Nyonya Salted Fish Curry (Kiam Hu Kut Gulai) is a super delicious dish that should be more widely known. It is actually made using salted fish bones. Instead of discarding the bones, a thrifty came up with this idea of adding it into a delicious vegetable and tofu curry which became a favorite in many Nyonya household.

DRIED SALTED FISH
In Malaysia, There are a variety of salted fish and most are dried. Little fish are usually salted whole. They are fried to a crisp and eaten whole. Bigger and firmer fish are filleted before being preserved into Tanau Kiam Hu (popular in Penang), similar to this Mergui Salted Fish. Once considered poor man’s food, this kind of salted fish is now pretty expensive.

There is yet another variety of salted fish known as méi-xiāng (mui heung) salted fish with an intense salty flavor which usually crumbles once fried. When I was growing up, this version of salted fish, also known as Kuantan Ham Yee (in Malaysia) was very popular in the state of Pahang. People from all over the Peninsular would buy a salted fish home when they happened to visit. This salted fish is made using fish with larger bones which is suitable for use in this curry.