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Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Fish head curry

Singapore

Fish head curry

A South Indian-Chinese Singapore classic: a fish head in a sour, spicy tamarind curry with okra.

Fish head curry
Same steps, different flavour base Hot

Too hot for you? Use half the chilli (powder, paste or fresh chillies) and leave out the green chillies.

New here? How this page works

Recipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.

This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Fish head curry. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.

Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Fish head curry

See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map

You’ll need

How many people?4

The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.

Main ingredient: 1 kg A large red snapper head (or fish steaks), cleaned.

From the base recipe

  • 2 Onions
  • 3 Green chillies
  • 4 tbsp Cooking oil
  • Red chilli powder not used
  • Turmeric not used
  • 1 tsp · 300 ml Salt and water
  • 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
  • Cloves, cardamom and cinnamon not used
  • Garam masala (optional) not used

Add for Fish head curry

  • 3–4 tbsp Fish curry powder
  • 2 tbsp Tamarind pulp
  • 8 · 1 Okra and aubergine
  • 2 Tomatoes
  • 2 sprigs Curry leaves
  • 200 ml Coconut milk (optional)
  • ½ tsp · ¼ tsp Mustard and fenugreek seeds

Leave out

  • Garam masala

The nine steps, with the changes

Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.

  1. Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.

    Fish head curry: do thisSlice the onions; slit a few green chillies.

  2. Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Fish head curry: do thisCrackle mustard and fenugreek seeds and curry leaves in oil, then fry the onions with ginger garlic paste.

  3. Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.

    Fish head curry: do thisCut the okra and aubergine.

  4. Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Fish head curry: do thisAdd the tomatoes and fry until soft.

  5. Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.

    Fish head curry: do thisAdd 3–4 spoons of fish curry powder mixed to a paste with water.

  6. Keep frying until just before they start browning.

  7. Base step: do not useAdd some water.

    Fish head curry: do thisAdd tamarind water.

  8. Add salt.

  9. Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.

    Fish head curry: do thisSimmer 10 minutes, add the vegetables and the fish head, and cook 15 minutes. Stir in coconut milk at the end if you like.

Serve: With rice; a Singapore Indian classic.

For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.

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Food marks, as on packaged food in India: vegetarian · non-vegetarian (meat, fish or egg). Dishes with both marks can be made either way.

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