Salted Fish Gulai Coming Up!

This recipe brings back precious memories. It was one of my best friends in my work place during the last chapter of my working life who willingly gave me this delicious recipe. She's a town planner in a reputable architectural firm where I still go visit time to time. Working life is comfortable and exciting but being a mommy is most satisfying. Let me not derail from my thoughts, originally this is a basic gulai with salted fish, brinjals, lady fingers and tomatoes. I took the opportunity to modify it just a little to suit my taste.

4 pieces of salted fish head (in place of the whole salted fish pieces) 1 Ma Yaw fish head (cut into chunks) 5 pieces of Ma Yaw fish cutlets

Fish roe (fish eggs) 8 lady fingers (blanche in hot water) 3 round brinjals (cut into quarters) 2 large ripe red tomatoes (cut into quarters)

1 large onion (cut into quarters) 3 Tbsp Burung Nuri fish curry powder 1 tsp sugar 1 Tbsp assam jawa (soaked in hot water and seeds discarded) Ingredients to be blended 3 cloves garlic 5 shallots 1 piece of 3" ginger 3 big red chillies 5 small chillies 3 dried chillies (presoaked in hot water) All the fish, fish roe and salted fish head pieces must be pre-fried in oil and drained. Pour some olive oil into a heated curry pot. Stir fry all the blended ingredients till fragrant and add in the curry powder and a little sugar. Put in the salted fish head and fry for another 15 minutes adding assam water and some hot water as it goes. Simmer for 20 minutes. In goes brinjal, onion and tomatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes till vegetable is soft. Notice I don't add in the lady fingers cos I like it a little raw but if you like it very cooked you can put it in together with the rest of the veggies. Add in the ma yaw fish and simmer for 10 minutes. Gulai is served. I usually eat 2 plates of rice with this dish.