Ahhh.. yeah, yeah… I know – this post is late!  Sorry dudes.

Can you believe I actually TOTALLY forgot to post on Friday?!

I spent the day doing ALL my Christmas shopping (and YES – IT. IS. ALL. DONE.), and then got so excited about going out Friday night with my awesome Ipswich work mates for our Christmas party, that I got ready and went out (and had a sleepover at Dr Kirsten’s house).  TOTALLY.  FORGOT.  Ha ha.

Then when I got there I was having a good ole gab to Kirsten’s mum, Mrs Z, who was telling me that she has been following the blog (yay!)… and as a result of that conversation, even though it is totally the wrong time of the religious calendar, promised her my “Good Friday Fish Curry” recipe – which can in fact of course, be made at any time of the year.

So Mrs Z – this blog is dedicated to you!!

I have been making this fish curry for a bazillion years.  When I was a poor, poverty stricken medical student, I used basa fillet or “Nile Perch” (when on special at Woolies) and now I like to use snapper or barramundi.  Really it doesn’t matter – in truth, the curry flavour almost completely disguises the flavour of the fish anyhoo, but the texture is what differs I think.

This recipe makes a BIG pot (like, would feed 6 adults easily) so is a good recipe for entertaining as it is fairly easy.

 

INGREDIENTS

1kg white fish fillets (eg snapper, barramundi, basa, Nile perch, hoki etc) – chop into large chunks, it will flake as it cooks through)

1 can light coconut milk (you can use heavy of course – using light just makes me feel better)

1 can light coconut cream

1 can tinned diced tomatoes

1 medium sized brown onion (chopped finely, or pureed)

5 cloves of garlic – crushed/chopped finely

2 stems of curry leaves (these don’t get eaten; you pick them out later, although you CAN chop them finely and just eat them if you want)

2 large sprigs (like a half of a large bunch you would buy at the supermarket) coriander – stems separated and chopped finely, leaves to add later

5 cm piece of ginger – microplaned

Keen’s curry powder (yeah I know, doesn’t sound too Asian, but it works) OR a Malaysian curry powder bought at a Chinese grocer –> 2-4 tab made into a paste with tap water; use more if you want it hotter

3 good lugs of oyster sauce (be generous)

Good splash of sesame oil (?about 2 tab)

3 potatoes peeled and chopped into 2-3 cm chunks

1.5-2 cups of vegies of your choice – eg long green beans, chopped carrots, broccoli or cauliflower florets

2-3 hot birdseye chillies (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

METHOD

1.  Use a BIG pot, fry the garlic, onion, ginger and coriander stems (+ optional hot chilli) in about 3 tab of oil until aromatic.  Add the curry leaves
2. I separately pan fry the fish (till browned = flavour) to ensure they are cooked through, but if you are lazy, you could just throw them in at this point
3. Add the curry paste and fry for about 30 sec
4. Add the potatoes and carrot
5. Add fish (if previously cooked), oyster sauce and sesame oil
6. Add coconut milk and cream, tinned tomatoes and half the coriander leaves
7. Bring to the boil, add remaining vegies (eg beans, broccoli etc) then turn down and simmer for about 10 min
8. Remove the curry leaves (if you can find them, if not, just warn your guests to pick them out)
9. Taste test (** you ALWAYS have to do this) and season with salt and pepper to taste
10. Serve with steamed white rice, and garnish with coriander

Condiments might include:

1.  Fresh cucumber
2. Roti bread
3. Hot chilli sauce for the spice-heads
4. Sides of fresh coriander
5. Not typically “Malaysian” but I love also pappadums, naan bread and cucumber raita/yoghurt

 

In winter (believe it or not), we used to eat this kind of curry in the morning for brekkie with roti bread) – yuummmmmmmmm….

 

Hope you enjoy this old school recipe!!

Let me know how you go if you try it!  Oh and of course please LIKE, COMMENT AND SHARE on FB if you can!

Happy eating!

 

xxDr Megs