Three patin fish recipes you can make at home
Patin is humble, freshwater, and unfussy — a perfect Malaysian weeknight fish. Three ways we love to cook it in our community kitchen.
Patin doesn’t get the love it deserves. It’s affordable, easily found at the local pasar, and — cooked well — every bit as good as fish that costs three times the price.
Here are three ways we cook it in our community kitchen.
1. Asam pedas patin
The classic. Tamarind-sour, chilli-hot, fragrant with daun kesum and torch ginger.
- Brown a paste of dried chillies, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and a knob of belacan.
- Add water, tamarind juice, and a few sprigs of daun kesum.
- Slip the patin pieces in gently and simmer for 10–12 minutes — no stirring, no breaking up.
Serve over rice. Eat with your hands if you can.
2. Steamed patin with ginger and soy
For when you want the fish to taste like itself.
- Lay the cleaned patin on a plate. Strew with ginger matchsticks, spring onion, and a splash of light soy.
- Steam over high heat for 8–10 minutes.
- Finish with a drizzle of hot oil over chopped coriander.
The trick is to under-steam slightly, then let residual heat finish the job.
3. Grilled patin in banana leaf
The weekend treat.
- Marinate fillets in turmeric, coriander seed, a little salt, and a glug of coconut milk for an hour.
- Wrap each piece in a softened banana leaf, secure with toothpicks.
- Grill over medium-low charcoal until the leaf is properly charred and fragrant.
Open the parcels at the table. There is no better smell.
A note: patin can be a touch oily — drain off any fat that pools after cooking, and serve it hot rather than warm. And if you’d like to know which of our makers wrote down these recipes, come visit us — we’ll tell you over tea.