the ikan kembong

often bypassed in the markets. small. insignificant. never served in 5 star rsetaurants.

yet it is one fish she loves. the ikan kembong. humble. at the lower end of the fishy spectrum. cheap.

but great fried simply in turmeric. eaten piping hot with rice and sambal belacan. or with pajeri nenas. or boiled and eaten with air asam. or boiled with asam gelugor and salt then fried. or cooked into asam pedas. curry with okra. singgang. masak cuka with plenty of garlic, onion, red chillies, ginger, vinegar. masak asam northern style. masak kicap. cooked with fermented soyabean. in laksa gravy. serunding ikan. as filling in curry puffs. pulut panggang, in bergedil, in savoury loaves .....etc etc

it is often the little little things that count ......