Rays are a favorite food in Singapore and Malaysia. This fish is cartilaginous, so it doesn’t have the fine bones that characterize other fishes, and lends itself to sour curries very well. The rays brought to market tend to be fairly small. Skate comes from the same family, and skate wings could also be used in this dish very successfully.
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 500 g/1¼ lb ray steaks
- 6 sour star fruit
- 30 ml/2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
- 350 ml/12 fl oz/1½ cups water
- Juice of 1 lime
- 5 ml/1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt
- Sweet basil leaves, to garnish
For the spice paste:
- 2 red chilies, seeded and chopped
- 8 shallots, chopped
- 15 g/½ oz fresh turmeric
- 15 g/½ oz galangal
- 15 g/½ oz shrimp paste
Method:
Cut the fish into large pieces and rub them with about 5 ml/1 teaspoon salt. Slice the sour start fruit in half lengthways and discard the pith.
Grind the ingredients for the spice paste together with a mortar and pestle, until fine and well blended.
In a pan, blend the tamarind with water and lime juice, add the paste and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes then add the fish and the start fruit and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Add salt and sugar to taste and garnish with basil leaves before serving.