Pan-Fried Spicy Fish with Cilantro Sauce

I remembered growing up in Malaysia, we would go out to the sea with the local fishermen. Most of the time, when they hauled in a catch, they would cooked some for us onboard. It was quite an experience to see the different types of fishes of various colors and sizes in their nets. The fish was so fresh that you don't need much seasonings to taste its delicious flavor and freshness. Fish that you buy in the supermarkets nowadays are either pre-thawed or frozen. I normally steam the fish that I buy from Chinatown, and the ones from the local supermarkets, I would normally seasoned it well with spices and compliment with a sauce. The other popular preparation is to wrap it with banana leaves after stuffing it with spices and grill it over the stove.
Ingredients:
1 sea bass, or trout (cleaned and gutted)
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. curry powder
salt and pepper
2 tsp. plum sauce
¼ cup cilantro
oil for frying
Method:
1. Washed fish and pat dry. Mix spices in a bowl. Season fish with salt and pepper and then rub spices outside and inside of fish. Set aside.
2. Heat a frying pan with oil on high heat. Gently lift fish to pan and fry on both sides till cooked on both sides on medium heat. Let fish cook slowly on one side before turning over. The spices makes the fish blackened. Remove and drain on paper towels.
3. Blend cilantro and plum sauce till fine. In a small saucepan, gently heat sauce and thicken with some cornstarch. Serve fish with cilantro sauce.
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