Ikan Tepung Saus Tomat [ Crispy Fish in Spicy Tomato Sauce ]

If you say SARDEN, most of Indonesian will think about fish in a can with tomato sauce. Its a classic easy canned food in Indonesia. Most of people I know modifies the sauce to their liking and so do I. This time I make everything from scratch, fresh food is always better then canned one!

The Fish:

I basically used the same method used in crispy ka-ep-ci aka fried-chicken to cook the fish. The only different was I use Panko (Japanese Breadcrumb) for coating. Here is the modified recipe:

4 Pangasius (or any white meat fish) fillet

1 Egg

50 ml milk

salt and pepper

½ cup of all purpose flour, put in flat plate

¾ cup Panko flour, put in flat plate

Oil to fry

1. Blot the fish with kitchen towel tissue to dry, sprinkle salt and pepper on the fish.

2. Batter egg and milk in a bowl

3. Roll the fish in the flour plate untilthe fish completely covered

4. Dip the fish in the egg mix

5. Roll the fish in the Panko plate until the fish is completely covered (I made sure my fish was thickly coated with Panko).

6. Gently fry the fish until it turns golden (keep on medium heat so that the fish will be thoroughly cooked inside out).

7. Set aside on oil-absorbing towel

The Sauce:

2 Indonesian Bayleaves (daun salam)

2 cm Galangal

2 Stalk Lemon grass, bruised

2 cm ginger

1 Tsp Turmeric powder

2 Kaffir lime leaves, deboned

½ small can Tomato paste

300 ml water

2 Tbsp Ketchup

½ Tsp Sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

paste: 

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

2 Thai Chilli

1. Sautée pasted onion and garlic till fragrant

2. Add in Bayleaves, galangal, lemon grass, ginger, turmeric powder, kaffir lime leaves. Cook for another 3 minutes

3. Pour in the tomato paste and water, cook until boils. Add Ketchup, sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until the sauce a bit thick. 

Ps: To keep the fish crispy, pour the sauce just on plating (serving). 

Happy cooking!