I know some postpartum mummies might run out of fish confinement recipes ideas at some point. Fret not! We have here a list of healthy confinement fish recipes which you easily can prepare in the comforts of your home.
These recipes are suitable to be eaten by both postpartum mummies and your whole family! Without further ado, let’s explore these 17 easy confinement fish recipes together, shall we?
Postpartum mummies need to know that there are certain fish that are healthy for your confinement and some which should be avoided. Check out a list of fishes which you can eat during your postpartum period here.
Fishes You May Eat During Your Postpartum Period
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- White pomfret fish
- Red snapper
- Snakehead Fish
- Anchovies
- Cod
- Mullet fish
- Seabass
Discover which type of fishes are postpartum-friendly, should be eaten in moderation and need to be avoided during your postpartum period here!
Aside from that, following a healthy recipe can also help in ensuring you maintain a healthy diet. This is really significant for your postpartum body and healing process. Below are some of the significance of maintaining a healthy confinement diet for postpartum mummies.
Why Postpartum Mummies Should Maintain a Healthy Diet
- Quicken your healing process.
- Heal your wounds after giving birth.
- Recover your internal systems.
- Prevent postpartum ‘wind’ from entering your body and causing body aches.
- So the food would not cause any itches in mummies’ maternity wounds or cause the wound to heal slowly.
- Boost your breast milk supply.
17 Easy Confinement Fish Recipes
Steamed Mackerel Fish with Black Pepper
This confinement recipe contains many nutritious food for your postpartum recovery, mackerel fish and black pepper! Mackerel is great source of omega-3 fatty acids as it can reduce some symptoms associated with depression. Additionally, black pepper can also help mummies heal their postpartum bodies.
Ingredients
- 3-4 pieces mackerel fish (flesh) cleaned
- 1 shallot sliced
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 3 cm ginger
- a little black pepper
- 1 spoon oyster sauce
- a little lemon zest
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Arrange the fish properly and toss the shallot, garlic and ginger onto the fish.
- Marinate the fish with some oyster sauce, salt and black pepper.
- Steam the fish around 10-15 minutes or until it is fully cooked. (You do not have to add on any water as the fish will produce some juices.)
Steamed Snapper with Ginger
Do try this confinement recipe! It contains ginger that can help to promote your blood circulation and boost gastrointestinal function. Not only that, ginger can also help to enhance your breast milk.
Ingredients
- 1 snapper fish cleaned and cut
- 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 inches ginger thinly sliced
- 2-3 key lime squeeze the juice
- 1 spoon fish sauce
- a little water
- salt as per taste
- spring onion sliced
- 3-4 bird's eye chillies sliced
Instructions
- Prepare the streamer pot and boil the water.
- Coat the fish with salt and put it into the pot.
- Sprinkle some garlic and ginger on top. Steam the fish until it is half cooked.
- Then, add the fish sauce, water, bird's eye chillies and key lime juice. Steam it until it is fully cooked.
- When it is done, sprinkle some spring onion and let it simmer for a moment.
- Serve this dish with a bowl of hot rice.
Red Snapper Fish Soup
Postpartum mums must eat a lot of fish! This is because it is a great source of protein and other essential nutrients. It is also easy to digest and cook.
Ingredients
- 1 red snapper cleaned and cut
- 4 shallots sliced
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- a little ginger sliced
- cinnamon stick
- star anise
- cardamom
- black pepper as per taste
- salt as per taste
- 1 sup bunjut ikan
- a little spring onion cut
Instructions
- Boil the water with the sup bunjut ikan, shallots, garlic, cinnamon stick, star anise and cardamom.
- Once the water reaches to a boil, place the fish into the pot.
- Sprinkle on some black pepper and salt to your liking.
- Add some spring onions and fried onions on top. Turn off the stove and serve this dish with a bowl of hot rice.
Snakehead Fish Soup with Black Pepper
Snakehead fish is a great source of all amino acids and fatty acids that are significant in wound recovery. If you eat this fish, your wound should eventually heal within around 2 months. This is a popular fish among confinement dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 snakehead fish cleaned and cut
- 1 inch ginger thinly sliced
- 3 shallots sliced
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- piece tamarind slice
- 1 spoon black pepper
- salt as per taste
- water
Instructions
- Boil all the ingredients except for the fish.
- Let the water boil and put the fish in the pot. Reduce the flame.
- Let it simmer until the fish and other ingredients are fully cooked.
- Sprinkle some salt and serve this soup with a bowl of hot rice.
Mackerel in Sour Gravy (Ikan Tenggiri Masak Asam)
Mummies must try this yummy recipe as it can help supply a lot of protein and promote your digestive system.
Ingredients
- 500 ml water
- 3 pieces mackerel fish
- 1/2 cup Javanese acid water
- 1/2 tbsp black pepper
- salt as per taste
- 30 g ginger sliced
- 3 shallots sliced
Instructions
- Boil all the ingredients in a pot with a small flame.
