Clem's Fish-Head Curry
A Malaysian standard and favourite is a curry made with fish head(s). The fish is usually a large sea fish such as grouper or snapper (more meaty parts of the of the fish can be included) with tomato, okra and brinjal cooked with a combination of wet and dry spices.
There are two general categories of this curry viz. Indian or Nyonya. The Indian version usually includes adding extra mustard and fennel seeds whereas the nyonya version does not. This dish is invariably tart via the inclusion of tamarind juice. I prepared the nyonya version today (Sara Khong's method modified):
INGREDIENTS
1 kg fish-head (I used grouper)
500 g fish cutlet (I used
Red Snapper)
Paste
- 120 g small red
(Bombay) onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 5 g ginger
- 10 g galangal
- 30 g lemongrass
(white part; sliced)
- 70 g fresh red
chillies
- 10 dried red chili;
de-seeded and soaked
- 15 g belachan (shrimp) paste
Curry powder
- 4 tbsp fish curry
powder
The difference between meat and fish curry powders is that the latter has a smaller range of spices included and where fenugreek is a key component)
Vegetables
- 4 - 6 okra (halved)
- 1 - 2 brinjal
(bite-sized)
- 3 - 4 lengths long
bean (4 - 5 cm lengths)
- 2 tomatoes
(quartered)
Seasonings
- Sugar
- Coconut milk
- Salt or fish sauce
- Curry leaves
- Daum kesum
also known as Vietnamese Coriander (Persicaria odorata)
- Torch ginger flower
- Tamarind juice
METHOD
- Wash the fish
pieces carefully to remove all non-fleshy parts and pockets
of blood if any.
Cut the fish into sizes of your preference (there is a connection between between size and cooking time).
Salt the fish liberally and set aside for a few minutes.
Make a ginger marinade by blending a good-sized piece of root ginger with water.
Wash the salt off and marinade the fish with the ginger preparation.
This will help reduce any fishy smell.
Set aside in the refrigerator for an hour or so.
- Slice all the paste
ingredients as required for ease of blending.
Add cooking oil and/or water to aid blending.
Blend until a smooth paste results.
- With a generous
amount of cooking oil, saute the paste under low heat
until browned.
Add a handful of curry leaves towards the end of the frying.
- Make a thick paste
of the fish curry powder by adding water (this reduces the
chance of burning).
Add the curry paste to the fry.
Continue frying until the oil splits from the paste.
- When frying is
completed, add boiling water to the fried paste.
Use as much or as little water as you like to give you the consistency preferred in the final gravy.
- Add a few sprigs of
duan kesum.
- Add as much
tamarind juice as required to bring the broth to the degree
of tartness which you desire.
- Add sugar to taste
to counter-balance the spiciness of the broth.
You may also wish to increase the amount of chilli heat.
- Simmer.
If preferable, after simmering you can set aside this preparation for later finishing of the final cooking steps.
- Into boiling water
add sliced okra, long bean and brinjal and allow them to
cook until tender.
Remove and reserve.
Cooking the vegetable separately allows for good control of their degree of tenderness and colour.
- Cooking the fish:
Add the pieces of tomatoes at this stage.
Add the fish pieces into the simmering fish curry broth.
Cook for a few minutes (ensure that the fish is not overcooked by checking closely).
- When the fish is
cooked, add coconut milk or cream to achieve the degree of
creaminess desired.
Do not allow the broth to boil after addition of the milk otherwise it will split.
- Add the previously
cooked okra, long bean and brinjal.
- Mix carefully to
avoid breaking up the fish pieces.
Serve the dish with a garnish of finely sliced torch ginger flower (optional).
- Enjoy!
Fish-Head Curry as served