Spicy Fried Sardines (Ikan Sarden Saos Tomat Pedas)

400 g sardines or other small fish, cleaned
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 red chillies, seeded and sliced
8 green/red bird's eyes chillies(reduce if you don't like it too spicy)
2 clove of garlic
3 shallots
1 cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 cm fresh galangal, peeled and sliced
1 stalk lemon grass, use only the white part, chopped
1 medium tomato, cut in wedges
1 tbsp tamarind juice
1 salaam leaf
1/2 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
2 tbsp water
basil

Spice Paste :
1 shallots
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp white peppercorn
1/4 tsp coriander
1 cm fresh ginger
1 cm fresh fresh turmeric

Wash the sardines, drain and marinate with salt. Leave for 30 - 60 minutes. Heat the oil and fry the fish until golden brown.

Prepare spice paste by grinding or blending all the ingredients.

Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and saute the chillies, garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, lemon grass, tomato, tamarind juice and salaam leaf over high heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sugar, then the spice paste and fry another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Combine the fried sardines with the spicy sauce in the wok, add water. Cook for another minute, stirring well, then serve, garnished with basil.