Fish Curry
I’m a huge fan of curry, and as a fish lover, naturally fish curry is one of my favourite dishes. A warm plate of fish curry with rice never fails to make the perfect dinner. Personally, I like my fish curry quite spicy – spicy enough to make me sweat while savouring each bite! But don’t worry if you can’t handle too much heat; you can easily adjust the spiciness by using fewer chillies.
In Malaysia, fish curry is a popular dish, especially at mamak stalls where it’s a staple, often enjoyed with roti canai or as a side to other dishes. Sadly, there are no mamak stalls in London, so the best way to enjoy this delicious Malaysian fish curry is by making it at home. Malaysian-Indian cuisine is heavily influenced by Southern Indian cooking, and this particular fish curry recipe embraces that bold Southern-Indian spiciness.
Unlike the rich, creamy dishes commonly found in Indian restaurants here in the UK – which tend to feature Northern Indian flavours – this Malaysian fish curry offers something different. It’s vibrant, aromatic, and far from the cream-heavy curries I find less appealing.
So, if you’re after a simple yet scrumptious recipe, here’s the one for you. Get ready to bring a taste of Malaysia to your kitchen with this authentic fish curry!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp of fish curry powder (Malaysian brands: Babas, Alagappa)
2 tbsp sunflower oil
0.5 tsp mustard seeds
12 curry leaves
1 onion, peeled and cut into rings
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1cm ginger, peeled and chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced lengthways
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 tbsp of coconut milk
1 tbsp tamarind paste
300ml of water
10 okras
2 fillets of haddock (or any white fish), cut into chunks
a pinch of salt
Method:
1. Mix the curry powder with 2 tbsp of water until it becomes a paste and set aside. In a big saucepan over medium heat, put the sunflower oil and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, lower the heat and add the curry leaves and wait till they start to release their fragrant.
2. Put the onion, garlic, ginger and red chilli. Cook until the onion start to soften. Add in the curry paste and stir to get all the ingredients well coated. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the curry paste release its fragrance.
3. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, tamarind paste and water. Stir to combine and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, add the okras and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then, add the haddock and season with salt. Put on the lid and cook for about 15 minutes over medium. Serve warm with rice.
