Spicy Sour Fish Curry

• Bangulzai

  7 Apr 09, 01:58

  

  Ingredients:  Serves 6

  175 ml (6 fl oz) cooking oil

  750 ml (24 fl oz) tamarind juice, extracted from 75 g tamarind pulp and 750 ml water

  900 g (2 lbs) Spanish mackerel, sliced into 3.5-cm (1½-inch thick) pieces

  2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)

  ½ teaspoon sugar

  2½ teaspoons salt

  20 young lady's fingers (okra), stemmed and halved diagonally

   

  Finely ground paste:

  20 dried chilies, soaked in water and drained

  18 shallots, peeled

  2 cloves garlic, peeled

  5 candlenuts

  1.25 cm (½ inch) fresh turmeric, peeled

  2.5 cm (1 inch) galangal, peeled

  4 stalks lemon grass, sliced (use only the bottom white inner part)

  1½ teaspoons crushed dried shrimp paste (belachan)

   

  Method:

  Heat the cooking oil and fry finely ground paste until fragrant.  Add the tamarind juice and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 4 minutes.  Increase the heat and add fish, kaffir lime leaves (optional), sugar and salt.  Cook for 4 minutes.  Add lady's fingers (okra) and cook for another 5 minutes until the fish is done and lady's fingers (okra) are tender.

   

  Note:  Stingray can be used instead of Spanish mackerel.  Cut the fish into 5-cm (2-inch) thick pieces.