Notes

1. Fish balls: I used non-frozen fish balls, which can be found in packages in the fridge section of the supermarket. You can also use frozen fish balls without thawing first. They will be simmered long enough in the sauce to become tender again. Using fried or regular fish balls is a matter of preference. I’ve called for both in this recipe, which is a good way to try them out it’s your first time eating them. Then in the future you can use both types or whichever one you prefer more.
2. Frozen Fish Shu Mai: These are small fish dumplings that can be found in the freezer section on an Asian supermarket. You can use additional fish balls and skip the shu mai if you wish, but they do taste fantastic with the curry sauce too!
3. Curry Powder: I used a Hong Kong curry powder from the Koon Yick Wah Kee Factory brand. It’s made with chili powder, turmeric, star anise, Chinese cinnamon (cassia bark), dried parsley, ginger spice, Chinese prickly ash, and some other Chinese spices such as cao guo (Chinese black cardamom), yigui, and guhui. I highly recommend it as the flavor is sensational, and makes the curry sauce incredibly fragrant! If you don’t have access to this particular curry powder, substitute with another spicy curry powder such as Madras curry powder. The flavor of the sauce will be different, but it will still taste delicious.
4. How to set up a steamer: See this post for how to set up a wok and lid steamer, a stainless steel steamer, or bamboo steamer.
5. To serve as a meal: In addition to eating on skewers or in a bowl topped with chili oil, you can also serve the curry fish balls and shu mai as a meal over steamed rice or cooked noodles such as thick rice vermicelli.
6. How long will it keep? After adding the shu mai to the sauce, it’s best to consume immediately on the same day or the shu mai wrappers will break down in the sauce and the fish meat will harden if stored in the fridge. Microwaving won’t necessarily make the shu mai tender again. However, if you add just the fish balls to the sauce, you can store for up 3-5 days in a sealed airtight container in the fridge. Reheat either in a pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat, or in the microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring once in between, until hot throughout. If not consuming everything immediately, I recommend steaming only the quantity of shu mai that will be consumed on the day of eating. You can steam more as needed in the days to follow and drizzle any warmed up leftover curry sauce on top instead.