- Cook until the gravy is quite thick and the fish is cooked.
- Mix all the ingredients well before serving.
Ikan Bawal Asam Jawa
Silver pomfret is a great source of nutrients that help to improve your blood circulation and digestive health. This fish can also reduce swelling and promote your breast milk production.
Ingredients
- 1 pomfret fish cleaned and cut
- 2 ginger sliced
- 1 fresh turmeric sliced
- 1 tbsp Javanese acid water
- black pepper as per taste
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Coat the fish with all the ingredients.
- Steam the fish until it is cooked.
- Serve with a bowl of hot rice.
Singgang Fish (Singgang Ikan)
Singgang dish is a popular Malay confinement dish as it contains many nutritious ingredients that can help with your healing process. Do try this recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 pieces mackerel fish (big) clean and cut
- 3 cloves garlic
- 7 bird's eye chilli
- 2 cm galangal thinly sliced
- 2 cm fresh turmeric thinly sliced
- 3 pieces tamarind slices
- 4 cups water
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a pot.
- Cook the ingredients until the fish is cooked. Let the gravy simmer and turn off the stove.
- Serve with a hot bowl of rice.
Grilled Mackerel with Yummy Spiced Coconut Paste (Pais Ikan Tenggiri)
This recipe can supply protein to your body. This dish is great as it boosts your energy, radiates your skin and warms your body.
Ingredients
- 1 piece mackerel fish clean and cut in the middle
- 5-6 kaffir lime leaves julienned cut
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- 2 medium-size onions
- 10 stalks bird’s eye chillies
- 2 tbsp chilli paste
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch turmeric root thinly sliced
- 3 stalks lemongrass thinly sliced
- 1-2 eggs
- 1 tbsp tamarind water
- sugar as per taste
- salt as per taste
- 3 tbsp coconut milk optional
- a few banana leaves seared to ensure banana leaves don’t tear upon wrapping
- some oil
Instructions
- Blend the desiccated coconut, onions, bird’s eye chillies, onions, chili paste, garlic, turmeric root, lemongrass, eggs, tamarind water and coconut milk until a smooth paste is formed.
- Pour the blended paste into a small bowl. Using a spoon, stuff the fish with the spice paste. If there’s excess, spread it evenly around the fish. This will give more flavour to the fish and enhance the smokiness of the flesh.
- Using a brush, coat the banana leaves with some oil and place the stuffed fish in the middle. Sprinkle the kaffir lime leaves.
- Wrap the fish, burrito-like.
- Grill the fish on a wide pan and medium high flame for 10-15 minutes, or until the fish is fully cooked.
- Serve this dish with a bowl of hot rice and sambal.
Grilled Fish with Ginger
Ginger is a great traditional herb that has many health benefits. It can help to improve your digestive health, heart health, warm up your body, relieve the 'wind' from your body and promote blood circulation.
Ingredients
Ingredient A
- 2 pieces mackerel fish cleaned and cut
- 1 calamansi extract the juice
- turmeric powder according to your liking
- salt as per taste
- oil
Ingredient B (Slice)
- 30 g young ginger
- 1 large onion
- 4 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
Instructions
- Coat the fish with Ingredient A.
- Marinate the fish for around 30 minutes.
- Grill the fish until it is fully cooked. Then, put it aside.
- Heat the pan with a little bit of oil.
- Sauté Ingredient B until you can smell the aroma.
- Turn off the stove and sprinkle the ingredients on top of the fish.
Fish Curry without Coconut Milk
Fish curry can help to boost breast milk supply for new mums.
Ingredients
- 300 g fish Marinate it with little salt and turmeric powder
- 1 onion
- 2 tomato
- 2 slits green chillies
- 2 tbsp chilli powder
- 3 tbsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- tamarind water
- A few curry leaves
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tbsp fenugreek seeds
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan. Add mustard seed and allow it to crackle .
- Add fenugreek seeds and fry for few seconds. Make sure to not to burn it.
- Add onion, green chillies, curry leaves and fry them until translucent.
- Add ginger garlic paste and fry until cooked.
- Add turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder and fry the ingredients .
- Add tomato and sprinkle some salt, fry it until soft.
- Add tamarind juice and water. Then, allow it to boil.
- Add water as per your preferred consistency.
- Once it starts boiling, add the fish and cook for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the gravy thickens and the oil floats on top. Your cooking time depends on the size of the fish.
- Garnish with curry leaves or coriander leaves.
- Serve with a bowl of hot rice.
Fish Congee
Do try out this recipe! Fish congee is very nourishing and give warmth support your postpartum bodies. Eat this dish with ikan bilis masak asam.
