Recipe : Indian style curry fish (kari ikan)

The thought of cooking curries is very daunting to those who have images of sweaty grandmas pounding on the mortar and pestle.  Well, if you make use of the convenience of modern packaging, it is not so difficult at all.  But don’t expect to cook something as delicious as what you can get from the mamak nasi kandar stall.

Here’s my quickie recipe for curry fish:

Ingredients

  • Fish – I used ikan tenggiri or mackerel.  About 300 grams
  • One packet of fish curry powder -mix with a little water to become a paste
  • Two onions – slice
  • One bulb garlic – chopped
  • One teaspoon of mixed spices for fish curry (you can buy these from the supermarket which consists of mustard seeds, fenugreek, cardamons and other stuffs)
  • Curry leaves (one sprig)
  • Small ball of tamarind, mix with water to make juice
  • Half a cup of milk or yoghurt or coconut milk
  • Oil
  • Water – one bowl
  • Okra or any types of vegetables like aubergines, tomatoes- any numbers
  • Seasonings like a bit of sugar, salt, fish sauce

Method

  1. Heat oil and stir fry garlic and onions.  When fragrant, add the mixed spices, curry leaves and curry powder paste
  2. Add water, vegetables, fish, tamarind juice
  3. Simmer and add flavourings.  Some sugar, fish sauce, salt
  4. Add milk/yoghurt and there you have it!


There is gravy in the curry but I did not photography them because it is hard to make a bowl of curry looks delicious.  I prefer showing the ingredients here like the fish, okra, mustard seeds, onions and garlic.

The curry smells and taste good.  If you like a hotter version, then add some chillies powder or chillies paste (cili boh).  So, do try cooking some curries.  It won’t taste earth shattering but still good enough.

7 Replies to “Recipe : Indian style curry fish (kari ikan)”

  1. earl-ku : Don’t tell anyone but I actually pour the whole packet into the wok and went ahchooooooo like mad ‘cos the powder flies every where. LOL. No one ever taught me to mix or probably I never read instructions on the package (prints too tiny mah). Shhhh….pai seh ler.

  2. hmm, fish head would be nice.. say kepala ikan tenggiri. Your pics of hot curry really mouth watering. Gonna look for mamak this lunch.

  3. I use the curry powder to marinate the fish before cooking, ingredients more or less like yours…and tastes good (by my standard)! Add pineapples (fresh not canned) and beancurd sticks and those deep-fried tofo cubes…also nice!

  4. Kak Lillian,
    why don’t you make your own curry powder….
    U want the recipe? I tell you it’s better from the curry powder in the market….. and it’s easy to do….

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