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I love hot and spicy food until I can spread chili sauce on my bread for food. Crazy me, I know, but that happened in my childhood.  Now I am always seeking for more varieties and challenges in spicy food, especially when I am craving for spicy food after all the Chinese New Year food in these couple of weeks.  I have recently found this “special ingredient” and was very excited to share with you how to cook this easy-to-prepare Nyonya Curry Fish Fillet. This curry fish recipe is a famous Nyonya cuisine, which combines the spicy hot curry flavor with extra sourish taste and spices that make it so appetizing.

If you first heard of  Nyonya cuisine, here’s a simple introduction to the Nyonya traditions which are gathered way back over hundred years ago, when the first Chinese settlers married the local Malay brides in Malacca. They gave birth and raise the first generation of Mixed Chinese-Malays known as peranakan.  The boy is known as Baba and girl is known as Nyonya. The Nyonya delicacies are the combination of Chinese and Malay dishes that were being brought down over the generations.

The Nyonya recipes are really complicated that require a lot of time, efforts and practices. I have always prepared curry dishes using the curry powder, but many times it turned out to be too spicy, lacked of some kind of flavors or tasted too powdery. Finally I have found out this “secret recipe” for the Nyonya Curry Fish. You will be delighted that you can prepare this delicious dish in such a short amount of time and still be able to taste the fullest flavors of Nyonya curry fish.  And the “secret recipe” for this best curry fish fillet is …..the instant fish curry sauce made in Malaysia by Mak Nyonya. :)

You can cook  by using any of your favorite fishes such as grouper, red snapper, salmon, catfish, tilapia or mackerel. The curry fish fillet is excellent to be served with steamed white rice. It is full of flavors, spices and a fragrant aroma, I can eat with just the sauce by itself.  The curry fish fillet can be served any time of the year or special gathering occasions, and especially a warm and comfort dish for cold raining weather like this.

Ingredients:
1-2 fish fillets
1 packet instant fish curry paste (Mak Nyonya)
1 tbsp garlic (minced)
2 shallot (peeled, sliced)
2″ ginger (minced)
1 bell pepper (cut into squares)
2 roman tomato (sliced)
1  cup water
2 stalks scallion (cut into 1.5″ long)
1 tsp salt & 2 tbsp wine (for marinating)
1/4 cup corn starch (for coating)
1 lemon or lime (for squeezing)
1 banana leaf (for plating)
Some parsley (for garnishing)

Cooking Method:

1. Marinate the fish fillet with salt, wine and some minced ginger for 45 minutes.
2. Discard the marinates and coat the fish fillet with corn starch on each side. Shake off excess.
3. Heat a pan with oil and pan fry the fish fillet until golden brown on each side. Remove and drain on paper towel.
4. Prepare the curry sauce in another sauce pan. Heat up 2 tbsp oil, add garlic, shallots, remaining minced ginger stir fry until fragrant and golden brown.
5. Add the curry fish paste and stir fry till fragrant.
6. Add in bell pepper and sliced tomatoes or other desired vegetables such as lady fingers or egg plants, stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
7. Add 1 cup of water and bring to boil.
8. Add in half of the lemon by squeezing the lemon.
9. Add in scallions and parsley, simmer for 1 minute.
10. Place the banana leaf on a platter and place the fish fillets on top of the banana leaf.
11. Pour the curry fish sauce on top of the fish. Garnish with some parsley and lemon or lime on the side for squeezing.

Note:  The ingredients in the Mak Nyonya Instant Fish Curry Paste are onion, lemongrass, chili, spices, ginger, sugar, salt and edible oil (palm oil).