Papeda Kuah Kuning: Papuan Sago with Turmeric Fish Soup
Papeda is a staple from Papua, consisting of coagulated sago starch. In this recipe, the papeda is enjoyed with a classic turmeric fish soup with herbs and spices, for a healthy and tasty meal.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 3 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 500 gr red snapper fillet
- 8 shallots, peeled, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped
- 2 big red chillies, chopped
- 4 cm turmeric, peeled, chopped
- 2 cm ginger, peeled, chopped
- 1 lemongrass, use only the white part, bruised, knotted
- 3 cm galangal, bruised
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 5 whole birds eyes chillies (optional)
- A handful of kemangi (Indonesian basil)
- 1 lime
- Salt to taste
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 800 ml water
- 150 gr sago starch
- 700 ml drinking water
Instructions
- 1
Slice the fish into 4-5 pieces, wash thoroughly and sprinkle with juice from half a lime. Set aside.
- 2
Grind into a fine paste: shallots, garlic, big red chillies, turmeric and ginger.
- 3
Heat the cooking oil in a wok over medium high heat.
- 4
Saute the ground spices until fragrant, around 3 minutes.
- 5
Add galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves. Continue to fry for around 3 minutes.
- 6
Add the fish, mix with the spices.
- 7
Add the water.
- 8
Add salt and a pinch of sugar.
- 9
Cook until the soup boils, over medium high heat, then lower the heat to medium.
- 10
Cook the fish for around 20 minutes. Add the whole bird’s eye chillies and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
- 11
Add the kemangi leaves, stir, close the lid and turn off the heat.
- 12
Mix the sago starch with 50 ml of water until it is completely dissolved and there are no more clumps.
- 13
Boil the rest of the water and pour it over the dissolved sago starch.
- 14
Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir the dissolved sago, not stopping until the sago is turned completely translucent with no more whitish parts.