Gulai Kepala Ikan (Fish Head Curry)

Happy Monday!

I have a great curry recipe to share today. Indonesia style curry, I should say. In Indonesia we have Gulai (gule) and Kari. They can use just veggies (cassava leaves and/or fern, mainly), shrimps, beef, chicken, fish, and mutton. Both types of curry taste and look almost similar, however, one is richer than the other. It’s been said that gulai is richer than kari. Then there’s Rendang too, a drier type of curry. But even for Rendang, tons of varieties, not just drier type. The Javanese even have rendang as well, and theirs don’t really use coconut milk, and is also known as Semur. Oh yeah, that’s one thing distinctive for Indonesian curries, they use coconut milk heavily, with the exception of Javanese style rendang (semur) 😊

Anyways!

For today’s curry, I am sharing fish head curry! It’s a GULAI instead a Kari dish 😁

Most of the time, Indonesians use red snapper head. While I did see at the store, I decided to use salmon heads instead. No, scratch that. I HONESTLY wasn’t sure what I grabbed. Salmon or trout. The packaging only said “fish head” 🤣

I Googled for salmon and trout. They look almost similar. The inside was pinkish too, just like salmon and/or trout would 😁

1.3 kg salmon/trout head (red snapper is what we normally use in Indonesia)
1/3 c lemon juice
1/2 tsp coriander ground
1/4 tsp galangal powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 tsp sweet paprika powder
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
3 kafir lime leaves
2 Indonesian salam leaves
1 lemongrass
1/2 of a large onion
4 garlic
3 red bird eye chilies
1/4 c canola oil
1/4 c water
1 can coconut milk
1/2 can water
1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
A handful of basil leaves

Cover cleaned (washed and gil removed) fish head in lemon juice, let stand 15-20 mins

In a food processor, make paste out of garlic onion, bird eye chilies, water and oil

Place spices and leaves plus lemongrass in a pot/wok/pan

Pour in paste, cook til bubbly and fragrant

Add in fish head, flip to coat, cook for 2-3 mins

Pour in coconut milk, water, and season with bouillon powder. Cover, and cook on low medium heat

Once boiling, take off lid, add in basil leaves, cover with lid, continue cooking until fish head cooked through (in total it was 45 mins)

Enjoy with warm rice 😍

Print Recipe

Gulai Kepala Ikan

Servings: 0

Ingredients

• 1.3 kg salmon/trout head red snapper is what we normally use in Indonesia
• 1/3 c lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp coriander ground
• 1/4 tsp galangal powder
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/4 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 kafir lime leaves
• 2 Indonesian salam leaves
• 1 lemongrass
• 1/2 of a large onion
• 4 garlic
• 3 red bird eye chilies
• 1/4 c canola oil
• 1/4 c water
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 can water
• 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
• A handful of basil leaves

Instructions

• over cleaned (washed and gil removed) fish head in lemon juice, let stand 15-20 mins
• In a food processor, make paste out of garlic onion, bird eye chilies, water and oil
• Place spices and leaves plus lemongrass in a pot/wok/pan
• Pour in paste, cook til bubbly and fragrant
• Add in fish head, flip to coat, cook for 2-3 mins
• Pour in coconut milk, water, and season with bouillon powder. Cover, and cook on low medium heat
• Once boiling, take off lid, add in basil leaves, cover with lid, continue cooking until fish head cooked through (in total it was 45 mins)
• Enjoy with warm rice

Video