Fish Head Curry, Darwin Style
Rich and tangy Top End curry featuring a succulent reef fish head simmered with tamarind, coconut milk, okra, and fragrant South Asian spices.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 460 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-based pot or Dutch oven
- •Chef's knife
- •Chopping board
- •Measuring spoons
- •Wooden spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- fat
- 28 g
- carbs
- 16 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 34 g
- calories
- 460 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the fish head thoroughly under cold water and pat completely dry with paper towel.
- 2
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- 3
Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and fresh curry leaves until they crackle and smell fragrant.
- 4
Stir in the sliced onion, grated garlic, and ginger.
- 5
Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the onion is soft and lightly golden.
- 6
Add the fish curry powder with two tablespoons of water to prevent burning, stirring for 1 minute.
- 7
Pour in the tamarind liquid and coconut milk, stirring well to create a smooth gravy.
- 8
Bring the curry gravy to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
- 9
Carefully lower the fish head, okra, and eggplant into the pot so they are mostly submerged.
- 10
Cover the pot and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the fish cheeks are tender and opaque.
- 11
Scatter the tomato wedges into the sauce and simmer uncovered for 3 more minutes.
- 12
Taste the gravy, season with salt, and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Chef's tips
Ask your local fishmonger to scale and cleave the fish head in half for easier handling. Simmer gently without stirring vigorously to avoid breaking up the delicate fish meat and melting cheek fat.
Ingredient substitutions
- snapper or barramundi head → thick whole fish cutlets such as kingfish or Spanish mackerel
- fish curry powder → equal parts ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, and Kashmiri chilli powder
- tamarind puree → lime juice added at the very end of cooking
Storage
Store leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat until simmering throughout, avoiding stirring too roughly.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the curry rapidly, which causes the coconut milk to split and tears the delicate fish meat apart.
- •Skipping the thorough cleaning of the fish head gills, which can impart bitterness to the sauce.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Fish Head Curry, Darwin Style?
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