Gulai Panas Ikan Temenung is a Malaysian fish curry that options entire fish in an fragrant sauce of coconut milk and spices.
Touring to Malaysia
Someday, as I travelled Thailand in December 2023, I noticed that my visa was about to run out.
I may pay an extension charge, after all, however the place’s the enjoyable in that?
How a few quick journey to Langkawi – Malaysia’s Rice Bowl, The Island Of The Snake, The Jewel Of Kedah?
As my ferry entered Langkawi’s port, I used to be thrilled and wanting to discover. However, extra importantly, I noticed (particularly my abdomen) that I hadn’t eaten since my mild breakfast on the Thai morning market.
I shortly bought my passport stamped by the Malaysian immigration officer, checked in at my lodge, and went out for lunch.
A primary lunch and Malaysian hospitality
After a 2-minute stroll, I arrived at a neighborhood and busy restaurant. The restaurant’s signal mentioned, “Nasi Campur” (lit. blended rice).
An array of meals trays have been laid within the entrance of the restaurant, and folks loaded ladles of curries, stir-fries, and different items onto their plates of white rice. I didn’t acknowledge half of the dishes, but I assembled my plate with colourful and mysterious dishes.
Once I arrived to pay on the counter (in such eating places it’s customary to pay earlier than sitting all the way down to eat), a younger man who stood subsequent to the cashier seen me. He exchanged just a few phrases with the cashier and checked out me, smiling.
“You don’t should pay, welcome to Malaysia”, he mentioned and left.
I stood there, moved, and a bit overwhelmed. This was my first time experiencing Malaysian hospitality.
I sat all the way down to eat, and first tried every dish individually, as I wasn’t aware of most of them.
An orange-yellow fish curry grew to become my favourite from the primary chunk. It was filled with spices like fenugreek seeds and curry leaves, with a slight coconut contact to its sauce.
Naturally, I approached the buffet space to serve myself an additional portion, and sadly, it had already run out.
“What is that this wonderful dish?” I requested one of many locals, pointing on the leftover sauce on the tray.
“It’s gulai panas! A Langkawi specialty. So good!”
I left the restaurant smiling. I discovered myself a dish to discover.
What’s gulai panas?
After asking round and conducting some on-line analysis, I discovered extra about this fragrant dish.
“Gulai panas” actually means “scorching curry” in Malay. In Langkawi, the phrase is attributed to the aforementioned fish curry, which is usually cooked with Indian mackerel (ikan temenung) or tuna mackerel (ikan aya).
How you can make this Malaysian fish curry
To make it, one shall first sauté aromatics like garlic and curry leaves in oil.
Then, fish curry powder and chili powder are added, and diluted in water (the dilution assists in separating the oil from the sauce, a course of known as “pecah minyak” in Malay). When the sauce is prepared, coconut milk, fish, and seasonings are added.
The dish is historically served with both rice or pek nga – a coconut pancake that’s distinctive to the area.
On the remaining days of my journey, I managed to search out extra native eating places that specialised in gulai panas.
I used to be impressed probably the most by Ummi, a seafood restaurant with a singular eating setting: buckets with varied forms of contemporary fish are assorted in entrance of the restaurant. Every buyer masses his/her selection of fish on a tray and arms it over to the kitchen. There, the fish will be both cooked in a gulai panas curry sauce or an asam pedas (a Malay soup with bitter and spicy flavors). It could even be coated in a spiced batter and grilled over charcoal.
As you may need anticipated, I attempted all three choices. It was the most effective gulai panas that I had in Langkawi, with a few of the freshest seafood I’ve had in my life, and most undoubtedly a eating expertise that I’ll always remember.
Elements
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 small shallots, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1/2 inch piece of ginger, chopped
- 12 curry leaves*
- 3 Tbsp fish curry powder
- 1-2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 cup (236 ml) water, divided
- 1-2 Tbsp tamarind focus (alter sourness to style)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 2/3 cup (400 ml) coconut milk
- 1 1/3 lb (600 g) entire Indian mackerel, cleaned and gutted**
Directions
- In a big pot, warmth 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil and fry shallots, garlic, ginger, and curry leaves for two minutes on low warmth.
- Dilute the curry and chili powders in ½ cup of water. Add to the pot and stir.
- When the oil begins to separate from the sauce (about 2-4 minutes), add the tamarind focus and salt. Then, convey the combination to a boil.
- Add coconut milk and the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Convey the curry to a boil once more.
Place the fish within the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, or till the fish is cooked by. - To serve, ladle scorching curry into bowls for serving, and high with fish. Get pleasure from alone, or with pek nga pancakes.
Notes
* Use contemporary or frozen curry leaves if you’ll find them (usually at your nearest Indian grocery retailer). If contemporary shouldn’t be obtainable, you should utilize 24 dried curry leaves. (Curry leaves are likely to lose their taste when dried.)
** Complete Indian mackerel is the standard fish for this curry, and it has a definite taste. If it isn’t obtainable in your space, talapia or mullet can be equally scrumptious. (And should you discover the concept of looking at fish heads and tails in your bowl a bit off-putting, you might simply make this curry utilizing filets of fish. You will simply miss slightly of the expertise.)
Vitamin Info:
Yield:
2
Serving Dimension:
1/2 of recipe
Quantity Per Serving:
Energy: 491
Should you favored this recipe, listed here are some comparable dishes it’s possible you’ll take pleasure in!
Oz is initially from central Israel, and is at present primarily based in Amsterdam. Alongside being a jazz musician, he’s a devoted foodie and an expert chef. He has traveled the world since 2021, exploring a few of his favorite cuisines akin to Thai, Greek, Moroccan and rather more! His favorite method to journey goes to meals markets and venues, interacting with the native folks and listening to their tales by meals. He’s impressed by the unbreakable bond between a tradition and culinary traditions. By travelling and consuming, he enjoys witnessing how meals can affect and be influenced by historical past and cultural change.
