Ingredients

 

1 pack of Red Snapper heads from our Convenience Range of Fish With A Story

1 large onion, sliced

1½ tsp turmeric powder

1 medium size young luffa (pipangay)

4 green bilimbi, washed, or 1 tbsp lemon juice

1 ripe tomato, chopped

2 tsp crushed garlic

2 tsp crushed ginger

2 tbsp vegetable oil

200 ml water

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs parsley, chopped

salt and cracked pepper

Method

Clean and prepare the fish heads

1. Scrape off the scales with a sharp knife or a fish scaler. The scales are almost everywhere, including the top of the head, the cheeks, the collars, and the gill covers, so take your time and be thorough!
2. Use the same knife to remove the gills. 
3. Rinse and wash as much blood off the tissue as possible. 
4. You will require a solid workbench to perform this next step.   
5. Separate the two collars from the rest of the head and thoroughly rinse them and pat dry.
6. Using a cleaver or a heavy knife, divide the remainder of the head into manageable portions.  Divide the head into halves along the lateral axis, and then cut each half into smaller parts.
7. Rinse under running water, drain and set aside.

Prepare the luffa and bilimbi

1. Wash the luffa and cut off the ends. Use a small, sharp knife and peel off all the ribbed skin. Wash and cut into cubes of about 4 cm.
2. Wash the bilimbi and slice into rounds. (If you cannot find fresh bilimbi you can buy frozen ones from Asian shops. If you cannot access bilimbi at all, half a tablespoon of lemon juice is a good alternative.)

Finishing the curry

1. 1. Heat the oil in a medium pot and sweat the onion for several minutes, then add the garlic and ginger.
   2. Add the chopped tomato and turmeric powder, mix well and fry for a few seconds, then add the water. Do not fry off your turmeric for too long as it will turn bitter.
   3. Gently add the fish head, cubed luffa, chopped parsley and thyme.
   4. Once the pot starts to boil, turn heat to simmer and cook for about 25 minutes. Avoid stirring the curry but give your pot a quick shake every now and then.
   5. This curry is ideally served with plain boiled rice and green pawpaw chutney and accompanied with a vegetable asar. The rice will fully absorb the juice and collagen released from the bones, and the turmeric brightens up the mildly sweet flesh without overpowering the delicate flavours.

Adapted from: The Creole Melting Pot