Mom's Nyonya Kuah Lada (Fish & Aubergine In Turmeric & Peppercorn Gravy)

Kuah Lada ('Kuah': soup/gravy; 'Lada': pepper/chilli) is a specialty Melaka Nyonya dish consisting of fish and aubergine cooked in thick turmeric and peppercorn gravy, with a hint of tanginess from the use of tamarind paste juice. Mackerel (ikan tenggiri) or stingray (ikan pari) are the two preferred types of fish often used to cook Kuah Lada, although other suitable fishes may be used too, like hardtail mackerel (ikan cencaru) and pomfret (ikan bawal), which are normally found in tropical oceans.

Kuah Lada is one of the many mainstay Nyonya dishes for my family and this recipe was taught and passed down to my sisters and I by our wonderful & beautiful late Mom who was a terrific cook of Nyonya dishes and a skilled maker of Nyonya kueh/kuih (cakes) and sweet treats. This dish, and as usual with all other Nyonya dishes, is served mainly with rice. In my family, the leftover gravy is often kept overnight in the refrigerator where the next day it gets re-heated to go with a bowl of plain rice congee/porridge, along with other congee condiments. Depending on the palate of individual Nyonya household, the degree of tanginess can be adjusted by using more or lesser tamarind paste juice. I love mine with more tamarind paste juice as the sour & peppery turmeric taste never fails to whet my appetite. It is also one of the 'specialty & less commercial' dishes that one can hardly find in a Peranakan or Nyonya restaurant, so if you do love Nyonya dishes, this is worth trying at home.

You'll need...some mini aubergines or any types of aubergine will also do. These mini aubergines are so cute that I just can't resist buying some when I spotted them at Little India recently.



...also a tablespoonful of tamarind paste