Nila Bumbu Acar // Indonesian Style Sour Spicy Tilapia

This recipe is adapted from Tabloid Nova, that I subtituted red chillies for sambal oelek. The original recipe uses Ikan Mas (literally translated as gold fish, but this one is actually translated as Carp)

Since I haven't found "Ikan Mas" here, I substituted for Tilapia (Indonesia: Ikan Nila). I thought it is the same because both of those fish are farmed in freshwater.

Category:		Fish and Shellfish
Style:		Indonesian

Ingredients:
1 whole tilapia (500 g)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
350 cc water
oil for frying

Spices:
2 cloves garlic
7 shallots
3 candlenuts, toasted
6 bird's eye chillies
2 tsp sambal oelek (Original recipe uses 4 red chillies)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp tamarind juice (Original recipe uses 1 tsp tamarind juice, to make tamarind juice from tamarind pulp, combine 1 tsp tamarind pulp with 3 tbsp very warm water, stir evenly)
1 tsp ground turmeric (Original recipe uses 3 cm fresh turmeric, peeled)
2 cm galangal, crushed

Directions:
1. Clean the fish by cleaning out the stomach cavity, removing the gills and surrounding tissue, and scaling them. I bought a cleaned whole tilpaia so no need to do this step, I just rinsed out.
2. Cut a whole tilapia into two pieces. Rub fish inside and out with lime juice. Let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Deep fry the fish until golden brown.
4. Blend or grind garlic, 3 shallots and candlenuts. Mix ground spices with ground turmeric, sambal oelek and salt.
5. Stir fry mixture spices until fragrant. Add bird's eye chilies, 4 whole peeled shallots, sugar, tamarind juice, galangal, water, and salt(only if you need). Add fish, reduce medium-low heat. Simmer for a few minutes, allowing the fish to permeate the spices. Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.