Curry Fish Head
Curry Fish Head recipe - a mean pot of curry and goes very well with steamed white rice.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 600 g Garoupa Fish Head (chopped into pieces)
- 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
- 3-4 tablespoons oil
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 bunch polyganum leaves (laksa leaves)
- 4-6 okras (cut into halves diagonally)
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste (optional)
- 1-2 stalks lemongrass (white part only, cut into small pieces)
- 1 small turmeric (skin peeled, sliced into pieces)
- 20-25 g dried red chili paste
- 50 g peeled shallots
- 5 g belacan (shrimp paste)
- Bunga Kantan (Torch Ginger Flower, sliced into small pieces)
- 1 bunch mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the spice paste using a mortar and pestle. First, pound the lemongrass and turmeric together until they form a paste.
- 2
Remove the seeds from a large handful of dried red chilies and soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes. Pound the soaked chilies into a fine paste. You will need about 20-25g (1 oz.), depending on your preferred spice level. Store any unused chili paste in the refrigerator.
- 3
Pound the shallots and shrimp paste together.
- 4
Mix the tamarind pulp and water using your fingers to extract the juice. Discard the pulp and seeds, and save the tamarind juice.
- 5
Heat a pot over medium heat and add the oil. Sauté the turmeric and lemongrass, then add the shallots and shrimp paste. Continue to stir-fry until aromatic, then add the chili paste. Stir until the oil separates from the spice paste and turns red.
- 6
Add the tamarind juice to the pot, followed by the water. Bring to a boil before adding the polyganum leaves (laksa leaves) and okra. Once the okra is half-cooked, add the fish head. Cover the pot and cook for a few minutes until the fish is done. Add salt and sugar (if using) to taste. Garnish with bunga kanta and mint leaves, and serve immediately.