Fish head curry

Fish head curry
	Fish head curry served at a Singaporean restaurant
Alternative names	Kari kepala ikan (Malay or Indonesian) ; 咖哩魚頭 (Chinese)
Type	Curry
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Singapore
Region or state	Southeast Asia
Created by	M.J. Gomez
Serving temperature	Hot or warm
Main ingredients	Red snapper fish head, vegetables (okra, eggplant, Long bean,)
	Cookbook: Fish head curry;

Fish head curry is a Singaporean dish deriving from a hybrid of Indian and Chinese ethnic cuisines.^[1]^[2] The head of a red snapper is stewed in a curry with assorted vegetables such as okra and eggplants. It is usually served with either rice or bread, or as a shared dish.^[3]

Description[]

Fish head curry

Origins[]

Fish head curry was invented when a chef from the state of Kerala named M.J. Gomez living in Singapore wanted to bring South Indian cuisine to diners. He started a restaurant called Gomez Curry, which was located at Sophia Road and eventually to 9 Selegie Road, both located within Rochor. Although fish head was not widely served in India, Chinese customers considered Fish head casserole as a special delicacy, and so M.J. had the idea of cooking the fish in curry instead, therefore formulating a new dish.^[1]^[2]

Today, restaurants of all races in the country all serve variations of this dish. Fish head curry has become a popular dish among Singaporeans and tourists alike. Costing between S$10 to S$20, it is generally not considered cheap hawker fare. It typically comes served in a clay pot, and is often sold at hawker centers and neighbourhood food stalls.^[3]

Popularity outside Singapore[]

The dish has also become highly popular in Indonesia^[4] and Malaysia.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Preparation[]

Tamarind (asam) juice is frequently added to the gravy to give the dish a sweet-sour flavor (see asam fish). This variety of fish head curry also has a thinner, orange gravy.^{[citation needed]}

Coconut milk can be added to this dish.^{[citation needed]}

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "The man behind fish head curry". The Straits Times. 10 December 2017. He (M.J. Gomez) came to Singapore from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, in the 1930s before returning to get married. After the birth of his first child, a daughter, he returned to Singapore, only to get caught here during the war. Mr Gomez then came to Singapore again, and later brought his family over. They lived in Sophia Road, where he started his restaurant, Gomez Curry, which later moved to nearby Selegie Road.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Sterba, James P. "Singapore Special: Fish Head Curry". nytimes.com. New York Times. Retrieved 2 September 2021. M. J. Gomez, the George Washington of fish head curry,. arrived in Singapore in 1928 from Trivandrum on the Malabar coast of India, which is now the state of Kerala. Now more than a dozen restaurants in Singapore serve it as their main course, often with just variety of curried crab, shrimp, other meats and vegetables as side dishes.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Chan, M. (1986, November 2). Fish-head curry on a platter. The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Khoo, T., & Tay, L. (2015). The Singapore heritage cookbook: Past, present, future. Singapore: Food2Print Asia, p. 199. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 KHO)
^ Inc, Tastemade. "Gulai Kepala Ikan ~ Resep". Tastemade.
^ 1001 Foods To Die For. Andrews McMeel Publishing. 2007. p. 284. ISBN 978-0-7407-7043-2. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
^ Singapore Hawker Classics Unveiled: Decoding 25 Favourite Dishes. Marshall Cavendish. 2015. p. 69. ISBN 978-981-4677-86-8. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
^ "Fish head curry (gulai kepala ikan)". SBS.

[FHCSG-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "The man behind fish head curry". The Straits Times. 10 December 2017. He (M.J. Gomez) came to Singapore from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, in the 1930s before returning to get married. After the birth of his first child, a daughter, he returned to Singapore, only to get caught here during the war. Mr Gomez then came to Singapore again, and later brought his family over. They lived in Sophia Road, where he started his restaurant, Gomez Curry, which later moved to nearby Selegie Road.

[NYT-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Sterba, James P. "Singapore Special: Fish Head Curry". nytimes.com. New York Times. Retrieved 2 September 2021. M. J. Gomez, the George Washington of fish head curry,. arrived in Singapore in 1928 from Trivandrum on the Malabar coast of India, which is now the state of Kerala. Now more than a dozen restaurants in Singapore serve it as their main course, often with just variety of curried crab, shrimp, other meats and vegetables as side dishes.

[KTTL-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b Chan, M. (1986, November 2). Fish-head curry on a platter. The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Khoo, T., & Tay, L. (2015). The Singapore heritage cookbook: Past, present, future. Singapore: Food2Print Asia, p. 199. (Call no.: RSING 641.595957 KHO)

[4] Inc, Tastemade. "Gulai Kepala Ikan ~ Resep". Tastemade.

[5] 1001 Foods To Die For. Andrews McMeel Publishing. 2007. p. 284. ISBN 978-0-7407-7043-2. Retrieved July 17, 2017.

[6] Singapore Hawker Classics Unveiled: Decoding 25 Favourite Dishes. Marshall Cavendish. 2015. p. 69. ISBN 978-981-4677-86-8. Retrieved July 17, 2017.

[7] "Fish head curry (gulai kepala ikan)". SBS.

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Fish head curry

Contents

Description[]

Origins[]

Popularity outside Singapore[]

Preparation[]

See also[]

References[]

Fish head curry served at a Singaporean restaurant
Alternative names	Kari kepala ikan (Malay or Indonesian) 咖哩魚頭 (Chinese)
Type	Curry
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Singapore^[1]^[2]
Region or state	Southeast Asia
Created by	M.J. Gomez
Serving temperature	Hot or warm
Main ingredients	Red snapper fish head, vegetables (okra, eggplant, Long bean,)
Cookbook: Fish head curry

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