Name: Clarissa’s tamarind fish curry
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 large red onions, roughly chopped; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole; 2 candlenuts or 3 macadamias; 1/3 cup sunflower oil; 1-2 Tbsp chilli powder, or to taste; 1/4 tsp ground aniseed; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1/4 tsp ground cumin; 2 cups water; 1 1/2 Tbsp tamarind puree; 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, sliced into bite-sized wedges; 500g mackerel, skin and bones removed, cut into 4cm chunks; 1/2 Tbsp sea-salt flakes; 1 1/2 Tbsp coconut sugar or soft brown sugar, or to taste; 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce; Mint sprigs, steamed rice and lime wedges, to serve

Clarissa’s tamarind fish curry

Sweet, tangy and just spicy enough for you,

Serves 4

Prep

30M

Cook

20M

Total

50M

Skip to Recipe

This tamarind fish curry is light on spice, but packs a lot of flavour. A good curry starts with a good curry paste, so Clarissa will show you how to make a sweet and sour flavoured paste that will give you an authentic taste of Malaysia.

The best part is, if you’re not a fan of too much heat in your curry, making your own curry sauce means you can adjust the chilli to your preferred level. Winner!

Ingredients

2 large red onions, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

2 candlenuts or 3 macadamias

1/3 cup sunflower oil

1-2 Tbsp chilli powder, or to taste

1/4 tsp ground aniseed

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp ground cumin

2 cups water

1 1/2 Tbsp tamarind puree

1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, sliced into bite-sized wedges

500g mackerel, skin and bones removed, cut into 4cm chunks

1/2 Tbsp sea-salt flakes

1 1/2 Tbsp coconut sugar or soft brown sugar, or to taste

1/2 Tbsp fish sauce

Mint sprigs, steamed rice and lime wedges, to serve

Method

Step 1

Place onion, garlic and candlenuts or macadamias in a large mortar and pound with a pestle until a thick coarse paste forms. (Alternatively, place in a food processor and process until a coarse paste forms.)

Step 2

Heat oil in a large deep-frying pan or saucepan on high until smoking. Reduce heat to medium. Add paste and cook, stirring, for 8-10 minutes or until oil splits from paste. Stir in chilli powder, aniseed, turmeric and cumin. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and caramelised, being careful not to let the paste burn.

Step 3

Add water and bring to the boil. Stir in tamarind puree and pineapple. Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until pineapple softens. Add fish, salt, sugar and fish sauce. Bring to the boil on high, then reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until sauce just thickens. Set aside, covered, for a further 5 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily when gently pressed. Taste and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt and tamarind as needed.

Step 4

To serve, garnish curry with mint and serve with steamed rice and lime wedges.

tamarind fish curry in two bowls with bowl of rice on the side

Clarissa Feildel Chef

As an accomplished cook, author and television presenter Clarissa Feildel has always had food at the heart of everything she does. Clarissa’s Nyonya/Chinese and Sri Lankan background has given her a melting pot of dishes in her repertoire, which she uses every day when feeding her family.