Curry is a quite popular dish during Tet holidays or simply just on weekends to change the flavor for the family. Let’s get cooking today to make delicious mackerel and salmon curry in two ways!
1. Mackerel Curry
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
1 hour
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Mackerel Curry Serves 2
Mackerel 700 gr Eggplant 1 piece Potato 2 pieces Carrot 1 piece Basil 20 gr Lemongrass 2 stalks Curry powder 1 packet (100gr) Coconut milk 400 ml Red onion 2 pieces Garlic 4 cloves Chili 2 pieces Cooking oil 4 tablespoons Common seasoning a little (salt/ MSG/ seasoning powder/ sugar)
How to choose fresh and delicious ingredients
How to choose good mackerel
- You should choose mackerel with clear, shiny eyes that clearly show the pupil and are bulging. Do not choose those with cloudy, red, or sunken eyes as these are fish that are no longer fresh and have been stored for a long time.
- Press the flesh of the fish with your hand, choose those with firm, elastic flesh that is not slimy.
- Flip the gills to observe, select fish with pink-red gills that are still bright. Do not choose fish with bruised black gills or pale green ones.
- Do not choose fish showing signs of bruising, sliminess, mushiness, or a soft belly.
How to choose good eggplants
- You should choose eggplants with intact skin, shiny, smooth, and evenly colored.
- When picked up, they should feel solid, not too light, and when pressed lightly, they should not be too hard, and no liquid should come out to be purchased.
- Choose those that still have the stem at the top, as the ones with the stem connected to the body are still fresh and good.
- You can gently press on the eggplant, and if you see an imprint on the skin, it is ripe.
How to choose delicious potatoes
- Choose potatoes that feel firm, heavy, intact, and have a smooth skin surface.
- Golden potatoes will be tastier and sweeter compared to those that are slightly whiteish.
- Avoid choosing wrinkled potatoes, those that feel soft when squeezed, or have black spots, are rotten, or leaking water.
- Absolutely do not choose potatoes that have turned green or sprouted potatoes as they are extremely dangerous to health.
How to choose delicious carrots
- Choose carrots that are of moderate size, elongated and straight towards the tail, with smooth skin, firm to the touch, and slightly hard.
- Choose carrots that are bright, deep orange in color, with fresh green leaves firmly attached to the body of the carrot.
- Avoid choosing overly large carrots, especially those with thick leaves, stems at the root, and thick shoulders.
Coconut milk: You can buy it at the market, grocery stores, or in convenient canned forms at supermarkets, especially this product is available at stores and on the TasteVN website. Additionally, you can also easily make coconut milk at home, ensuring health safety.
How to make Mackerel Curry
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Prepare the vegetables
Peeled potatoes, washed clean and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Carrots should also be peeled, washed clean, and cut into bite-sized pieces about 2 – 2.5cm long.
Eggplants washed clean, cut into pieces about 2 – 2.5cm long.
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Prepare the mackerel
Bring the mackerel home, remove the innards, cut into cross-sections about 1cm thick (you can ask someone to help cut it), then soak in diluted salt water for about 5 minutes and rinse well with water several times and let it drain.
How to clean fish without a fishy smell: You can gently rub the fish or soak the fish in water with ingredients such as: lemon or vinegar, salt, white wine, crushed or sliced ginger. Soak for about 10 – 15 minutes. Then rinse with water several times to clean.
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Prepare the spices
Peel the garlic and shallots, crush and finely chop them. Remove the outer layer of the lemongrass, wash the tender part, then crush and finely chop it.
Crush the chili peppers, and pick the young leaves of the basil.
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Marinate the fish
Put the cut fish into a bowl along with the ingredients: a little chopped lemongrass and garlic, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, a little monosodium glutamate, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 packet of curry powder, then mix well and marinate for about 15 minutes for the fish to absorb the flavor.
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Frying Fish
Place a pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and heat it up, then arrange the fish evenly in the pan and fry on medium heat until the fish is firm and lightly golden on both sides.
Tip:
- You should fry the fish until it is golden on one side before flipping it to avoid the fish breaking apart if it is not golden when flipped.
- Use a non-stick pan to fry the fish without it breaking and to make it easier.
- Arrange the fish evenly; if the pan is small, you can divide the fish into batches to fry. Avoid stacking them on top of each other, as this will cause the fish to break and not cook evenly.
- Frying the fish will help make the fish meat firm; when cooking fish curry, it will not become mushy and break apart.
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Stir-frying Vegetables
Reuse the bowl that was just marinated with fish to add the prepped vegetables along with 1/2 packet of the remaining curry powder, a little monosodium glutamate, a little salt, and a little seasoning powder, then stir well for the vegetables to absorb the flavors.
Place a pot on the stove, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, then add the remaining minced lemongrass, onion, and garlic to sauté until fragrant for about 2 – 3 minutes, then add 2 smashed chili peppers to sauté.
Continue to add the marinated vegetables and stir-fry on medium heat for about 5 – 7 minutes.
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Cooking Curry
Pour clean water into the bowl that has been used to marinate the fish and vegetables to wash away the seasonings, then pour it into the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Add more clean water until you have a total of 2 liters. Cover and cook for about 30 – 40 minutes until the ingredients are soft over low heat.
Then add the eggplant and season with: 1 teaspoon of salt, 1.5 teaspoons of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and stir well. You can adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.
