Malaysians love their fish curry, whether eaten with steaming hot rice or with lovely flatbreads. This is a family recipe by the chef’s grandmother, Tok Umi, who made this curry for her family using a recipe passed down for four generations.
This simple yet delicious curry doesn’t require any coconut milk or whole spices – all you need is fresh fish and a little time.
Ingredients
- 6 small-sized bawal (pomfret) or tenggiri, washed with salt and tamarind paste
- 2 onions, sliced thinly
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 small packets of Baba’s fish curry powder
- 2.5cm ginger, sliced
- 2 lemongrass stalks, lightly smashed
- 3 green chillies, cut lengthwise down the middle
- 3 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 6 shallots, sliced
- 6 ladies fingers
- 2 stalks curry leaves
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 500ml water
- 250ml tamarind water or 2 tablespoons of tamarind paste
Method
- In a bowl, mix the curry powder with water. Make sure the paste is not too thin.
- Add the sliced garlic and one stalk of curry leaves. Mix well.
- In a pot, heat the oil on a medium-high flame. Add the sliced shallots, half the sliced onions and the remaining curry leaves. Saute until the onions and shallots are soft and slightly caramelised.
- Pour in the curry paste mix and add more water until three-quarters of the pot is filled. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Reduce the flame if the curry is boiling too rapidly.
- Once the oil separates and the broth is bubbling, add in the tamarind water or paste and mix well. Add a little at a time and taste as you go, as you don’t want the curry to be too sour.
- Let the broth simmer for one to two minutes.
- Add the fish, sliced ginger and lemongrass. Cover the pot and simmer.
- When the fish is half-cooked, add the ladies fingers, remaining sliced onions and green chillies, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and sugar, tasting and adjusting accordingly.
- When you are satisfied with the taste, dish it out and serve hot. Enjoy!
This article first appeared in butterkicap.com.
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