Another of my all-time favorite anchovies dishes. Very quick to prepare and perfect to be served with steamed rice.

As many of other Indonesian’s anchovies dishes, these little fishes are deep-fried till crunchy and then cooked with spices. This version is supposed to be a bit soggy but the crunchiness of anchovies should not be all lost. The trick to get that is cook it as quick as possible when mixing the anchovies with spices.

Anchovies have to be soaked and washed repeatedly to rid of the “excess” fishy smell. Just soak for 15 minutes and rinse with cold water at least twice.

Stir-fry Anchovies with Chili

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups (100 g) dried anchovies
1 (75 g) small tomato, quartered
1/4 cup cooking oil, for deep-frying anchovies and 2 tbsp for stir-frying spice paste
1 cup water
1/2 tsp palm sugar / gula merah / gula melaka, shaved (alternatively, castor sugar or brown sugar can be used)

For spice paste
5 (25 g) shallots
1/8 cup (10 g) red/green chilies, seeded
1 garlic clove
3 kaffir lime leaves
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Heat 1/4 cup cooking oil in a wok, deep-fry anchovies till golden and crunchy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain on paper towel

Grind shallots, chilies, garlic, kaffir lime leaves and salt to coarse paste, in a spice grinder or mortal and pestle

Stir-fry paste and tomato in oil till fragrant, for two minutes. Add water and sugar

Add anchovies, cook for another minute. Remove from heat

Serve with steamed rice

Notes:
If the anchovies are not washed, no salt is needed in cooking.

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