Dish of Sour Fish Curry
(click to enlarge)

Sour Fish Curry


Sri Lanka   -   Maalu Ambul Thiyal
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3 w/rice
***
1-1/2 hrs
Yes		 Famous and delicious! Delicious! From the list you can see this is not a dish for wimps, but in Sri Lanka, even the women love this dish - so man up, or slink out.

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oz
oz
cl
in
T

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in
c
c
Fish (1)
-- Paste
Goraka (2)
Onion
Garlic
Ginger
Peppercorns blk
Cardamom pods
Chili Powder (3)  
Turmeric
Coconut Oil
Salt
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Banana Leaf (4)
Curry Leaf (5)
Pandan Leaf (6)
Water
Water
Do Ahead
  1. Prepare your FISH (scale, clean, fillet or whatever you need to do)
Prep   -   (25 min)
  1. Cut FISH into pieces about 1-1/2 inches on a side.
  2. Soak GORAKA in 1/2 cup hot water until soft. Chop it fine, then pound to a paste in a mortar. Add just enough water to make a thin paste (the soaking water is fine).
  3. Chop ONION small. Crush GARLIC and chop small. Slice GINGER thin and chop small. Mix all with Goraka.
  4. Grind Peppercorns and Cardamom in your spice grinder.and mix with Goraka.
  5. Mix all Paste items and run as smooth as you can get it in a blender or mini-prep processor.
Run   -   (1 hr)
  1. In a spacious sauté pan (3-1/2 qt), line with Banana Leaf (if using). Place Pandan Leaf in the pan (if using).
  2. In a mixing bowl, mix Fish with Paste and 1/2 cup Water. Massage it all together until evenly distributed (taking care not to break up the fish). Let it sit aside for 20 minutes or more.
  3. Mix 1 cup Water into the Fish, then place pieces in the sauté pan, in a single layer if possible. Scatter Curry Leaves over the Fish, then pour all the Sauce remaining in the bowl over the Fish.
  4. Cook uncovered over medium heat until the liquid is of sauce consistency. Do not stir or the fish may break up, just shake the pan now and then.
  5. Serve with plenty of steamed Jasmine rice.
NOTES:

  1. Fish:

      Weight is for Fillets, skin on or skin off as appropriate. The official fish is Tuna, some prefer Bonito as the best Tuna for the dish. Mackerel is also used, and other fish that cook firm can be used. The photo is of my test run, and my test runs are always with Tilapia, and it worked fine, but mackerel would be my choice (Tuna is in the Mackerel family).

  2. Goraka:

      [Gambooge, Gummi-Gutta]   Most recipes call for 5 pieces (0.75 ounce, 21 grams) but I use a bit more (1 oz = 28 grams = 6 pieces). Goraka may be difficult to find, but it is available on-line. If you can't get it, use Black Kokum (more plum-like and less citrusy). If you can't get that either use Tamarind Paste - different, considered too sour for fish, but in the ball park (Goraka is often called "fish tamarind"). Cut a 2 ounce piece from the block, or 3 Tablespoons from a jar. For details see our Kokum / Gambooge and Tamarind pages.

  3. Chili Powder:

      I don't know what chili powder they use in Sri Lanka, but I use Indian Reshampatti or Khandela, which are medium hot. For details see our Indian Chilis page.

  4. Banana Leaf

      This is particularly needed for the traditional Sri Lankan method. A clay pot is lined with Banana Leaf to prevent sticking, and in the traditional method, the curry is simmered down until very dry. Banana Leaf is less needed if you keep your curry somewhat liquid, as many do today.

  5. Curry Leaves

      These fresh leaves are necessary for the true flavor of southern India, and are now reasonably available in Indian markets, at least here in California. Dried ones aren't of much use (unless you force dried them yourself within a couple weeks). If you don't have them you will have to leave them out - there is no acceptable substitute. My curry leaf trees bear leaves much smaller than commercial curry leaves, so I double the quantity. For details see our Curry Leaves page.

  6. Pandan Leaf:

      Some toss in some Pandanus leaf. For details see our Pandanus page.

  7. Comments

      Originating with the Sinhala people of Sri Lanka, this was also a method for preserving fish. Simmered down quite dry, this dish can sit at room temperature for several days without spoiling. Today, with refrigeration available, many people, including myself, like a bit of sauce with it, and don't boil it down completely dry. The Paste varies somewhat from recipe to recipe, in complexity and ingredients. As given here it is quite typical. As for the name, Maalu means Fish, Ambul means Sour. I find no translation for Thiyal so I presume it is a Sinhala name for a particular type of dry curry.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch tt=to taste ar=as required
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