KARE IKAN (FISH CURRY)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs cleaned white fish fillets
• 6 shallots or 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon dried lemon grass or 1 piece fresh lemongrass
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 salam leaf or bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 cup tamarind juice
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• salt
• 1 slice cucumber
• mint

Directions

1. 1

   Whatever fish is used, it can be cut into small cubes or slices before frying.

2. 2

   Heat a little oil in a heavy frying-pan, and carefully brown the fish in it.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, in another frying-pan, fry the chopped shallots (or onion) and garlic until tender.

4. 4

   Stir in the chilli, ginger, turmeric, coriander, lemon grass, salam, salt and tamarind water.

5. 5

   Let this mixture simmer for 10 minutes, then put in the fish.

6. 6

   Cover, and simmer for another 10 minutes.

7. 7

   Add the santen and cook for a further 5 minutes.

8. 8

   Serve hot, garnished with very thin slices of cucumber and chopped mint.

9. 9

   (Alternatively, put the cucumber and mint into the kare itself for the last 2 minutes of cooking.) Incidentally, the same care can be made with prawns.

10. 10

    There is no need to fry the prawns separately; but fry them in the mixture of onion, etcetera for a few minutes before you put in the tamarind water.