VARIATION
Any other firm white fish such as fresh haddock can be used for this recipe.
Mackerel Curry with Coconut
Mackerel is a popular fish in the south of India and its firm texture makes it ideal for curries. This dish from Chennai has the contrasting taste of sweet and creamy coconut and tangy tamarind.
Serves 4
About 550 g/1¼ lb whole mackerel, cleaned and cut into steaks 4 cm/1½ in thick
6 curry leaves
3 green chillies, left whole
30 ml/2 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped, or 60 ml/ 4 tbsp frozen diced onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed, or 10 ml/2 tsp garlic purée (paste)
15 ml/1 tbsp grated fresh or bottled ginger
2.5 ml/½ tsp fenugreek
5 ml/1 tsp cumin seeds
5 ml/1 tsp ground turmeric
5 ml/1 tsp chilli powder
10 ml/2 tsp ground coriander
5 ml/1 tsp tamarind paste
150 ml/¼ pint/2/3 cup hot vegetable stock
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup coconut milk
Salt, to taste
TIP
Buy large mackerel for this recipe and cut across into thick steaks (or ask the fishmonger to do this for you); cooking the fish on the bone adds to the flavour of the sauce.
Fish in Spicy Tomato Sauce
When made with the freshest fish, this simple supper with its flavoursome tomato sauce is a real winner. Serve the curry with rice or even crusty bread to make sure that you can enjoy all of the sauce.
Serves 4
15 ml/1 tbsp groundnut (peanut) oil
1 onion, chopped, or 60 ml/4 tbsp frozen diced onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed, or 10 ml/2 tsp garlic purée (paste)
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped, or 5 ml/1 tsp chilli paste
1.5 ml/¼ tsp ground ginger
1.5 ml/¼ tsp ground turmeric
10 ml/2 tsp curry paste
30 ml/2 tbsp fresh or bottled lemon juice
150 ml/¼ pint/2/3 cup passata (bottled strained tomatoes)
100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup boiling fish or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
700-900 g/1½-2 lb firm white fish fillets, skinned
45 ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh or frozen coriander (cilantro)
TIP
Choose thick rather than thin fish fillets as they will hold their shape better. Remove any bones before cooking.
Mangalorean Fish Curry
This unusual curry comes from the south west coast of India, abundant in fresh fish, seafood and coconuts. Instead of rice or Indian-style bread, it is served with tiny rice dumplings which absorb all the delicious flavours as they cook. These would normally be made by soaking rice for many hours, then grinding it by hand into flour. Fortunately, we can simply buy rice flour.
Serves 4
1 onion, roughly chopped, or 60 ml/4 tbsp frozen diced onions
3 garlic cloves, peeled, or 15 ml/1 tbsp garlic purée (paste)
100 g/4 oz creamed coconut, roughly chopped
5 ml/1 tsp cumin seeds
10 ml/2 tsp coriander seeds
2.5 ml/½ tsp mustard seeds
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground turmeric
2.5 ml/½ tsp chilli powder
600 ml/1 pint/2½ cups hot (not boiling) fish or vegetable stock
15 ml/1 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
5 ml/1 tsp tamarind paste
700-900 g/1½-2lb firm white fish, skinned
Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the dumplings:
100 g/4 oz/1 cup rice flour
2.5 ml/½ tsp salt
90 ml/6 tbsp cold water
TIP
Always use floured hands when shaping dumplings and don't knead them for any longer than necessary.
Spiced Fish with Mango
This is a deliciously simple way to cook firm white fish; the dried mango soaks up the coconut milk as it cooks to make a thick creamy sauce with a hint of sweet and sour.
Serves 4
15 ml/1 tbsp groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil
1 onion, sliced, or 45 ml/3 tbsp frozen chopped onion
45 ml/3 tbsp medium curry paste
15 ml/1 tbsp lime juice or 10 ml/2 tsp fresh or bottled lemon juice with 5 ml/1 tsp water
400 ml/14 oz/large can coconut milk
700 g/1½ lb firm skinless white fish, cut into large chunks
75 g/3 oz dried mango pieces, roughly chopped
1 red (bell) pepper, seeded and thickly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
45 ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh or thawed frozen coriander (cilantro)
TIPS
If you want a less rich and lower calorie dish, substitute 150 ml/ ¼ pint/2/3 cup of coconut milk with the same amount of vegetable stock.
Don't use reduced-fat coconut milk as it tends to separate with long slow cooking.
Goan Prawn Curry
This curry is really quick and simple to make, especially if you use ready-prepared prawns. The flavours complement each other beautifully and the aroma that is produced during cooking is mouth watering.
Serves 4
30 ml/2 tbsp ground coriander
15 ml/1 tbsp paprika
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
2.5 ml/½ tsp cayenne pepper
1.5 ml/¼ tsp ground turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 ml/1 tbsp lemon juice
100 ml/3¼ fl oz/scant ½ cup water
2 large shallots, finely chopped, or 30 ml/2 tbsp frozen chopped shallots
400 ml/14 fl oz/large can coconut milk
400 g/14 oz large raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and de-veined
45 ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh or thawed frozen coriander (cilantro)
VARIATION
You can use this basic sauce to make a Goan fish curry, by replacing the prawns with an equal weight of firm white fish, such as haddock, removing the skin and any bones and cutting it into 4 cm/1½ in chunks.
Coconut Jinga
This is my easy version, using spring onions which don't require pre-cooking, bought curry paste and ready-cooked prawns which can be stirred into the cooked sauce about 15 minutes before serving to heat through. Traditionally, this dish is served with plain steamed or boiled rice.
Serves 4
1 bunch spring onions (scallions)
10 ml/2 tsp fresh or bottled lemon or lime juice
5 ml/1 tsp grated fresh or bottled ginger
30 ml/2 tbsp mild or medium curry paste e.g. korma or tikka
75 g/3 oz creamed coconut, roughly chopped
5 ml/1 tsp tomato purée (paste)
150 ml/¼ pint/2/3 cup very hot (not boiling) vegetable stock or water
450 g/1lb cooked shelled prawns (shrimp)
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh or frozen coriander (cilantro)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
TIP
For the garnish, you can lightly toast the desiccated coconut by dry-frying it in a non-stick pan over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time.
This dish also makes a fabulous topping for baked potatoes.
Kerala Prawn Curry
Tamarind gives this dish a very distinctive flavour. It comes from the seed pods harvested from tamarind trees and is used extensively in Indian cooking. It has a unique sour and slightly sweet taste and comes in seeded and block form and also as a thick black paste, which is the quickest and easiest form to use.
Serves 4
5 ml/1 tsp tamarind paste
5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
5 ml/1 tsp ground turmeric
120 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup boiling vegetable stock or water
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, or 10 ml/2 tsp garlic purée (paste)
5 ml/1 tsp grated fresh or bottled ginger
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped, or 5 ml/1 tsp chilli paste
150 ml/¼ pint/2/3 cup coconut milk
400 g/14 oz large raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and de-veined
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh or frozen coriander (cilantro)
Salt and freshly ground pepper