1 lb (500 g) skinned fish fillets (sea perch, red snapper, red emperor), cut into 1-in (2½-cm) sliced

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

3 tablespoons oil

1½ tablespoons palm or dark brown sugar, to taste

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons tamarind water teaspoon shrimp paste

10 shallots, sliced

Spice Paste

10 medium-length dried chilies, soaked in warm water then squeezed dry

1 medium-length fresh red chili

1

2 cloves garlic

METHOD

Coat the sliced fish with the ground turmeric and set aside. Grind the Spice Paste ingredients to a rough paste. Heat the oil in a wok or a pan and fry the Spice Paste until it fragrant and no longer sticks to the pan. Add the fish and stir-fry gently until it is almost cooked. Add the sugar and salt to taste and tamarind water and stir-fry until there is a small amount of thick gravy