Next, add the fried fish and pour in 400ml of coconut milk. If you want your curry to be thick, you can mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 20ml of water and pour it into the curry pot, adding it slowly while stirring the curry mixture. Cook on medium heat for another 5 – 10 minutes before turning off the heat.
When serving, add a little basil to create a fragrant aroma.
Tip:
- You can use chopsticks or a skewer to poke into the carrots and potatoes to check; if it easily pierces through, the potatoes and carrots are well cooked.
- You can use fresh coconut water instead of clean water to cook the curry for a more delicious flavor.
- If you are using it as a dip with bread, you can use less water to make it thicker.
- If you are having it with noodles or rice noodles, you can add more water, making the curry mixture thinner. Remember to adjust the seasoning accordingly.
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Finished Product
The fragrant curry dish, with a rich and aromatic broth, and the harmonious blend of salty and sweet flavors will make you want to savor every bite. Enjoy it with bread or noodles for the best experience. Quickly get into the kitchen and make it right away.
2. Salmon Curry
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
50 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Salmon Curry Serves 3 people
Salmon fillet 1 piece (400gr) White wine a little Onion 1 bulb Cilantro a little Roasted dill a little (in powder or seed form) Tomato 1 fruit Chili powder 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon Coriander powder a little Garlic 3 cloves Cooking oil 3 tablespoons Cilantro a little Salt a little
How to choose fresh and delicious ingredients
How to choose delicious salmon
You can use whole salmon or salmon fillets, both are fine!
For whole salmon
- The gills of the salmon: observe that for fresh salmon, the gills should be red, not bruised or blackened.
- The body of the salmon: check the scales and skin of the fish to ensure they are bright and shiny. The body should not have scratches, bruises, and the scales should not be peeling off.
- The eyes of the salmon: observe that the eyes are bright, clear, not cloudy or yellowing, indicating freshness.
For salmon fillets
- It is best to buy salmon that has a bright orange color, with evenly distributed white fat lines that are shiny and smooth, with no signs of darkening or unpleasant odor. Fresh salmon fillets should not be mushy and should have a certain firmness.
- Do not choose pieces of fish that are mushy, pale in color, or have cloudy fat lines, as these indicate that the fish has been stored too long and is not fresh.
See more: How to choose delicious salmon, how to prepare and preserve fresh salmon for a long time, correctly
How to choose delicious tomatoes
- You should choose tomatoes that have smooth, shiny skin, are juicy with a bright red color, and the stem is still green and firmly attached to the body.
- Avoid choosing those that are bruised or have small black spots, or have uneven colors of both green and red.
- If you touch them and they feel too soft or too hard, or if there is juice leaking out, you should not buy them, as they may be spoiled.
How to choose good onions
- Choose onions that are round in shape with long roots, as these are the good ones. Avoid buying those with unusual shapes or completely missing roots as they will not be tasty.
- Good onions will have a firm, smooth skin, a beautiful yellow color, without dark spots, sliminess, and will cling closely to the bulb.
How to prepare Salmon Curry
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Prepare the salmon
Use tweezers to remove any remaining bones from the salmon fillet, then soak it in diluted salt water with a bit of white wine for about 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly with water.
Use a knife to cut the salmon into small square pieces of 3cm with a thickness of about 0.5 – 1cm.
How to prepare salmon without a fishy smell
- You can soak the whole piece of salmon in lemon or vinegar, diluted white wine with some sliced ginger for about 10 minutes.
- Gently massage the salmon piece with salt, lemon, wine, or ginger and let it sit for about 10 minutes, then rinse with water.
- Soak the salmon in fresh milk for about 10 minutes and then rinse with water.
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Marinate the salmon
Place the marinated salmon on a plate and sprinkle a little salt on the surface of the fish, gently rubbing with your hands to ensure the salt is evenly absorbed on both sides. Marinate for about 10 minutes.
Heat a pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and heat it up, then put the marinated fish in and sear both sides briefly, about 1 minute on each side over medium heat, then turn off the heat, remove the fish and place it on a plate to drain the oil.
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Prepare vegetables
Wash the vegetables thoroughly, then peel and dice the onion, and dice the tomatoes.
Peel and finely chop the garlic. Chop the cilantro.
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Make curry sauce
Use the same pan that was used to fry the fish, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and heat it up, add the onion and sauté until golden, then add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, a little coriander powder, and 50ml of water, mix all the ingredients and cook for about 6 – 8 minutes on medium heat until the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.
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Cook curry
Next, add 200ml of water (or the amount of water you want) to the sauce pan, mix well for about 2 minutes, then add the fried salmon.
Use a spoon to drizzle the sauce over the salmon for flavor, cover and cook for about 8 minutes on medium heat to finish.
Tip: You can adjust the seasoning to suit your family’s taste!
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Final product
Turn off the heat and sprinkle some roasted dill powder and fresh coriander on top of the dish to complete it.
Salmon curry brings you a unique curry cooking recipe, delicious and unusual flavors for the family. The soft and fatty salmon meat blends with the sour sauce along with the aroma of various ingredients, and the spicy heat of chili served with hot rice will make you unable to stop eating!
See more:
Hope the article provides you with another delicious, nutritious fish curry recipe for the family. Wish you success in making it. Check out more recipes in the cooking section!
* Refer to the source of images and recipes from 2 YouTube channels: Wife’s Kitchen, Banglar Rannaghor.
