Fish Curry

I love this curry. It's flavorful, healthful, and it reminds me of home (Singapore) - the place where Fish Head Curry was invented! Our family loves it, particularly because it meets our maximin principle when it comes to food: Maximum flavor for minimum calories!

Note: Tamarind concentrate can be found in most Asian grocery stores. You can substitute the tamarind with 1 can of peeled tomatoes. This lends a more intense flavor. In which case, skip the fresh tomatoes.

FISH CURRY
Cooking time: 20 minutes

A - Meat
1 Fish fillet - use a fatty fish like Chilean sea bass or cod

B - Aromatics
2 medium onions
1 tbsp Chilli powder (or more if you like it spicy)
2 tbsp curry powder (fish curry powder, if you can find it, or mix your own), mixed with a small amount of water to form a paste
1 tbsp tamarind concentrate, diluted according to instructions
3 tomatoes, chopped into big chunks

C - Accompaniments
Green beans or Okra, cleaned and the tips cut off

*****

A - Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a skillet. When the oil is smoking, slide in the fish fillet and sear both sides. Do not overcook the fish at this stage. Just 1-2 minutes on each side until it just starts to brown will do. Set aside.

B - In a food processor, chop finely the onions with the chilli powder.

Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a claypot or shallow braising pot. Fry the onion-chilli mixture until all the water from the onions has evaporated and the mixture slightly glistens with oil. Add the curry paste and fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Slide in the fish fillet. Add enough water to barely cover the fish (not too much). Add in the tamarind and chopped tomatoes (or can of peeled tomatoes). Cover and bring to a boil.

C - When the gravy is boiling, add in the vegetables. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

At the end, taste and add salt accordingly. Most times, I find that the sweetness of the vegetables and the spiciness of the curry powder have been coaxed out and co-mingled so lovingly during the cooking process that further addition of salt is unnecessary.

Serve immediately with steamed white rice.