This is probably the nicest fish curry I have ever made. really fresh vibrant flavours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Fish
Recipe Type: Curry
Servings: 2people
Ingredients
Seafood
350cod loincut into large chunks
150raw king prawns
½tspturmeric
½tspsalt
Juice of ½ lime
Curry
1tbspcoconut oil or neutral oil
1tspblack mustard seeds
½tspcumin seeds
¼tspfenugreek seeds — don’t overdo these
1medium onionfinely sliced
3garlic clovesfinely chopped
20gfresh gingergrated
2fresh prarie fire chillisfinely sliced — I’d leave the seeds in
¼tsphot chilli powder (home made!)
1tspground coriander
½tspturmeric
8fresh curry leavesif you have them
3fresh makrut lime leaveslightly crushed or torn
400mlfull-fat coconut milk
2tsptamarind paste
½tspbrown sugar
1tspsalt
Juice of ½ lime
Good handful fresh corianderroughly chopped
1handfulFrench Beanscut 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.