Malaysian Fish Curry (Kari Ikan, Mamak Style)

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Delicious Malaysian Style Fish curry is rich in flavor and easy to make! Served commonly with Roti Prata/ Roti Canai in Malaysia and Singapore.

The Recipe Intro↓ has more information, related links as well as the Malayalam language video. If you’d like to check it out.

♦Prep time:10min ♦Cook time:20min ♦Yield: 4servings.

You can strike through ingredients, as you prep them, by clicking on the ingredient.

Ingredients:

Fish pieces (I use skinless, boneless Kingfish here)		350 gms- 400 gms
Tamarind pulp		1 lime-sized portion
Red onion, sliced		1 medium-sized
Tomato, sliced (red,ripe and plump)		1 large-sized
Shallots		8
Garlic		3 large cloves
Fresh curry leaves		A handful
Malaysian-style fish curry powder (see my recipe for homemade fish curry powder)		4-5 Tbsp
Sunflower oil		5 Tbsp plus 1 tsp
Coconut milk (do not use more ) - should be at room temperature		1/2 cup
Mustard seeds		1/4-1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds		A Pinch
Salt		1 tsp

Method:

1. Soak the tamarind(lime-sized portion) in a small bowl of boiled water.
2. Clean the fish pieces(350-400gms). Remove skin and bones (optional). Add some salt, rub gently, and then rinse after 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Slice Onion(1Nos) and Tomato(1Nos). Peel shallots and garlic cloves.
4. Add the shallots(8) and garlic cloves(3)to a small grinder and blend into a smooth paste. No water is added.
5. Put the Fish curry powder(4-5Tbsp) into another small bowl. Add enough room-temperature water to mix it into a semi-thick paste. Not too runny; not too thick. Set aside.
6. Heat the oil(5Tbsp) either in a kuali(wok) or an earthen pot.
7. Add the mustard seeds(1/4tsp) and allow to pop, before adding the fenugreek seeds(a-pinch).
8. Next add the fresh curry leaves(a-handful), followed by the sliced onion. Saute briefly.
9. Add the ground shallot-garlic paste and saute well till it starts changing golden in color.
10. On a separate burner heat, a small cast iron pan and add oil (1tsp). Add the sliced tomatoes when the pan is very hot, and toss the tomatoes till pulpy, getting some flames in the pan, as you do so.  Then add to the earthen pot/kuali and stir through. This step adds umami, and enhances the fish curry taste, but is optional. You could add the tomatoes to the sauteed ingredients after step #9. Continue to saute till the tomatoes are pulpy.
11. Add a splash of water and cook together briefly. Next, add the fish curry paste.  Stir through. Cook till the oil separates.
12. Wash out the curry paste bowl with about a cup of water and add now. Strain the soaked tamarind pulp now, to get a tamarind solution, and add this as well.
13. Simmer this curry (without adding fish) for about 7 minutes. Add water as needed if it thickens too much.
14. Now, add the coconut milk(1/2 cup only). Stir through to incorporate, and simmer again for 1 minute.
15. The curry should start to smell really aromatic at this point.  You can add more Kashmiri chilli powder if you like at this stage.
16. Now we can add the fish. Swirl the pot, bring it back to a boil, then simmer for 8 minutes, till the fish is cooked. Halfway through adding the asafoetida(1/4-1/2tsp). This is a key ingredient in seasoning this curry.
17. Delicious Malaysian Indian-style fish curry is ready to be served with Roti Prata or Steamed rice.

Malaysian Fish Curry (Kari Ikan, Mamak Style)

 

Notes:

• How to make Malaysian Fish Curry powder at home.
• As the curry cooks, always add boiled hot water to adjust the consistency as needed. When curry is made in an earthen pot, especially it has the tendency to thicken after simmering for a while.
• You can also add whole ladys fingers to this curry. Add the whole(smaller sized) ladys fingers to the curry when the fish is just about cooked (over the top) and simmer covered for 3 minutes.  In Malaysia and Singapore,  it is common to find vegetables like ladys finger or eggplant in the curry.
• Asafoetida (Ferula asafoetida) is the dried sap (or gum resin), obtained from the roots of Ferula plants. It’s commonly dried, crushed or ground into a powder, and used for either culinary or medicinal purposes. It is extensively used in Indian cuisine, where it’s referred to as Hing. As a type of Umami seasoning, asafoetida is known for its strong, pungent odor, (due to its high concentration of sulfur compounds). However, when cooked, its flavor and smell become more palatable and are often described as being similar to those of leeks, garlic, onions, and even meat.
  Key Ingredients: Fish, Spices, Onion, Shallots, Garlic, Tomato, Tamarind, Coconut Milk, Curry leaves Oil, Salt.

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