Ingredients
- 3 litre water
- 1/2 cup medium-grain rice
- 1 piece the flesh or red snapper cut into small chunks
- 3 inches fresh ginger root thinly sliced
- 1 spring onion sliced
- 2 tbsp chicken seasoning powder
- 1/2 tbsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 tbsp salt
Instructions
- Combine water and rice in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil; simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
- Combine fish, ginger, spring onion, chicken seasoning powder, and pepper in a bowl. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Stir fish mixture into the pot. Simmer gently until the rice is very soft and the fish is falling apart, about 20 minutes. Season with parsley and salt.
Stir Fry Fish with Onion
You may try this fish recipe but remember to limit the consumption oil in your cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 piece the flesh of red snapper cleaned and cut
- 1 clove garlic sliced
- 1 cm young ginger sliced
- a little spring onion sliced
- salt as per taste
- black pepper as per taste
- a little cooking oil
Instructions
- Marinate the fish with salt and black pepper.
- Fry the fish with a little bit of oil and put it aside.
- Sauté the garlic and ginger.
- Then, place the fried fish back on the pan.
- Sprinkle some spring onion.
- Serve with a bowl of hot rice.
Crispy Anchovies Assam Style (Ikan Bilis Masak Asam)
Anchovies can help to relieve indigestion and oedema. This fish can also boost your breast milk supply and bone health. It can also prevent anaemia and osteoporosis.
Ingredients
- 1 bowl anchovies
- 1/2 bowl potatoes sliced
- 1 large onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 cup Javanese acid water
- salt as per taste
- black pepper as per taste
Instructions
- Fry the anchovies and potatoes. Then, put them aside.
- Sauté the garlic and onion with a little bit of oil until it is cooked.
- Add back the fried anchovies and potatoes on the pan.
- Add some Javanese acid water and mix the ingredients well.
- Sauté the dish until it is cooked.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
Salmon Aglio Olio Pasta
New mummies should eat more salmon! It is rich in DHA which helps boost your breast milk and is great for your newborn's nervous system, It can also promote your immune system and delay aging.
Ingredients
- 400 g salmon
- 200 g spaghetti
- capsicums (green, yellow and red colour) diced
- garlic
- carrot
- 1 tbsp dried chilli
- 1 tbsp butter
- black pepper as per taste
- chili powder as per taste
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti in a pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes.
- Marinade the salmon slices with salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Grill the salmon until it is cooked. Then, cut the salmon into cubes.
- Sauté the garlic until fragrant.
- Add the carrots, capsicums and dried chillies into the pan. Mix them well and sauté the ingredients until it partially cooked.
- Add the spaghetti into the pot and mix all the ingredients. Season it with salt, black pepper.
- Mix them well and add the salmon cubes.
Ikan Masak Pindang
You may add as many ginger and garlic as you'd like to this recipe. This is because it is great to get rid of the excess gas from your postpartum body! Additionally, you may want to reduce the amount of black pepper if your are bresatfediing your newborn.
Ingredients
Ingredient A
- 2 pieces red snapper cleaned and cut
- 2 tamarind slices
- salt as per taste
- air according to your liking
Ingredient B (Pounded)
- 10 g fresh turmeric
- 10-15 black pepper
Ingredient C (Sliced)
- 30 g ginger
- 2 large onions
- 6 cloves garlic
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a pot, except for the fish.
- Boil the ingredients over a small flame.
- Add the fish and boil until the fish is fully cooked.
- Serve with a bowl of hot rice.
Spiced Fried Snakehead (Ikan Haruan Goreng Rempah)
Postpartum mummies are encouraged to eat hot rice and suitable drinks such as wood root water.
Ingredients
Ingredient A
- 1 pieces snakehead fish cleaned and cut
- 2 spoons black pepper sauce
- 1 spoon fish curry powder
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- salt as per taste
- cooking oil
Ingredient B(Pounded)
- 30 g ginger
- 2 large onions
Instructions
- Marinade the fish with the turmeric powder and salt for about 15 minutes.
- Let the pan heat up for a few minutes before adding the oil. Fry the snakehead fish until it is crispy.
- In another pan, heat some oil and sauté the pounded ingredients.
- Add some black pepper sauce, fish curry powder, and salt.
- Mix the ingredients well and pour it over the fish.
- Serve with bowl of hot rice.
Salted Fish with Black Pepper
Black pepper is great for your postpartum recovery. It can also improve your immune system and digestive system. Try adding it into your confinement meal when possible.
Ingredients
- salted fish cleaned and cut
- black pepper powder
- lemon zest as per taste
Instructions
- Fry the salted fish without any oil.
- Sauté some shallots with the fish. Add some black pepper over it.
- Squeeze in some lemon zest.
- Mix the ingredients well.
- Serve with a bowl of hot rice.
Practice a healthy diet during your confinement!
Mummies must follow a healthy confinement recipes to maintain healthy diet during postpartum period. These recipes are super easy and healthy for you. So, make sure to try it and feed your whole family with these effortless dishes! Remember, the key to a quick recovery is to maintain a healthy diet and have enough rest after giving birth.
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