Nasi Kandar Fish Curry

Christmas 2008 has passed and gone by just in a blinking of an eye. Food was not exactly the emphasis of last Christmas table talk, in fact the “goodness of God” was the main topic. God is good all the time even more do during Christmas last year.

In fact, He has sustained my extended family through times of anxiety and worry. Yes! worry is not from God but we are still human with human emotions. God have successfully extended His grace in preserving lives of 3 major people in my husband’s side of the family in year 2008. Glory be to God!

For those of you who know that I love curries would probably be wondering why I have not been posting curry recipes. I have certainly cut down on curries and overly spicy food recently cos a friend of mine said if I don’t, my taste buds might suffer in a long run. I very seldom cook this recipe cos I usually get my dose of ‘Nasi Kandar Fish Curry’ outside. Today, I feel inspired so here it is.

 

Ingredients

8 – 10 slices of tenggiri (mackerel fish)
1 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp tamarind paste (soaked in 3 Tbsp hot water)
1 Tbsp turmeric powder
5 Tbsp grapeseed oil for frying fish
5 slices old ginger

Vegetables
10 lady fingers (washed and the top trimmed)
3 large ripe red tomatoes (cut into quarters)
5 small aubergines (cut into 2)

Aromatic herbs
2 Tbsp ‘rempah ratus’ spices
2 dried chili (washed and seeded)
4 sprigs of curry leaves (bruised)
1 Tbsp traditionally handmade coconut oil

Spices
10 shallots (peeled and sliced)
5 cloves garlic (peeled and sliced)
1 inch old ginger (sliced)
5 large dried chili (soaked and seeded)

Blend or pound all the above spices
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp fennel (jintan manis)
1 Tbsp cumin (jintan putih)
5 Tbsp Baba’s meat curry powder
100 ml traditionally handmade coconut oil
1 Tbsp castor sugar
800 ml filtered water
1 Tbsp tamarind paste (soaked in 100 ml water and drained, discard the seeds retain the water)
sea salt to taste
100 ml thick coconut milk or santan

Method

1. Marinate the fish slices in the tamarind paste, turmeric powder and salt for about 1 hour. Heat a non-stick pan and drizzle in the grapeseed oil. Pan fry the fish slices till slightly golden brown on the outside.
2. Remove from heat and set aside on some paper towels to absorb oil.
3. Set a large curry pot on the stove. Heat it up and drizzle in the 100ml coconut oil. Add in the blended spices, powdered spices, curry powder and ‘tumis’ or lightly fry until fragrant. Add sugar and keep stirring to avoid the spices from burning. Burnt spices have to be discarded as they will taste bitter.
4. Slowly add filtered water and let the spice paste simmer.  Add the tamarind water and all the vegetables. Pour in the rest of the filtered water and simmer over low heat until vegetables are all tender. Put in the fish slices, coconut milk and sea salt to taste.
5. Fry aromatics in the used non stick pan by adding 1 Tbsp coconut oil to the pan. Fry over low heat until fragrant. Add to simmering curry and simmer for another 3 minutes. Cut off heat, curry ready to be served.