Thai Peanut Fish Curry Recipe by Madam Kopi Oh

One of the most important ingredients in this dish is the crispy fried onion. You can get this ingredient from any Asian food store in your neighbourhood. You can also make the fried onions at home too.

We will be using dried spices and tamarind to balance the creamy, nutty flavours of the curry paste. All in all, a very rich aromatic dish as you would come to expect from a Thai cuisine. By following this recipe, you should be able to serve around 5 to 6 persons.

Ingredients:

• 50 g (1¾ oz/1/3 cup) sesame seeds
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of desiccated coconut
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 40 g (1½ oz/½ cup) crisp fried onion
• 5 cm (2 in) piece ginger, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons tamarind purée
• 1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts
• 8 curry leaves, plus extra to serve
• 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) firm white fish fillets, cut into skinless 2 cm (¾ in) cubes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Steps to Preparing the Perfect Thai Peanut Fish Curry:

1. Heat the frying pan up with medium heat. Put in the pan some sesame seeds and stir until the seeds become golden. Then you will add in the spices – cayenne pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, desiccated coconut. With medium heat, stir for around one to two minutes – until the spices release a slightly strong hint of aroma. Remove the spices from the frying pan and let cool.
2. Next, get your food processor ready. Put the fried onions, ginger, tamarind, some salt, peanut butter, roasted peanuts, sesame, garlic and some hot water in the food processor. Blend the mixture until a rich, smooth texture is formed.
3. Using a frying pan over medium heat, cook the sauce and curry leaves for a few minutes until it simmers. Keep the heat at medium level and let the mixture simmer for around 15 minutes.
4. 15 minutes later, the sauce will have become thicker. Now’s the time to add the fish into the pan. Cover the pan, and let the fish simmer in the sauce for another five minutes.
5. Add some lime or lemon juice depending on your preference. Season well with some salt and pepper.
6. Decorate with some curry leaves.
7. The dish is now ready to be served!