Creative Cooking: Pumpkin Fish Curry

Have you ever considered adding pumpkin (Vegan Pumpkin Soup) to your fish curry? It might sound unusual, even outlandish, but trust me, it's a culinary experiment that's worth trying (). I ventured into uncharted territory with my first attempt at Pumpkin Fish Curry, and the results were nothing short of fabulous (Pumpkin Salted Fish Curry). The inspiration for this dish? Well, it simply popped into my mind during one of my culinary musings.

I've prepared various fish curries in the past, driven by my husband's love for fish (South Indian Fish Curry, Nyonya Fish Curry & Sri Lankan Fish Curry), but his aversion to pork and poultry? This leaves me with limited options, with mutton/lamb (Malay Style Mutton Curry & Lamb Massaman Curry) making a monthly appearance and fish being a constant feature on our dining table. The challenge, then, is to keep each fish dish interesting and different. In the case of Pumpkin Fish Curry, it's the addition of pumpkin and dried fenugreek leaves that make all the difference.

Ingredients:

5 pieces of mackerel or tenggiri fish (with a dash of turmeric powder)

1/2 small pumpkin (skin intact, seeds removed and sliced)

Dried fenugreek leaves – as needed

Fish curry powder (mixed with water to form a paste)

Tamarind juice – as needed

2 sliced onions

½ tbsp ginger paste

½ tbsp garlic paste

½ tbsp fenugreek seeds

½ tbsp black mustard seeds

1/4 cup oil

Salt per taste

Water - as needed

 

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan and add sliced onions, ginger paste, garlic paste, fenugreek seeds, and black mustard seeds.

Once the seeds start to pop, add the fish curry powder, stirring until the oil separates.

Add the sliced pumpkin, stirring and cooking for 2-3 minutes.

Pour in water as needed and continue cooking until the pumpkin is 3/4 softened.

Add the fish, salt, and tamarind juice, gently stirring.

Cook until the fish is done and then off the heat.

Sprinkle a generous amount of dried fenugreek leaves over the curry, allowing them to slowly infuse their flavor.

 

This unique Pumpkin Fish Curry will surely tantalize your taste buds with its rich and aromatic flavors. Give it a try and experience a delightful twist on traditional fish curry.