5. Authentic Thai Fish Curry Recipe: Nam Ya Kati
It would be remiss to do a curry story without a Thai addition, as they have created their own signature style of curry using red or green pastes that are now an essential item in most supermarkets. In Southern Thailand one of the most popular dishes in both restaurants and street food stalls is a fish curry, bright with the essence of curry paste and coconut milk. This recipe comes from the mother-in-law of Thai food blogger, Mark Wein. It is a recipe she prepared in her own street food cart and also her home in the Southern Thai town of Krabi. Unlike many curries, this one takes little cooking time.
Authentic Thai Fish Curry Recipe: Nam Ya Kati (Makes 1 very large pot)
Ingredients
For the curry
- 800 grams (1.7 pound) barracuda fish - you can also use mackerel or skid
- About 800 ml (27 ounces) fresh coconut cream
- About 1500 ml (3 pints) fresh coconut milk
- all of the curry paste ingredients below
- 2 tablespoon salt
- 20 kaffir lime leaves
For the curry paste:
- pinch of salt
- 4 stalks lemongrass
- 2 fingers turmeric
- 20 grams Thai dry chilies
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
Eat the curry with:
- khanom jeen - 1 kg - these are fresh rice noodles common in Thailand, but you could use any kind of rice noodles or rice
- deep fried chilies
- lemon basil
- sweet basil
- bean sprouts
- Chinese long-beans
- Or you can use any kind of fresh raw vegetables or herbs
Method
For the fish:
- Gut and clean the fish, then cut into medium sized pieces. Bring a pot of water to boil, then boil the fish for about 5 - 10 minutes until fully cooked.
- Remove the fish from the water, drain fully, and leave to cool.
- Once the fish is cool, carefully take off the skin and debone all the meat from the fish, and flake the fish in your fingers so it's almost like deboned minced fish. Discard the bones and skin.
- Set aside the fish for later.
For the curry paste:
- Cut off the ends of the lemongrass and tear off the outer few layers, then shave the lemongrass into small pieces. Cut the turmeric into small pieces as well.
- In a mortar and pestle (or alternatively a food processor), start with a pinch of salt, then pound the dry chilies first for about 10 minutes.
- Then add the lemongrass, turmeric, garlic, and peppercorns, and pound for about 30 minutes until a relatively smooth paste.
- Once the paste is pretty smooth, the final step is to add the shrimp paste, and pound and mix for another 5 minutes.
- Set aside.
For the curry:
- In a large pot or sauce pan, add all the coconut milk and curry paste, then turn on medium heat.
- Stir gently, and only in one direction, making sure all the curry paste dissolves into the coconut milk.
- Add the minced fish, season with salt, and tear the kaffir lime leaves in half and add them to the curry.
- Keep stirring in one direction, and once it comes to a boil, turn down the heat. You don't want the curry to boil strongly. Keep stirring gently for about 5 minutes once it comes to a boil.
- Taste test for flavor, you may need to add more salt.
