Ever tasted the flesh and crunchy wing seeds of the pods (a.k.a. drumsticks) of the moringa oleifera tree? Try this Drumstick Fish Curry.
I am a big fan of fish curry and will try to cook it whenever I can get a hold of fish steaks. My favorite fish for putting in curries is Ikan Tenggiri (known as King Mackerel here) but unfortunately it is not something I can get easily. Thankfully, salmon steaks work quite nicely and so you will see me using salmon in many of my fish curry recipes. That said, salmon steaks which are cut crosswise are not as easily available as salmon fillets. That is why I will always pick up a couple of pieces whenever I see them at the grocery store.
What are Drumsticks?
Drumsticks are the immature pods of the moringa oleifera tree. The Indians used them in curries and sambars. The hard outer rind is not eaten. Once cooked, you can easily split it apart and scrape the tender inner flesh and crunchy wing seeds which are quite tasty eaten with some of the curry sauce. I was introduced to drumsticks very early on in life. My mom used to put them in her curries. At some point, they became hard to find and so I have not eaten drumsticks until I moved to the US.
I cooked it twice, using this Drumstick Shrimp Curry recipe when I saw them at the Indian grocery store in Minnesota. Recently, I saw them again here in Colorado. According to the Indian store owner, they do bring them in at a regular basis. I guess they must be quite popular.
Substitute for Drumsticks?
Not sure if you want to try drumsticks or can’t get it where you live? You can always substitute it with okra or ladies fingers as some of you call those long pointy pods. I love okra and grow my own in the summer. Okras are delicious steamed and dressed in a sambal dressing like this Sambal Steamed Okra or stir fried like this Bendi Goreng Belacan. So now, you don’t have an excuse not to cook this curry because I have given you an alternative. 😛
Similar Tools Used in Making This Drumstick Fish Curry
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Staub Cocotte Round 20 cm La Mer
Pyrex Prepware 1-Cup Measuring Cup
Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Spoon Set
Drumstick Fish Curry
Ingredients
- 6 drumsticks (moringa oleifera)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1 inch ginger (julienned) (30g)
- 1 sprig curry leaves (stem removed)
- 3 tbsp fish curry powder
- 1½ cups water (360ml)
- 1 cup coconut milk (480ml)
- Salt to taste
- 2 jalapeno (green) peppers, seeded and cut into half lengthwise
- 3 tomatoes (cut into wedges)
- 1½ lbs salmon steaks / tenggiri steaks (675g)
Instructions
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel some of the tough skin off drumsticks. Cut off the ends and then cut drumsticks into 3-inch lengths.
- Heat vegetable oil in a medium sized pot. Fry onion, garlic, and ginger and curry leaves in hot oil until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add fish curry powder and continue to stir for another 2 minutes.
- Pour in water, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove lid. Add drumsticks, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pour in coconut milk. When the liquid comes back up to a boil, season with salt. Add tomatoes and jalapeno (green) peppers. Cover and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add salmon, cover, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Turn off stove.
Nutrition
All you need is a pot of steamed rice and you have a delicious dinner with this Drumstick Fish Curry. You can also serve it with Roti Canai. 😋
Thank you Linda for this easy recipe. Loved all your simple to follow recipes. Is kembong fish a good substitute? TQ!
You are welcome. Kembong fish is better for “gulai” and “asam”, “curries” that are more tangy in flavor. This fish curry is better with bigger fish like ikan tenggiri and the likes.