Curry Fish Balls (咖喱魚蛋)

These Hong Kong inspired Curry Fish Balls are generously coated in a luscious sauce full of bold, spicy and fragrant flavors. Our incredibly easy homemade version comes out thick and creamy and can be enjoyed just as you would in the streets of Hong Kong – right off a skewer!

If meatballs are your kind of food, try homemade pork or beef ones!

Hong Kong’s iconic street food

One of the first things we tried on our family trip to Hong Kong was the infamous 咖喱魚蛋, affectionately known as Curry Fish Balls.

They’re fairly easy to come by and even easier to spot along with other classics like Ham Sui Gok (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings 咸水角) or Braised Beef Honeycomb Tripe. Stalls are often operated by restaurant veterans who are able to pierce through five fish balls at astonishing speed using a single bamboo skewer.

Unfortunately, coming back home to Australia meant that we didn’t have the luxury of simply popping down to the local markets to pick up a few skewers whenever hunger struck.

So instead, homemade Curry Fish Balls became our favorite weekend snack. You won’t miss the store bought ones when you’ve had a go at these!

Why homemade ones are worth it

These are packed with explosive flavor from the get-go. Juicy, springy bites are smothered in a rich spice-infused curry that is a heavenly treat when soaked into sweet daikon.

This recipe is also SUPER friendly. The deep flavors come from premade sauces and I promise there is minimal chopping.

The best part about making Curry Fish Balls at home is that for any leftover curry, you can easily soak it all up with a bowl of steaming hot rice!

What are fish balls made of?

To make fish balls, you’d need to mix fish meat with seasoning and a binding ingredient such as a starch or flour. Some recipes call for minced shrimp as well (like Daddy Lau does in their family recipe).

The meat is removed from the bone in a similar way we do for our Fish Floss, but it’s then minced by hand, mixed with all the other ingredients and slapped multiple times to get its signature springiness.

They’re then boiled or fried, which makes them perfect for turning into Curry Fish Balls!

Why this recipe works

• Adding fried shrimp layers a deep umami flavor into the curry.
• Using a splash of Shaoxing rice wine adds an aromatic sweetness.
• Mixing in a variety of sauces means the end result will be exquisitely rich.

What you’ll need

About the sauces

We get all of our sauces from Asian supermarkets in the sauce aisle. A popular brand that has most (if not all) types is Lee Kum Kee.

What is sa cha sauce (沙茶酱)?

If you’ve never seen or heard of sa cha sauce, it’s an aromatic blend of dried shrimp, flatfish (like brill), chili, garlic and oil.

You’ll uncover a thick layer of oil upon opening the can, then scoop into a thick paste-like sauce that is the result of the cooked down ingredients.

The taste is pleasantly savory and will have a strong hit of seafood flavor. It’s wonderful in stir fries, noodles, as part of meat marinades, as a condiment for hotpot or for this Curry Fish Ball recipe!

How to make this recipe

Use a mortar and pestle to pound the rehydrated shrimp until fine.

Tip: Pound the shrimp in small batches rather than all at once.

Remove the head of the daikon and double peel them (peel the first layer off, then peel off another layer).

This step is vital for removing the bitterness and tougher layer found in the outer part of the vegetable.

Cut the daikon into large chunks, roughly 5cm (2″) wide.

Bring 1L (4 US cup) of water to a boil and add the daikon in to blanch for 2 minutes to further remove the bitterness.

Drain the water and daikon, then bring a fresh 1 L (4 US cup) of water to a boil with 1/2 tbsp sugar.

Add the blanched daikon back in and cook for another 3 minutes, then pour all the contents into a bowl as you prepare the other ingredients.

Pour the oil into a wok on low-medium heat. Test to see if the oil is hot enough by putting a wooden utensil (such as a chopstick) into it.

If it bubbles, add the pounded shrimp in and brown for 5 minutes. If it doesn’t bubble, wait until it does before adding the shrimp.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the red shallots, ginger and garlic. Fry them for 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Reduce the heat to low and pour the curry powder, tumeric powder, curry paste, chu hou paste and sa cha sauce in and stir for 15 seconds.

Pour the Shaoxing rice wine in around the sauce and stir for 15 seconds.

Turn the heat up to high and pour the daikon in along with the water.

Throw in the chili and bay leaves, then let it simmer and braise for 3 minutes.

Note: If you prefer it spicier, you can stir fry the chili and bay leaves when you cook the sauces. This will help to bring out the spice.

Pour the fried fish balls in and mix them through the sauce.

Season with salt, oyster sauce and sugar and let it braise for another 15 minutes or until soft.

Turn the heat to medium, stir the potato starch with water to make a starch slurry. When well combined, pour it slowly into the wok. Stir as you pour to avoid making clumps.

Note: Adding the slurry is entirely optional and can be done according to your preference. If you like the sauce thicker, add more slurry in. If you prefer a thinner sauce, use less or skip it altogether.

Serve immediately on bamboo skewers as is!

FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Simmer the dish for longer. Curry Fish Balls is one of those recipes that will only taste better the longer you let it cook over a low-medium heat. But if you want to eat it straight after cooking, it’ll still taste great!
• Use younger daikon. These will tend to be softer to the touch and sweeter than the older ones, which can be more bitter.
• Choose a curry paste you know and love. There are many brands that make curry pastes and the flavor will affect your final dish. Experiment with the ones that you love or go with a brand that you trust.

Make the most out of these Chinese appetizers!

• Ham Sui Gok (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings 咸水角) – A Cantonese favorite at Yum Cha restaurants, you can’t miss out on trying this classic dim sum.
• Seafood Rolls – These restaurant-quality appetizers are a crowd pleaser for a reason. They’re springy on the inside and lightly crispy on the outside.
• Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (鹽酥雞) – Bite-sized spicy fried chicken is one of the most popular street snacks you’ll find in Taiwan.
• Salted Egg Prawns (牛油黃金虾) – Crunchy prawns are coated in a creamy savory sauce for all the salted egg lovers.
• Taiwanese Pork Belly Bao (Gua Bao) – Meals that fit in your hand are the most fun to eat. Bring these juicy and homemade baos to your next party!

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This post was originally published on 6/08/20 and updated with new photos in July 2022.

Join the family!