Hong Kong curry fish balls

Heat a couple cups of oil in a wok to about 175C and fry ten fish balls for about a minute, until barely golden; this firms the exterior and can be skipped.

In a pot with a touch of oil, cook half a red onion over a medium low flame for about four minutes.

Add four cloves of garlic and two shallots, roughly chopped, and fry another minute.

Add the smashed ginger and lemongrass, fry briefly, then add the curry paste and optional turmeric and fry again.

Add half a liter of water and bring to a boil. The aromatics are all optional; many vendors use curry paste alone.

Add the fish balls, season with 2 tsp salt and 4 tsp sugar, cover and simmer over a low flame for 30 minutes.

Serve, on a bamboo skewer for the street style.