A soupy dish made by braising a fish head in a coconut milk soup base, flavoured with an aromatic curry spice paste, tamarind juices & seasonings.
Best Fish to use:
1) Emperor Red Snapper
2) Ang Go Li
3) Black Grouper
4) Red Snapper
5) Golden Snapper
6) Red Grouper/Sea Bass
Overall a very wholesome meal as it encompasses fish, vegetables and can be consumed with rice.
Time taken ~1 hour
Can be summarised in 3 steps:
1) Fry curry paste - blend of yellow onion, shallots, garlic cloves, ginger, fresh tumeric, chilli paste & fish curry powder
2) Add liquids - coconut milk & tamarind juices
3) Add vegetables & fish head
Ingredients
Curry Spice paste:
- yellow onion, shallots, garlic cloves, ginger, fresh tumeric, chilli paste, fish curry powder
Liquids:
- coconut milk
- water (if needed)
- tamarind juice/paste
Vegetables:
- eggplants
- ladyfingers
- tomato wedges
Fish head (any snapper or grouper)
Curry Fish Head in 5 Steps:
1) Prepare the fish curry spice paste
- Blend/mix all curry spice paste ingredients except for fish curry powder & chilli paste until you get a fairly smooth paste
- Add curry powder/chilli paste and blend/mix until well-combined
2) Fry the spice paste until fragrant and fully caramelised
- Heat up a wok with 6 tbsps of oil over low-medium fire
- When hot, add spice paste & stir fry (keep stirring to avoid burning the paste & if it gets dry, add 1-2 tbsps of oil)
- Stir in salt & sugar (salt improves flavour, sugar deepens the colour)
- Once oil seeps through to top of the paste, add curry leaves & bruised lemon grass)
3) Add Coconut Milk & Tamarind Juices
- Pour in thin coconut milk & tamarind juices, and let simmer
- Increase heat to medium-high and allow mixture to come to a gentle simmer (do not let mixture boil vigorously)
4) Stir in cut vegetables & fish head, let simmer till softened
- Add eggplant slices, simmer for a few minutes until they begin to soften
- Add lady fingers, tomato wedges & fish head halves
- Continue to simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the fish head is cooked through
5) Taste Test
- Last ingredient should be thick coconut milk if you want the curry to be more creamy/lemak (rich)
- Add more salt if not salty enough, more sugar if too sour or too salty
- Serve!
Sourced from FoodDelicacy's Seafood Recipes