Spicy Fried Sardines

 ( Ikan Bumbu Acar )

Indonesia is blessed with huge coastal area so seafood is really popular as main dish, especially for those who living close to the coastal area. Ikan bumbu acar is a typical seafood dish from fishing villages near Pekalongan, on the northern coast of central Java.

Category : Seafood

Difficulty : Easy

Preparing time : 40 minutes

Ingredients

- 300 g sardines or other small fish, cleaned

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 2 red chillies, seeded and sliced

- 7 or 8 green/red bird's eyes chillies, sliced (optional - depend on how much you want it spicy)

- 1 clove of garlic

- 4 shallots

- 1 cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

- 1 cm fresh galangal, peeled and sliced

- 1 stalk lemon grass, use only the white part, chopped

- 1 medium tomato, cut in wedges

- 1 tablespoon tamarind juice

- 1 salaam leaf

- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

- 2 tablespoons water

- basil sprigs to garnish (optional)

Spice Paste :

- 1 shallots

-  1 clove garlic

- 1/2 teaspoon white peppercorn

- 1/4 teaspoon coriander

- 1 cm fresh ginger

- 1 cm fresh fresh turmeric

Directions

1.  Wash the sardines, drain and marinate with salt. Leave for 30 - 60 minutes. Heat the oil and fry the fish until golden brown.

2. Prepare spice paste by grinding or blending all the ingredients.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and saute the chillies, garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, lemon grass, tomato, tamarind juice and salaam leaf over high heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sugar, then the spice paste and fry another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Combine the fried sardines with  the spicy sauce in the wok and add water. Cook for another minute, stirring well, then serve and garnished with basil.