Gulai Tumis Recipe

Gulai Tumis Recipe

(Hot and sour fish curry recipe)

250 ml oil

600 g white fish fillet or pomfret

1 ginger flower, halved lengthwise and then sliced finely

2 stalks polygonum leaves

60 g tamarind pulp

750 ml water

2 teaspoons salt or to taste

1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

Spice to ground to paste:

50 g (20) dried chilies, soaked in hot water to soften and drained

50 g (6) fresh red chilies, sliced

80 g (3 stalks) lemon grass, use the bottom inner tender parts, sliced thinly

20 g fresh turmeric, skinned and sliced

40 g garlic, peeled

30 g dried shrimp paste (belachan)

Grind all the above ingredients until smooth then only add in the below

shallots and grind for a while so that the shallots will not be too fine (texture of

the shallots should be coarse-grind)

300 g shallots, peeled

a few sprigs of mint leaves, for garnishing

Method:

Heat oil in a wok over low heat and sauté the spice paste until fragrant and oil breaks the surface and separates from the paste, about 15 minutes.  Add the polygonum leaves.  Mix the tamarind pulp with the water and strain to get tamarind juice.  Add to the spice paste in the wok and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 15 minutes and season to taste with salt and sugar.  Add in fish slices and ginger flower.  Simmer until fish is cooked, about 2 minutes, before turning off fire.

Serve Gulai Tumis, hot, garnished with sprigs of mint leaves.

Note:  The color of the curry is dependent upon the color of the chili and turmeric.  Adjust the gravy consistency to your own preference by adding more or less water.