Trying out the Chăm People's Fish Curry

Recently, some innovative Chăm chefs have creatively transformed the traditional Chà curry into a fish curry, which is incredibly unique and enticing.

In the culinary culture of the Chăm people, they tend to prefer boiled and grilled dishes over fried ones. Especially during festivals and celebrations, they always cook the traditional Chà curry.

The term 'Chà' curry is derived from the local term for Chăm people, 'Chà Và', originating from the word 'Java'. While Vietnamese typically cook curry with chicken or duck, the Chăm people often use goat or beef.

Recently, some innovative Chăm chefs have adapted the meat curry into a fish curry. Whether it's snakehead fish, catfish, or tilapia, any fish can be used, resulting in a dish that is both unusual and enticing.

The process of making this dish is very meticulous, requiring the cook to be skilled and to prepare all the necessary ingredients, especially the spices. Firstly, choose fresh and meaty fish. After cleaning, fillet and cube the fish, then marinate it with spices.

The core ingredients that make up a pot of curry are fish, coconut milk, curry powder, and curry leaves (fragrant leaves). These three elements can be said to constitute the soul of the Chăm people's dish. Additionally, there are other essential spices such as salt, sugar, MSG, onions, lemongrass, and chili.

This dish is especially incomplete without corn, okra, tomatoes, and eggplants.

Each type of supplementary ingredient such as corn, eggplant must be cooked separately, then drained. After the fish is cooked, everything is combined and cooked together. The secret to making the curry pot excellent lies in the distinctive use of spices by the Chăm people.

While cooking, heat oil in a pan until it's very hot, sauté garlic, briefly stir-fry the fish, then pour coconut milk into the pot, bring to a boil, and add crushed lemongrass and curry leaves. Next, add cooked vegetables. Finally, add pepper, onions, and chili to enhance the aroma and flavor.

Whether the fish curry is delicious or not depends on the cooking method and seasoning, ensuring the curry is neither too thick nor too thin, has a creamy yellow color, and emits a fragrant aroma.

The characteristic of a good curry is that it must be fragrant, rich, and spicy. The spicier it is, the more enticing it becomes, so cooks use not only fresh chili but also dried chili.

Many skillful chefs, especially male chefs, are adept at various creative techniques, utilizing a wide range of spices. They particularly marinate meat with a type of Indian cheese renowned for its distinctive aroma and spicy taste, hence referred to as 'curry paneer', after a famous Indian cheese.

Fish curry can be enjoyed with noodles, bread, and fresh vegetables. Whether cooked with fish or meat, the Chăm people always pay attention to quality, appearance, and color.

The Chăm people believe that human development follows the seasons, so food not only provides nutrition but also serves as medicine. In the process of creating culinary culture, they harmoniously combine local ingredients such as vegetables, roots, fruits, and spices to create a variety of rich and diverse dishes.

Source: Tuoitre.vn 

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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide