GULAI
INDONESIA
Indonesian chilies, known as lombok, have a mild heat and can be used in abundance to make the various sambals and chili pastes essential to Indonesian food. Those available in the West are either mild or too fiery. Use the mild ones with one or two fiery chilies to re-create the mild heat so typical of Indonesian chili pastes. You can also buy excellent Indonesian ready-made pastes to use in curries and other dishes. Serve this curry with plain rice or Indonesian Yellow Rice and shrimp crackers.
SERVES 4 TO 6
2¼ pounds (1 kg) tilapia or other similar fish, cut into steaks or big chunks
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt
FOR THE CHILI PASTE
5 mild fresh red chilies
1 bird’s eye chili
3 small shallots, peeled
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon shrimp paste (terasi)
1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled
1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh turmeric, peeled
FOR THE CURRY
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, halved lengthwise and smashed
1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons (400 ml) coconut cream
2 teaspoons seedless tamarind paste, diluted with 2 tablespoons water
Sea salt
Vegetable oil, for pan-frying the fish
1. Pat the fish dry with paper towels, then rub it with the lemon juice and a little salt.
2. To make the chili paste: Put all the ingredients for the chili paste in a food processor (see Note) and process until you have a fine paste.
3. To make the curry: Heat the 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or a wide deep pan over medium heat until hot. Add the chili paste and fry, stirring regularly, until fragrant. Add the bay leaves and lemongrass and stir for a minute or so. Add the coconut cream, tamarind water, and season with salt to taste. Let bubble gently until a little oil rises to the surface, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium heat, pour in enough oil to cover the bottom, and heat until the oil is hot. Working in batches, slide the fish into the pan and sear on both sides until crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. In between batches, wipe the pan clean and add more oil.
5. Add the pan-fried fish to the sauce and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
NOTE: Indonesian cooks use a shallow mortar with a horizontal pestle to grind the ingredients for the chili paste rather than beat down on them, but many also use a food processor.