Fish head curry

Fish head curry

Indian version of fish head curry
Type	Curry
Main ingredients	Red snapper fish heads, vegetables (okra, eggplants)

Peranakan version of fish head curry

Fish head curry is a dish in Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine with Chinese and Indian origins and also popular in Nepal. The head of a red snapper is semi-stewed in a Kerala-style curry with assorted vegetables such as okra and eggplants. It is usually served with either rice or bread, or as a shared dish.

History

Fish head curry or Muri Ghanto is an essential Bengali food item. Made with rice and fish head. The fish used generally is Rohu. It is a festive item in Bengali menu used in many occasion like Bhai Phota, Aiburo Bhaat and Saadh. The dish is prepared so that the rice is not completely cooked through, giving it a grany texture. This can easily be called paella of Bengal.

It is a dish of relative popularity amongst Malaysians and Singaporeans and their tourists, although it is generally not categorised as cheap hawker fare. A typical fish head curry served in a claypot cost between USD10-20 and some of the best can be found in hawker centres and neighbourhood food stalls. The origins of the modern dish began in Singapore, with a chef wanting his South Indian-style food to cater to a wider clientele, notably Chinese customers who considered fish head a specialty. Today, restaurants of not only Indian, but Malay, Chinese and Peranakan association, serve variations of this dish.

In Mithila, Odisha and Bengal (Bangladesh and West Bengal) where the staple is rice and fish, one very popular fish head curry is made with moog or ung beans but other vegetables can also be used. The gravy is very thick and very spicy and the Rui fish (Rohita) is most popular for this.

Preparations

A slightly varied version is also cooked in the Mithilanchal part of Bihar known as the Muri Ghanth. In this type a day-old fried head of any fish is used and it is cooked in pulses.

Tamarind (asam) juice is frequently added to the gravy to give it a sweet-sour taste (see asam fish); this variety of fish head curry normally has a thinner, orange gravy. Additionally, a relative amount of coconut milk is often used in the curry.

See also

• Malabar matthi curry
• Oriya cuisine
• Cuisine of Malaysia
• Cuisine of Singapore
• Peranakan cuisine