Assam Fish Curry

Ingredients

• •900 g white fish steaks or fillets
• •1 large red bell pepper
• •3 tablespoons red curry paste
• •1 tablespoon ginger
• •1 tablespoon garlic
• •1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• •1 tablespoon sugar
• •1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• •2 lemon grass
• •10 kaffir lime leaves
• •8 pieces curry leaves
• •3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
• •400 ml coconut cream
• •cilantro
• •2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method

Adapted from foodista.com

1. 1Buy a nice thick cut of white fish. You can use snapper, dory, kingklip or hake.
2. 2Cut the steak portion into large chunks. They will shrink when cooked, so don't cut too small a piece.
3. 3Set aside the prepared fish.
4. 4Prepare the red capsicum. Slice off one end.
5. 5And then slice off the other end. This will give you a tube.
6. 6Slide a knife around the inside walls of the red capsicum.
7. 7Remove the inner seeds and membrane.
8. 8Slice the hollow tube of red capsicum into half.
9. 9Slice into thin strips.
10. 10Grate or mince some peeled ginger to get approximately 1 tablespoon of ginger.
11. 11Prepare a handful of spices/herbs 2 stalks of lemon grass, 10 lime leaves and a handful of curry leaves.
12. 12Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to a pan.
13. 13When the oil is hot, add 3 tablespoons of red curry paste of your choice.
14. 14Stir fry the paste in the hot pan for a minute.
15. 15Add the ginger.
16. 16Add the garlic.
17. 17Stir fry well to combine.
18. 18Add the lemon grass, lime leaves and curry leaves.
19. 19Stir well to combine.
20. 20Add 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste.
21. 21Stir well to combine and dissolve the tamarind.
22. 22When the curry paste is nice and fragrant, about 1 to 2 mins later, add 3 tablespoons of Shaoxing Huatiao wine.
23. 23Add 400ml of coconut cream. Every brand of coconut cream is different. Some are thicker than others. But don't add water at this point. And don't use coconut milk instead of cream or light coconut milk. It's not the same.
24. 24Add 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce.
25. 25Add 1 tablespoon of sugar.
26. 26Stir well to combine.
27. 27Leave to simmer on a low heat. The sauce will get very thick.
28. 28Don't add water here because when the fish is placed in to cook, it will introduce alot of moisture to the sauce.
29. 29When the sauce has been simmering gently for 2 to 3 mins, taste the sauce.
30. 30Adjust the taste here because every brand of oyster sauce/tamarind/wine is different and the sauce needs to be fine tuned accordingly. If it's too sour, add a little more sugar.
31. 31If it tastes flat, add a little wine and oyster sauce.
32. 32Stir well to combine.
33. 33When the sauce is ready, gently add the fish into the pan.
34. 34Keep the stove at medium heat.
35. 35Let the fish cook slowly in the sauce. Try not to handle the fish too much in the sauce as it will cause the fish to flake or break up.
36. 36As the fish cooks, it will release moisture into the sauce and thin it out. Gently cover the fish with the sauce.
37. 37Cover the pan.
38. 38Let it simmer till the fish is cooked through. It usually takes about 5 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.
39. 39When the fish is cooked, add the red capsicum strips.
40. 40Gently stir through till they are warmed through but not cooked till soft.
41. 41If the sauce is too thick at this point, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
42. 42Stir well to combine.
43. 43Dish out the fish curry gently because the fish may flake or break up.
44. 44Garnish with coriander leaves.