Different ways to enjoy eating the slipper fish.

I call this fish the slipper fish because it is flat and looks like slippers. The Malay name is ikan lidah pasir and the Hokkiens call it ‘kah teh hoo’ which literally means the sole of the feet. A fish that measures about 6 – 7 inches is best, as it will have more meat compared to smaller ones.





Clean the fish and cut into smaller pieces if it is quite big. You have to be careful when frying because it breaks easily if handled too roughly. It is quite delicious fried.






Alternatively, you can pour some tauchew sauce over it. It is delicious with plain porridge and a favourite with children. To make the sauce – fry some chopped garlic until slightly brown. Add a teaspoonful of minced tauchew beans. Fry until fragrant and add some water for the sauce. To reduce the saltiness, add ¼ teaspoonful sugar. Bring to the boil and pour over the fish. Garnish with chopped red chilli and spring onions to make it look attractive.




During confinement, sprinkle some ginger strips fried with sesame oil over the fish. Omit the sauce if you are breastfeeding as too much salt may reduce milk production