Assam Ikan (Tamarind Spicy Fish)

These days cooking Assam Fish at home is really easy and simple.We don't have to slave our self hours in the kitchen to make all the spices.There are plenty of prepacked Assam Fish spices in the Asian market.I love Assam Laksa Noodle in broth,I can eat this hawker food daily.The last trip when I was in Queens I bought 10 packets of Assam Laksa spices. I used Assam Laksa spices to cook this dish instead if Assam Fish spices which I still have few packets in storage.Of course I need extra spicy in my Assam Fish,so I add some sambal-belacan-paste in the gravy!! Wooohooo!! it's really a kick!! If you can access to Assam Laksa prepacked spices,you might want to try this scrumptious ,hot and sour fish!!

Ingredients:
3 mackerel fish,clean and cut into 1/2 if it's too large and long
300-400 gm okra,stump remove
2 tomato,washed and cut quartered
2 onion,skinned ,washed and quartered
1 packet Assam Laksa spices (Chan Hong brand)or Assam Fish spices
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp tamarind powder
2 tbsp sambal-belacan-paste
sea salt to taste
1 1/2 cup water
handful cilantro for garnishing
Method:
1:Heat medium skillet or wok with water at high heat.When water is rolling boil,add in Assam Laksa spices into the water.
2:Stir the spices,then add in tamarind powder,sugar and sambal-belacan-paste.When the gravy bubbly boil add in cut tomato ,okra and onion into the gravy.Cook those vegetables for 3-5 minutes .
3:Add in salt to your taste,then slowly add in cut mackerel into the wok or skillet.Cook the fish for 1 minutes , not longer or overcooked.Overcooked fish will disintegrate and have tough meat.
4:Immediately remove skillet from heat.Dish out,garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rice or noodle.

Note:
if you want extra spicy in the gravy,you can add in sambal oelok if you don't have sambal belacan.Sambal oelok can be obtain in any market.