Kaima Bona Gatoi

Kaima Bona Gatoi (Fish Curry, Papua New Guinea)

A fragrant fish and sweet potato curry from the highlands of Papua New Guinea, cooked over an open fire in banana leaves. This version adapts the traditional mumu-style preparation to a stovetop pot while keeping the slow-simmered, earthy flavor of the original.

Prep

25 min

Cook

55 min

Total

80 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1¼ lb) firm white fish fillets (such as barramundi, trevally, or mackerel), traditionally reef fish; barramundi or trevally are the closest Australian/Pacific substitutes
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) orange sweet potato (kumara), peeled and cut into 3 cm (1¼ in) chunks
• •300 g (10½ oz) pumpkin (kaukau), peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks; substitute butternut squash if unavailable
• •2 medium onions, finely chopped
• •4 cloves garlic, crushed
• •1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• •2 tbsp fresh turmeric, finely grated, or 1 tsp ground turmeric
• •3 tbsp coconut oil or peanut oil, traditional renderings use pig fat; coconut oil is the closest widely available substitute
• •400 ml (14 fl oz) full-fat coconut milk, shake the can well before opening
• •250 ml (1 cup) water or fish stock, more as needed
• •2 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce, toddy or MSG-seasoned stock is traditional where available
• •1 tsp sea salt, adjust to taste
• •1 bunch sweet potato leaves or taro leaves, shredded; substitute with English spinach or young kale if tropical greens are unavailable
• •1 piece banana leaf, wilted over a flame until pliable, for lining the pot and wrapping; optional but authentic
• •1 piece whole green chili, slit lengthwise, optional for heat

Steps

1. 1 If using banana leaf, hold it briefly over a gas flame or a hot dry pan until it turns bright green and becomes pliable. Line the inside of a heavy pot with the wilted leaf, letting the edges hang over the rim.
2. 2 Heat the coconut oil in a separate wide pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent.
3. 3 Stir in the garlic, ginger, and turmeric and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown.
4. 4 Pour in the coconut milk and 250 ml (1 cup) water, add the fish sauce and salt, and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. 5 Add the sweet potato and pumpkin chunks. Cover and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, until both vegetables are just tender when pierced with a knife but still holding their shape.
6. 6 Stir in the shredded sweet potato or taro leaves and the slit green chili, if using. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the greens wilt down.
7. 7 Nestle the whole fish fillets into the curry in a single layer (or cut into large chunks). Pour everything gently into the banana-leaf-lined pot, or transfer the curry to the lined pot now.
8. 8 Cover the pot tightly with a lid (or fold the overhanging banana leaf over the top to seal) and simmer very gently for 12-15 minutes, until the fish is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork. The fish should reach an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F); check by inserting a knife into the thickest part - the flesh should be fully opaque with no translucent glassy center.
9. 9 Rest the pot off the heat for 5 minutes, covered, so the flavors settle into the banana leaf.
10. 10 Serve hot in bowls, scooping from the top of the leaf, with the banana leaf discarded or eaten where soft enough. Traditionally eaten with the hands, accompanied by taro or sweet potato on the side.