Saturday, August 02, 2008

Coconut fish curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 whole dried red chillies
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
8 fengreek seeds
8-10 curry leaves or kaffir lime leaves
4 tablespoons desiccated coconut soaked in 200ml of hot water for 20 minutes
2 green chillies de-seeded and cut into quarters lengthwise
1 tsp ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds roasted and ground
1 tablespoon fresh coriander chopped
4 firm white flesh fish steaks about 150-175g each
25g creamed coconut
juice 1/2 lemon
basmati rice to serve


Heat the oil in a shallow pan. Add the dried red chillies, black mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. When they begin to crackle and the curry leaves turn from green to a light brown, add the coconut and the water in which it has been soaked. When the liquid starts to boil add the green chillies, ginger, ground turmeric, onion, ground roasted cumin, salt, red chili powder. Add half the coriander leaves and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Immerse the fish into the sauce. Cover and continue cooking for ten minutes. Add the creamed coconut and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Once the fish has cooked through squeeze in the lemon juice and sprinkle with the remaining coriander. Serve hot with steamed basmati rice.

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