Curry Fish Head

Print Recipe

4.86 from 7 votes

Curry Fish Head recipe - a mean pot of curry and goes very well with steamed white rice.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Nyonya Recipes

Cuisine: Fish Head

Keyword: Curry Fish Head

Servings: people

Calories: 33756kcal

Author: Bee Yinn Low

Ingredients

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

Spice Paste:

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

Garnishing:

Bunga Kantan Torch Ginger Flower, sliced into small pieces
1 bunch mint leaves optional

Instructions

Prepare the spice paste by using a mortar and pestle. First, pound the lemongrass and turmeric together until they become a paste.
Deseed a big handful of dried red chilies. Soak in warm water for about 10 minutes. Pound the dried red chili into a fine paste. You will need about 20-25g (1 oz.) depending on how spicy you like. Save the unused chili paste in the refrigerator.
Pound the shallots and the shrimp paste together.
Mix the tamarind pulp and water using your fingers, extract the juice out of the tamarind pulp, discard the tamarind pulp and the seeds and save the tamarind juice.
Heat up a pot on medium heat and add the oil. Saute the turmeric and lemongrass before adding the shallots and belacan paste. Continue to stir-fry until aromatic before adding the chili paste. Stir until the oil separates from the spice paste and become red.
Add the tamarind juice into the pot, follow by the water. Bring it to boil before adding the polyganum leaves (laksa leaves) and okra. After the okra is half-cooked, add the fish head. Cover the pot and let cook for a few minutes until the fish is cooked. Add salt and sugar (if using) to taste. Garnish with the bunga kanta and mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes

Use one lemongrass if it's a big lemongrass and two if the lemongrass is thinner. Fish head might sound intimidating to many of you, but it's definitely one of the best parts of a fish—it's fleshy, tender, and absolutely delicious. Curry Fish Head is a popular dish in Malaysia and Singapore.

Nutrition