pindang patin — South Sumatra, Indonesia

Pindang patin is a clear, sour-spicy soup built around patin, a type of freshwater catfish, simmered in a broth soured with tamarind and seasoned with turmeric, lemongrass and chilies. It belongs to the broader pindang family of Sumatran soups, which share the sour-spicy profile but vary by region in the fish and souring agent used. The dish is closely tied to South Sumatra and the city of Palembang in particular, where the Musi river has long supplied freshwater fish for cooking. It is typically served as part of a shared meal with steamed rice, and is said to be especially popular during the fasting month and at family gatherings, when a whole fish is often cooked and brought to the table in its cooking pot. To prepare it, patin fillets or steaks are simmered gently in a broth made by first sautéing a paste of shallots, garlic, turmeric and ginger, then adding water, bruised lemongrass, tamarind pulp, tomato and whole or sliced red chilies. The fish is added once the broth is fragrant and simmering, and cooked briefly so it stays firm rather than falling apart; a handful of basil leaves is often stirred in at the end for fragrance. Compared with other sour fish soups from the same pindang family made elsewhere on Sumatra, this version is distinguished by its reliance on patin, whose fat content gives the broth a slightly richer body than soups made with leaner fish, and by the tamarind souring that keeps the broth clear rather than thick. The balance of sour, spicy and sweet is said to shift from household to household, with some adding pineapple for extra sweetness and acidity.