Sham’s Malay-style fish curry

Serves: 2
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 12 mins
Ingredients
  • 500g monkfish
  • Thumb sized piece of ginger
  • Thumb sized piece of galangal
  • Thumb sized piece of fresh turmeric
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 sticks of lemongrass
  • 4 red chillies
  • A good glug of olive oil
  • 2 shallots
  • 1 sprig of curry leaves
  • 1tsp cumin seed
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 4 tbsp tamarind juice
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 500ml coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chopped fresh coriander, or quick pickled onions, to garnish 

1. Cut the monkfish into large chunks. Finely chop the ginger, galangal, turmeric, garlic, lemongrass and chilli, or alternatively grind them to a paste with a pestle and mortar.

2. Heat up the oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Fry the shallots, cumin seeds and curry leaves for two minutes, before adding the spice paste and sweat it all together for two minutes more.

3. Add the monkfish to the pan, followed by the lime and tamarind juices and a pinch of sugar. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Season with the fish sauce, salt and pepper. Let it simmer for a few minutes until the monkfish is cooked through.

4. Spoon into warmed bowls and garnish with chopped fresh coriander to serve.

Jess Murphy

Jess Murphy

Jess Murphy, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a Kiwi chef living on the west coast of Ireland