Vibrant coconut cod & prawn curry
This is probably the nicest fish curry I have ever made. really fresh vibrant flavours
Servings 2 people
Ingredients
Seafood
- 350 cod loin cut into large chunks
- 150 raw king prawns
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
- Juice of ½ lime
Curry
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or neutral oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds — don’t overdo these
- 1 medium onion finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 20 g fresh ginger grated
- 2 fresh prarie fire chillis finely sliced — I’d leave the seeds in
- ¼ tsp hot chilli powder (home made!)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 8 fresh curry leaves if you have them
- 3 fresh makrut lime leaves lightly crushed or torn
- 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tsp tamarind paste
- ½ tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Juice of ½ lime
- Good handful fresh coriander roughly chopped
- 1 handful French Beans cut into thirds
Instructions
- First toss the cod only with the turmeric, salt and lime juice and leave it for 10–15 minutes while you make the sauce. I wouldn’t marinate the prawns in lime because they’ll start changing texture.
- Heat the oil over medium heat and add the mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add the cumin and fenugreek. Give them about 20–30 seconds, then add the onion and a pinch of salt.
- Cook the onion for 6–8 minutes until soft and beginning to colour. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli and cook another 1–2 minutes.
- Now add the coriander, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir for about 30 seconds, then add the curry leaves and your fresh lime leaves.
- Pour in the coconut milk, then add 1 tsp tamarind and ½ tsp sugar. Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 8–10 minutes. You’re looking for it to reduce slightly and lose that raw coconut-milk character.
- Taste it at this point. This is where I’d tune it. You want three things simultaneously: creamy coconut, a noticeable sour edge from the tamarind, and enough chilli that there’s a definite heat behind it. Add the second teaspoon of tamarind if it needs more bite.
- Then turn the heat down so the sauce is at the gentlest simmer.
- Nestle the cod pieces and the beans into the sauce and cook for about 4 minutes without stirring them around.
- Add the prawns, gently move the sauce around them, and cook another 2–3 minutes, until the prawns are just cooked and the cod flakes.
- Turn the heat off. Add the juice of the remaining half lime and most of the coriander. Taste for salt.
- Remove the lime leaves if they’re still in large pieces.
One little trick I’d definitely do
- Take one extra fresh lime leaf, remove the tough central rib and slice it absurdly finely — almost into green hairs. Sprinkle a small amount over each bowl with the coriander.
- That gives you two layers of lime: the deeper perfume from the leaves simmered in the coconut sauce and a really bright citrus hit from the fresh leaf at the end.
Notes
serve this with plain basmati rice, rather than anything elaborate. The curry has enough going on already. A cucumber salad or simply cucumber dressed with lime, salt and a little coriander would be excellent alongside.