Pindang Bandeng Kecap: Milkfish Soup with Herbs & Sweet Soy Sauce

Method10 steps · about 55 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Clean and wash the fish thoroughly, cut into two to three pieces depending on the size.

   Uses 500 g milkfish, cleaned and cut into 2–3 pieces

2. 2

   Step 2: Rub the cut fish with lemon juice or vinegar, using one option, and keep chilled while making the soup.

   Uses cleaned cut milkfish · Lemon juice as needed for fish preparation, OR vinegar · Vinegar as needed instead of lemon juice

3. 3

   Step 3: Heat the cooking oil (3 tbsp) in a wok over high heat, and then add shallots (5), garlic (2 cloves) and sliced big red chillies (2). Fry for about 2 minutes.

   Fry milkfish-soup aromatics · 2 minUses 3 tbsp cooking oil · 5 shallots, peeled, thinly sliced · 2 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced · 2 big red chillies, sliced

4. 4

   Step 4: Add the galangal (3 cm), lemongrass (1) and Indonesian bay leaves (2). Fry for another 2 minutes.

   Fry galangal and soup herbs · 2 minUses fried milkfish-soup aromatics · 3 cm galangal, sliced or bruised · 1 lemongrass, bruised, knotted · 2 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam)

5. 5

   Step 5: Add the water (500 ml).

   Uses fried aromatics and soup herbs · 500 ml water

6. 6

   Step 6: Add the sweet soy sauce (5 tbsp), tamarind extract (1 tbsp) and salt (to taste). Cook the soup base for around 10 minutes under medium heat.

   Simmer soup base · 10 minUses herb broth · 5 tbsp sweet soy sauce · 1 tbsp tamarind extract · Salt to taste

7. 7

   Step 7: Correct the taste. The sweet, sour and salty should be balanced. Feel free to add more tamarind extract according to your preference.

   Uses simmered sweet-soy soup base · Additional tamarind extract to taste (optional)

8. 8

   Step 8: Rinse the fish under fresh cold water, and add to the soup.

   Uses adjusted sweet-soy soup base · acid-seasoned cut milkfish

9. 9

   Step 9: Add the bird’s eye chillies (10).

   Uses milkfish in sweet-soy soup · 10 bird’s eye chillies

10. 10

    Step 10: Cook for another 10 minutes, until the thickest fish reaches 63°C (145°F), or is opaque and flakes easily, then turn off the heat. Serve with cooked rice if desired.

    Cook fish in soup · 10 minUses milkfish soup with whole chillies · Cooked rice as needed to serve (optional)