Catfish in Hot Creamy Chili Gravy ( Lemak Cili Padi Ikan Keli )
This is the original signature dish of Negeri Sembilan. The dish are known to be extremely hot with loads of birds eye chilies are finely pounded to create the strong extensive taste. Fresh coconut cream produced from the freshly hand grated coconut are combined to make up the thick gravy. The dish is the most simplest as it requires minimal ingredients as listed below.
What you need is
- 3 medium size catfish - clean and cut into 3 / 4 pieces each - depending on the size.
- A handful of birds eye chilies - the green colored are mostly preferred
- An inch of fresh turmeric - clean and scrap skin off
- A stalk of lemongrass - bruised
- A piece of the turmeric leaf - roughly shredded
- A bowl of thick coconut cream with another bowl of a lighter cream ( 250 ml each )
- Enough salt to taste.
To begin with :
- Using a mortar, pound the birds eye chilies , salt and the fresh turmeric to make into a paste .
- Heat a pot . Once hot , throw in the pounded ingredients and the bruised lemon grass and let them cook over slow fire for 1 -2 minutes.
- Add in the lighter creamer and the shredded turmeric leaf then continuously stir the ingredients together.
- Add the catfish. Let the fish slowly braised until the meat is slightly shrink.
- Then pour in the thick cream. Avoid stirring regularly as the fish meat is very tender and can easily break. Slowly shake the pot to ensure that cream are thoroughly mix.
- Turn the fish from one side to the other. Let it braised for another 5 - 10 minutes.
- By now the fish is ready to be served .
