Fish Head Curry

Curried fish head comes with not one, but two tales attached to it. One tells of Mr Gomez, an Indian cook working in Singapore half a century ago, who decided to cook up the fish heads that were then usually thrown away. Fish-head dishes are rare in India, so this story supports the contention that fish head curry is uniquely Singaporean. However, the other story is that Punjab Regiments posted to Singapore during colonial days brought their fish head recipes with them. And that, says the Indian chef who told us this, is that!

Whichever story is true, we can be thankful that someone came up with this mouth-watering creation. Large heads bearing a surprising amount of meaty morsels, from cheeks to lips to eyes (connoisseurs aim straight for these), are simmered in a spicy, intensely red gravy with succulent okra, tomatoes and eggplant, all eaten with plenty of fluffy rice as a foil for the tongue-tingling sauce.

Highly Recommended

o     Gayatri Restaurant

     One of the best restaurants for fish head curry in Little India, this stylishly-outfitted modern Indian restaurant also has wonderful-tasting fried cuttlefish.

          19 Race Course Road, Tel: 6291 1011

o      Lin Heng Snack Bar

     An unassuming café open for lunch only. Excellent Chinese-style fish head curry, with a thick, rich gravy, succulent vegetables and very fresh fish.

          #01-18, Sultan Plaza, 100 Jalan Sultan

o       Muthu’s Curry

   Spicy and satisfying - one of the all-time fish head curry greats.

           72-78       Race Course Road, Tel: 6392 1722