Fish head curry Gulai kepala ikan | Gourmet Traveller

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 kg fish head, preferably snapper
• 60 ml vegetable oil (¼ cup)
• ¼ tsp black mustard seeds
• 50 curry leaves (see note)
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 stalk lemon grass, outer leaves removed, white part only, bruised
• 1 star anise
• 30 gm Malaysian fish curry powder (see note) (¼ cup)
• 2½ tbsp tamarind pulp, soaked in 2 cups of warm water
• 500 ml light coconut milk (2 cups)
• 5 small okra
• 2 Japanese eggplants, cut into wedges
• 1 vine-ripened tomato, cut into wedges
• Spice paste
• 5 dried long red chillies, soaked in boiling water until soft, drained
• 2 fresh long red chillies, seeds removed and coarsely chopped
• 5 red shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 cm piece turmeric, thinly sliced
• 2 cm piece galangal, coarsely chopped
• 5 cm piece ginger, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced