{"id":9918,"date":"2017-05-12T02:36:28","date_gmt":"2017-05-11T18:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theburningkitchen.com\/?p=9918"},"modified":"2019-08-30T15:08:30","modified_gmt":"2019-08-30T07:08:30","slug":"curry-fish-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theburningkitchen.com\/curry-fish-head\/","title":{"rendered":"Curry Fish Head"},"content":{"rendered":"

Curry Fish Head:\u00a0This iconic\u00a0Singaporean & Malaysian favourite\u00a0combines the rich spices of South India, the tangy flavour of tamarind and the creamy goodness of coconut milk\u00a0with deliciously tender fish head, a Chinese delicacy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In the early days, fishmongers used to discard the\u00a0fish heads or sell them cheap as not many people appreciated fish heads. Until\u00a0Curry Fish Head recipe was invented in the 1950s (at least by most accounts).\u00a0The popularity of this dish\u00a0which married South Indian culinary influences with Chinese tastes spread like wildfire. Before long, an influx of Curry Fish Head restaurants had\u00a0sprang up\u00a0along Race Course Road (including Our Makan Shop and\u00a0Muthu’s Curry Restaurant,\u00a0just to name a few).<\/p>\n

Fish head curry was one of my father’s favourite dish, so my\u00a0mother learnt how to\u00a0cook this curry at home as well. Each time she cooked his favourite curry fish head, my father would always have\u00a02 plates of plain rice flooded with curry gravy. After finishing the rice, he would slurp up the curry, licking the plate clean of\u00a0every last drop. He enjoyed this dish best eating with his hands, as our Indian friends do.\u00a0He would always go first for the tender fleshy cheeks, before scooping out the eyes which were a great treat for him.<\/p>\n

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At that time, Muthu’s Curry had (and still has) one of the best curry fish head in Singapore, so\u00a0among my generation, Fish Head Curry became synonymous with Muthu’s Curry. Of course nowadays you can find Fish Head Curry being sold at many\u00a0local eateries including food courts and zi char stalls, but Muthu’s Curry has managed to maintain its lead, going on to win a number of accolades for its\u00a0signature dish.
\nAs with most local cuisine, each ethnic groups in Singapore has their own unique style\u00a0of cooking\u00a0this appetising curry fish head – Indian, Chinese, Malay, and Peranakan. Some prefer the curry with the sourish taste of tamarind, some\u00a0prefer to make it\u00a0creamy by\u00a0adding coconut milk, and some (myself included) like a bit of both.<\/p>\n

Whatever style you choose, a good choice of fish head is Emperor Red Snapper,\u00a0because the meat does not disintegrate easily\u00a0during the cooking process. See our posts\u00a0Every Foodie’s MUST-HAVE Guide to 10 Common Local Fish<\/a>\u00a0and The 10 Things You MUST Know About Choosing the Freshest Fish<\/a>\u00a0to learn how to\u00a0identify and select Emperor Red Snapper. If you prefer, you can replace the Fish Head with Fish Cutlet or Fish Tail as well. If you are not a fish lover, why not try our\u00a0Chicken Curry recipe instead?<\/p>\n

Hope you enjoy this recipe, and please leave me a comment below if you have any questions, suggestions or feedback for me!<\/p>\n

\"Guide_to_Local_Fish_Emperor_Red_Snapper\"<\/p>\n

Suggested Modifications for Special Diets<\/strong><\/h4>\n