Fish curry has long existed among local Indian, Chinese and Malay cultures, and it comes as no surprise that the Peranakan version has taken various elements from these different traditions and made it truly their own.
Unlike the Indian version, which may use the entire fish head and tends to be quite heavy on spices, the Peranakan use freshly ground spices but still add fish curry powder for the distinctive taste of fish curry.
And unlike Malay fish curry, known for its richness because of the higher content of coconut milk and fish, Peranakan fish curry features a light coconut gravy with just a hint of fish flavour.
Chinese fish curry is distinguished by the loads of vegetables and may even be served without any fish, and the Peranakan version is closer to this with the addition of pineapple, which gives it a fresh burst of tangy sweetness.
Some Peranakan recipes follow the Chinese tradition by adding tofu puffs or taupok to absorb the gravy, while others also include turmeric powder and curry leaves like in the Indian tradition, or belacan and turmeric leaves typical of Malay cuisine.
The Peranakan are known for their frugality, and the use of salted fish bones in the curry is a testament to this trait as it adds a lot of salted fish flavour without much cost.
It tastes better the next day after the vegetables absorb the spices. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG and MARIA ABDULLAH/The Star
Because salted fish comes in varying degrees of saltiness, you will need to adjust the final seasoning before serving.
Soaking the fish before frying helps reduce the initial amount of salt in the dish, and you can always add salt to taste.
This kiam hu kut gulai is an easy recipe to remember because it uses almost equal amounts of each ingredient.
Blend galangal, lemongrass, shallots, rehydrated dried chillies and garlic with a bit of oil until you get a fine paste for sauteeing.
I have, however, added three times more pineapple because those morsels seem to be everyone’s favourite.
This addition also helps mellow down the spiciness of the chilli paste and gives this curry dish a tropical pina colada vibe.
Although some recipes call for vegetables to be deep-fried in oil to retain their colour, this extra step may be omitted because it would otherwise add another half a cup of oil.
Vegetables play an important role as they absorb the spices to develop a deeper flavour for the ‘kiam hu kut gulai’.
I have also omitted the tofu puffs because if the dish is intended to be kept overnight where it will develop a better flavour, the soy products will not keep very well.
You may serve kiam hu kut gulai either hot or cold with steamed rice, and it is especially refreshing with a glass of beer.
Kiam hu kut gulai
(Salted fish bone curry)
Ingredients
6 tbsp cooking oil
200g salted fish bones, soaked in hot water for 15 mins
200g brinjal, cut into chunks
200g long beans, cut into 3cm lengths
200g pineapple, cut into chunks
200ml coconut milk
3 stalks lemongrass, pounded
2 tbsp curry fish powder
3 cups cold water
1-2 tsp salt to taste
1 tbsp sugar to taste
Chilli paste
3 stalks lemongrass, sliced
½ cup dried chillies, soaked in hot water for 5 mins
8 bulbs shallots, sliced
50g galangal, sliced
4 tbsp cooking oil
Directions
Blend the chilli paste ingredients in an electric mill into a fine paste.
Heat oil to fry the rehydrated salted fish bones until lightly seared, then remove from oil.
In the remaining oil, temper the lemongrass until fragrant.
Add the chilli paste to saute until the oil emerges, stir in curry powder until combined.
Add water and return the salted fish bone to the pan, bring to a boil and simmer for about five minutes.
Add all the vegetables and cover with a lid to simmer for about 10 minutes to infuse the flavour.
Add salt and sugar to taste, then stir in coconut milk and bring to a boil. Dish out to serve with steamed rice.
