it simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the fish is nice and cooked through. Then, just serve it up hot and enjoy!
Secrets To Perfect Asam Pedas Fish
- I can’t stress this enough—fresh fish is a game changer! Whether I use mackerel, snapper, or pomfret, fresh fish really brings out the juiciness and flavor that makes the dish so delicious.
- I take my time grinding the spice paste, whether I’m using a mortar and pestle or food processor. A smooth paste means more flavor getting into the dish, and trust me, it makes a difference!
- For me, adding okra and tomatoes not only boosts the flavor but also gives the dish a nice texture. Okra adds a bit of bite, while tomatoes break down and make the broth even more flavorful.
- Once the fish goes in, I lower the heat and let it simmer slowly. This gives the fish a chance to absorb all the amazing flavors from the broth.
Frequently Asked Questions
I always prefer fresh fish, but if you only have frozen, that’s totally fine! Just make sure to thaw it properly and give it a good pat dry before cooking. It helps keep the texture nice and firm in the broth.
If you’re not into spicy food, feel free to cut down on the dried chilies. You can also remove the seeds to tone down the heat a bit.
The fish is done when it turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Just make sure not to overcook it so it stays tender and juicy.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
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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Other Recipes You Might Like
Asam Pedas Fish
Ingredients
- 1 pomfret, 1/2 pound to 1 pound (200 g-400 g)
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon fish curry powder
- 1 tomato, cut into wedges
- 10 small okras
- 2 sprigs of daun kesum, Vietnamese mint/Vietnamese coriander
- salt , to taste
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar/sugar
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
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
- I can’t stress this enough—fresh fish is a game changer! Whether I use mackerel, snapper, or pomfret, fresh fish really brings out the juiciness and flavor that makes the dish so delicious.
- I take my time grinding the spice paste, whether I’m using a mortar and pestle or food processor. A smooth paste means more flavor getting into the dish, and trust me, it makes a difference!
- For me, adding okra and tomatoes not only boosts the flavor but also gives the dish a nice texture. Okra adds a bit of bite, while tomatoes break down and make the broth even more flavorful.
- Once the fish goes in, I lower the heat and let it simmer slowly. This gives the fish a chance to absorb all the amazing flavors from the broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried tje Assam pedas fish yesterday without the vietnamese basil and it still taste very good. I added ikam bills cube to it, delicious! Thanks for sharing and i just love it amd will make again!
Hi, the instructions don’t stipulate when to add the daun kesum. Is it part of the cooking process or merely used as a garnish?
Hello !! :)
I am definitely going to try to make this !
May I know.. if the dried chillies need to be soaked and seeds removed ?
Thank You !
Yes.
Yes .. ! Thank you .. got it..! i have tired it..! and everyone LOVES it !!!
I am sooooo happy to have made this.. and THANK YOU soo much for sharing this
recipe !
How my family love eating it
1. Try with Basmati Rice
2. Any left over, debone fish & mashed it the gravy.
Reboil and dip Yu Cha Kueh into the gravy
I have heard there are also asam pedas recipes which use coconut milk. How does that work?
i am in columbus,ohio and have yet to see pomfret being sold in supermarkets.
failing which,what other “mat salleh”fish can i use? :)
Hmm, none, haha, pomfret.
U can use like red snapper..
Hello! Thanks for sharing the recipe. May I ask if frozen fish can be used? And if so, how to rid the fishy smell? Was told to soak in vinegar water.
Yes you can use frozen fish and yes vinegar will help.
wow nice blog…and all recipes
Good looks tasty will share this in my blog :)
http://fishyummies.blogspot.com/
Only the special, grill, bake and steam fish recipes of the world with fun fish facts
Hi Bee, I am not supposed to eat shellfish, or mabe I did as this was our favourite dish when we visited KL. Could you please suggest a substitute for the shrimp paste? Maybe some fish sauce?
Yes fish sauce is fine.