A tangy, aromatic Nyonya curry of fish stomach or stingray simmered with preserved mustard greens, pineapple and vegetables in a coconut-tamarind broth built on a hand-pounded rempah. A signature Penang Nyonya dish that improves the next day.
Perut ikan, also called lemak perut ikan, is a tangy, aromatic Nyonya curry of fish stomach or stingray, a signature Penang Nyonya dish. It uses mainly Chinese ingredients, fish maw and preserved mustard greens, reimagined with Southeast Asian spices, coconut milk and aromatic herbs. The dish is essentially unknown outside Peranakan cooking and is prized for improving the next day as the rempah deepens. It is served with rice at Nyonya family meals.
A tangy, coconut-rich, herbaceous broth full of fish and pineapple, the preserved mustard greens giving a deep sourness, the torch ginger a floral lift. Eaten with rice, it is bright, complex and restorative.
The rempah of dried chillies, lemongrass, turmeric, galangal and belacan is fried until fragrant, then coconut milk and tamarind juice form the broth. The preserved mustard greens (kiam chye) are added for their deep sourness, the pineapple for sweetness, and the fish or fish stomach last so it does not overcook. Torch ginger, daun kaduk and kaffir lime leaves go in near the end. The next-day improvement comes from the rempah continuing to infuse the broth.
Variations
A stingray version uses ray instead of fish stomach. Some cooks add long beans and eggplant.
On the Palate
Where Perut Ikan sits in the Malaysian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
6 steps · 50 min
- 18 min
Soak 100g preserved mustard greens (kiam chye) in water 20 minutes; drain and slice.
- 210 min
Pound 10 dried chillies, 4 shallots, 3 cloves garlic, 2 stalks lemongrass, 2cm turmeric, 2cm galangal and 1 tsp belacan into a rempah.
- 310 min
Heat 3 tbsp oil; fry the rempah 8 minutes until fragrant, then add the drained mustard greens and fry 2 minutes.
Watch outFry the rempah low and slow the full eight minutes until the oil splits out and it smells deeply fragrant, not raw — an underfried spice paste leaves the whole soup tasting flat and harsh.
- 410 min
Pour in 300ml coconut milk, 200ml water and 2 tbsp tamarind juice; add 200g pineapple chunks and simmer 10 minutes.
- 512 min
Add 400g fish stomach (or stingray) in pieces, 1 bruised torch ginger and 5 kaffir lime leaves; simmer 12 minutes until the fish is cooked.
Watch outAdd the fish last and simmer just until cooked — it goes in after everything else so it doesn't toughen and fall apart in the sour broth.
- 64 min
Season with salt and sugar, scatter a handful of daun kaduk, and serve hot with rice.
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