VEGETABLE & FISH CURRY

Mom had a craving for vegetable curry so I headed to Sis's place ....she cooks amazing curries!
Well, it looked simple enough ...so lets go !

You will need:

Spices

* Ground spices of 2 big onions, 4 garlic, 2" ginger, 3 stalks lemon grass

* Star anise 2 pcs
*Cinnamon Stick 2 pcs
*Fennel seeds - 1 Tabsp
* Cardamon - 2 pcs (if you really do not know what these are just go buy the ready pack ones at the supermarket - they have some different spices ready packed in small packets )
* Lemon Grass - 2 stalk
* curry Leaves - 4 stalks
* Kaffir Lime leaves - 10 pcs (daun Limau purut)
* 5 Tabsp fish curry powder

* 200 ml coconut milk

Vegetables:
quantity is variable and totally up to you if if you prefer one vegetable to another , just add more of it and less of the other or totally omit if you like. these are my fave..
600 gm Brinjal , cut diagonally
600 gm long beans broken into 2 inch lengths (they claim it taste better when you break them and not cut....)
700 gm small ladies fingers (okra) - (I like the small ones so you cook them whole)
600 gm Cabbage - tear into pieces ( or cut if you like...)

Optional:

1 kg Stingray cut into 2 inch pieces
Omit fish if you are vegetarian - obviously !

Lets cook now!

Heat up some oil and fry the ground spices on low heat for about 5-7 minutes , till the spices are fragrant and the oil seems to float on it.

Add in the spices and continue to fry unitl fragrant.

Add in the leaves .....can you smell it already????? Mmmmmmmm...!!!
Mix the curry powder with some water and add to the spices. continue to fry until the oil floats to the top - this is the crucial part - if not done properly the curry will taste of half cooked curry powder! Remeber , low heat and fry slowly - test of patience but the results pays off !

Add about 1000 ml water to the curry . Now add the vegetables - the brinjals take longest to cook ( surprisingly ) , so they go in first.
Then the long beans...

and the cabbage and okra

and fish.Once the fish is almost done add the coconut milk and bring to boil . Cook for another 3 -4 minutes and.....

viola! Yummy veg and fish curry !

Another great option is to add salted fish - the favor is totally different then and really really good. Unfortunately I ran out of salted fish............next time.....
Thanks, Sis!