Cycle 3 – Item 295

26 (Fri) October 2012

Mackerel & Potatoes in Whitened Red Curry

1.5

by me

at home

-Oksu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with W and DJ, MIL

During my recent trip to Colombo, I picked up a variety of Sri Lankan ingredients at the local supermarket (see 3.284 Mouth Watering Lamprais).

Tonight, I started with the Red Fish Curry. Produced by the food company MA’s, which appeared to be very popular judging by its wide selection of products on the shelves.  

Whereas Sri Lankans seem to favor seerfish (a species of mackerel), I substituted with samchi (a species of mackerel), close enough. 

When I prepared the curry according to direction – paste plus oil and water – it turned out way way way spicier than expected, even though I’d been anticipating that it would be quite hot, based on my experience in Sri Lanka.  In fact, the fumes from the kitchen were so noxious, like tear gas, that the women and children were forced to evacuate (and yes, I’ve actually experienced tear gas, during the mid-1980s, when anti-dictatorship riots were common throughout Seoul and the city was constantly awash in the stuff).  To temper the heat, I infused some coconut milk and plain yogurt into the mix, bringing the spice level down to a palatable if still deadly level.  I also added cubed potatoes to make it more of a complete meal in and of itself.  Finally, I tossed in some dried curry leaves and lemon grass snippets to mimic the inclusion of whole spices that I’d seen in Sri Lanka’s local dishes.  I served the dish with paratha, the sweetness of the bread helping further to balance against the spiciness of the curry.  I didn’t dig the final product all that much myself, but W really liked it, as did our nanny, so it should be regarded as a net success.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)