In Malaysia
and Singapore,
fish head curry (Chinese and Indian roots) is a dish where the head
of an Ikan Merah (red snapper, literally "Red fish"),
is semi-stewed in a Kerala-style
curry
with assorted vegetables such as okra and brinjals and usually served with either rice or bread.
Fish head curry or Muri Ghanto is an essential Bengali food item.
Made with rice and fish head. The fish used generally is Rohu. It is a festive item
in Bengali menu used in many occasion like Bhai Phota, Aiburo Bhaat and Saadh.
The item is cooked as such the rich is not totally boiled, giving the dish a
grany texture. This can easily be called paella of Bengal. A slightly varied
version is also cooked in the Mithilanchal
part of Bihar known as the Muri Ghanth.In this type a
day old fried heads of any fish is used and it is cooked in pulses.
In Mithila, Orissa and
Bengal (Bangladesh and West Bengal) where the staple is rice and fish, one very
popular fish head curry is made with moog or ung beans but other
vegetables can also be used. The gravy is very thick and very spicy and the Rui
fish (Rohita)
is most popular for this.
Tamarind
(asam) juice is frequently added to the gravy to give it a sweet-sour
taste (see asam fish);
this variety of fish head curry normally has a thinner, orange gravy.
Additionally, a relative amount of coconut milk is often used in the curry. It
is a dish of relative popularity amongst Malaysians and Singaporeans and their
tourists, although it is generally not categorised as cheap hawker
fare. The origins of the modern dish began in Singapore, with a chef wanting
his South Indian-style food to cater to a wider clientele, notably Chinese
customers who considered fish head a specialty. Today, restaurants of not only
Indian, but Malay, Chinese and Peranakan association, serve variations of this
dish.
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