Creamy Tongkol Lemak with Long Beans and Coconut Milk

Ingredients

• 250 grams of tongkol (skipjack tuna), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 150 grams of long beans, cut into two-finger lengths
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, crushed
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 medium coconut, grated
• 1500 ml water

For the Spice Paste:

• 5 red chilies
• 20 bird’s eye chilies
• 2 red onions
• 6 pieces of tamarind (asam sunti)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of turmeric
• 1/2 thumb-sized piece of ginger

Instructions

1. Prepare the Coconut Milk:

   • Mix the grated coconut with 50 ml of water. Squeeze and extract the thick coconut milk. Set aside.
   • Combine the remaining coconut and water to extract thin coconut milk by squeezing or blending the mixture. Set aside.

2. Cook the Dish:

   • Place the tongkol, lemongrass, sliced red onion, long beans, salt, and spice paste in a pan. Stir to combine.
   • Add the thin coconut milk to the pan and bring to a boil.

3. Finish Cooking:

   • Once the coconut milk has boiled and the fish is cooked through, add the thick coconut milk. Continue to cook until the coconut milk boils again. Turn off the heat and serve.

Tips

1. While cooking with thin coconut milk, stir occasionally to avoid breaking the fish apart.
2. After adding the thick coconut milk, stir continuously to prevent the coconut milk from curdling.

Note: For those unsure about liquid measurements, 100 ml equals 100 cc. Therefore, 1 liter equals 1000 ml/cc.

Enjoy this rich and flavorful Tongkol Kuah Lemak with Long Beans, a perfect blend of creamy coconut milk and spicy paste with tender fish and crisp beans!