Dry Ray Fish Curry

As I upload my posting for my Assam Pedas Ikan (Tamarind Spicy Fish Curry),

I could not help thinking about my Dry Ray Fish Curry which I had recently prepared.

It should be the sequel to my Assam Pedas Ikan, both dishes are almost identical to me.

The ingredients used are almost the same, except the amount of each ingredient is increased so that the flavors of all the ingredients will penetrate well into the meat of the ray fish. The dish is somewhat similar to the 'Ikan Bakar' that is sold at some hawker centres.

You could opt to keep the piece of Ray Fish (approximately the size of an 8 inch round plate, or +/- 400 gms) which you bought from the market or cut the ray fish into small pieces. If the Ray Fish is too big, not only will it be fishy, the meat will be much thicker and that would take a much longer time to cook. There are different species of Ray Fish. There is a specie which will not grow much larger than a plate, with not much flesh. I cut my Ray Fish into small pieces for serving purposes, as dinner time can vary for some of us and the dish will look neater for late diners.

If you are using a whole, or an intact piece of Ray Fsh, you could shallow pan fry the fish over low heat in the oily, fried spicy ingredients till cooked and dry.

Ingredients :

+/- 400 gm fish Ray Fish/Ikan Pari

8 dried chilies (seeded for a mild flavour), less chilies as it is a dry curry.

15 shallots

6 pips garlic

1 inch piece of fresh turmeric (about the size of your distal phalange of middle finger

1 thick lemon grass

1 ½ inch piece of belachan(shrimp paste), more belachan for this dish too

Some limau purut/kaffir lime leaves (finely shredded or torn up)

Daun kesum/ Vietnamese coriander(or Vietnamese mint), optional for this dish

Assam jawa/tamarind paste (about ½ teaspoon) mixed with a quarter cup of water.

Salt and pepper to taste

Try to get it drier than this, if you like those 'Ikan Bakar', at the hawker centres.

Banana leaves or pandan leaves to line your pan, i.e. if you are not cutting your Ray Fish into pieces, i.e just one big piece. It will help you flip your Ray Fish and they do give a very nice aroma too. The skin of the Ray Fish is gelatinous and sticky. Another alternative is to use a non-stick pan.

Method :

1. Grind the chilies, shallots, garlic, turmeric, lemon grass and belachan together.
2. Fry the ingredients in oil till fragrant. You will need a little more oil for this dish.
3. Add assam jawa/tamarind water, about a quarter cup, or just enough for the fish to cook.
4. Add in the kaffir lime leaves.
5. Bring to a boil and add in the pieces of Ray Fish.
6. Add in salt and sugar to taste.
7. As Ray Fish is a bit bland, you will have to add in more sugar for this dish.
8. Simmer till the sauce thick and dry.
9. It would taste better, if you end the cooking process by some slow frying in the oily spices.

Assam Pedas Ikan/ Tamarind Spicy Fish Curry

Could not help wondering if the naming it Tamarind Spicy Fish Curry is misleading, as there is another dish, (the Assam Gulai) using almost all the same ingredients, but without frying the ground ingredients in oil till fragrant. You just put all the spices and herbs into the tamarind juice, bring to a boil, simmer a while then add in the fish. Complete the cooking with the requisite salt and sugar seasoning. Absolutely delicious if you add some mint leaves and shredded bunga kantan (torch ginger flower).

I hardly cook that now as my family does not like it and freshly ground ingredients are a must for the Assam Gulai dish.

I normally will use a chopper to grind/chop the ingredients in bulk. Anytime I need to dish out a curry, I just thaw some and voila! time to enjoy a delicious meal. Depending on the dish, I sometimes have to change or adjust the ingredients/spices used.

Assam Pedas Ikan/Tamarind Spicy Fish Curry
(the tail portion of the Threadfin that I cooked)
The shredded Torch Ginger Flower provides an occasional change of flavour.

Ingredients :

400 gm fish meat or 2 pieces of fish steaks ( I used ‘senangin’or threadfin)

10 dried chillies (seeded for a mild flavour)

12 shallots

6 pips garlic

1 inch piece of fresh turmeric(the older rhizomes taste better)

1 thick lemon grass

1 inch piece of belachan(shrimp paste)

Some limau purut/kaffir lime leaves (shredded or tore up)

Daun kesum/ Vietnamese coriander(or Vietnamese mint)

Assam jawa/tamarind paste (about 1 teaspoon, mixed with a cup of water and strained.)

Salt and pepper to taste

Aternatively,

i)  use any fish you like (suggestions: red snapper,garoupa)

ii) use the bunga kantan (torch ginger flower), shredded finely, instead 

of the daun kesum and kaffir lime leaves

 Method :

1. Grind the chillies, shallots, garlic, turmeric, lemon grass and belachan together.
2. Fry the ingredients in oil till fragrant.
3. Add assam jawa/tamarind water, about a cup. (depending on whether you prefer a thicker or thinner curry)
4. Add in the Vietnamese mint and kaffir lime leaves.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Add in the fish, and add in salt and sugar to taste.
7. Simmer till fish is cooked.

In this picture, I used red snapper steaks which I cut into smaller pieces to hasten cooking time.(and Vietnamese mint)