Hu Chi Rempah (Chinese: 煎辣椒鱼, Penang Hokkien: hu2 chi3 rem3pah1) is a local dish of fried fish stuffed with spice paste. This is a popular dish among both the Chinese as well as the Malays (ikan cencaru sumbat).
Ingredient:
Ikan Cencaru (Hardtail mackerel)
Cooking oil
Spice paste:
Dried chilis
Onion
Garlic
Lemongrass
Turmeric
Belacan
Salt
Sugar
Tamarind paste - soak in water and drain
Kaffir lime leaves - finely sliced
Method:
Clean fish and make a deep slit from the back of the fish using the tip of a sharp knife, forming a pocket to stuff the spice paste.
Repeat on the other side of the fish.
Ground the spice paste and put aside.
Heat a wok over medium flame and saute the spice paste until aromatic. Season to taste with salt and sugar before adding in the finely sliced kaffir lime leaves.
Dish out and let it slightly cool.
Stuff the cooked spice paste into the open slit on both sides of the fish.
Deep fry the fish until cooked.
The balance spice paste can be diluted with some tamarind juice, boil and pour it over the cooked fish.