Siakap Tiga Rasa (Deep Fried Fish With Three Flavoured Sauce)

Okay, tried this from a Thai recipe book. The sauce was a bit thick coz added extra shallots. But the taste was outstanding. Bear in mind it's not exactly the same as the normal Tiga Rasa dish we get at the stalls. You can use any kind of fish for this one (sea bream, red snapper or grey mullet are best). Nice to try for Thai food enthusiasts!

1 chosen type of fish

3 Tb plain flour

pinch of ground black pepper

vegetable oil, for deep frying

4-5 garlic cloves

5 long red chillies, seeded

4-5 Asian shallots

3 coriander roots

3 Tb palm sugar

2 Tb fish sauce

3 Tb tamarind puree or lime juice

a few Holy basil leaves for garnish

Clean and gut the fish, leaving the head on. Pat dry with kitchen towel. Score the fish on both sides with a sharp knife.

Rub the fish with a pinch of salt. Put the flour and ground pepper on a plate and press the fish lightly until coated with flour from head to tail. Shake off any excess. Heat the oil and deep fry the fish until it is cooked and light brown in color. Drain and keep warm.

While the fish is cooking, pound or blend/process the garlic, shallots, chillies & coriander roots into a rough paste.

Heat 1 Tb oil in a wok and stir fry the chili paste over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind puree or lime juice. Cook for 2-3 minutes until sugar has dissolved. Pour the warm chilli sauce over the cooked fish and garnish.