Fried Sambal Sardin Fish

This is the dish taken from my Gramma. This is one of our family comfort food. Sardin fish is a staple food for our people in Sabah where i come from. Normally we eat the fried sardin fish with Bambangan. My gramma hates wasting food, so the balance of the fried sardin, she will make into this sambal. It's awesome to be eaten with white rice. I can just have this and white rice alone.

Ingredients:

Sardin fish

bird eyes chillies (As much as you can tolerate)

Chopped shallots

Cooking Oil

1/2 packet of tamarind (Juice)

Salt

Sugar

Method:

Fry the Sardin Fish - Remove the flest from the bones - mash by using mortar or blend. (Mashed is better)

Heat up 1 cup of oil in the wok ( Yes, this dish requires lots of oil)

fry the shallots and chillies

combine the mashed sardin flesh and cook for a while.

add in the tamarind juice and stir.

Make sure you keep on stirring and this dish do require ALOT of stirring.

add the salt to taste and sugar.

One can easily under cook and over cook this dish. The technique is, the moment the oil starts to bubble stop cooking and remove from the wok other wise it will burn. If you under cook it, it will not have the crispiness.

This dish takes practice.