If you don't know yet, I'm totally in love with curry. It's something that I've always wanted to learn how to cook with it coming out smelling authentically Indian, instead of those ready made spice you just add and the dish came out rather blend. I was in luck as while I visited an old Penang friend the other day, she cooked me curry fish and taught me the simple recipe. So while I was back in Penang just a week ago, I bought all the spices required, and on the eve of Hari Raya, to curb the wonderful smell of curries coming from my Malay neighbor, I venture to try the fish curry my friend taught me.
Photo below shows the ingredient you need. The recipe is also available when you purchase the Alagappa's curry fish powder from any supermarket (I got mine from Tesco in a new packaging that cost only RM1.00, SGD 0.45). The recipe at the back says you need 80g, but the package only comes in 25g, but no need to panic, I cooked it with just 25g, and it turned out wonderful. Of course I did spice it up crazy with shallots and spices!!
Anyway, you need Santan a.k.a. coconut milk. Photo shows one small packet, but I actually used only half, saving the other half for my curry chicken coming up in the next post! 2 big Tomatoes,5 ladies fingers a.k.a. okra, curry powder 1 pack, hand full of shallot (mince it up), one bowl of tamarine juice or more depending on taste, black pomfret works wonderful in this dish, curry leaves, 1 big onion slice (not shown here, oops!), and a handful of indian curry spice. Note there's a different buying fish spice and meat spice, please get the correct one!.
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Cooking Instruction:
1. Add oil to pan, add curry leaves and indian spice and cook for 5 minutes until fragrance.
2. Add minces shallots and onions and cook another 5 - 10 minutes until fragrance.
3. Add curry fish powder and tamarine juice and let it boil a few minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, ladies finger and santan and let it boil another few minutes until the tomatoes are slightly mush. Bless it with some salt and sugar to taste.
5. Add fish last, and let it cook 10 minutes top! After that, kill the fire and let it rest. Don't overcook the fish!
Here's what it looks like while still boiling happily away.
As always, a home cooked meal is better and cheaper than the food outside. This is super easy to cook, and fills your home with the wonderful fragrance of spices that is just priceless! I had mine with onion and eggs and white rice. Normally we eat brown rice at my home, but somehow I can't make myself cook brown rice with curry, it's just isn't done that way! Ever!
Wishing you a wonderful Hari Raya wherever you are! Curries make me feel happy and less home sick and brings back wonderful memories of my days in Penang! Stay tune for chicken curry up next!
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