Recipe
Fish curry recipe
A satisfying and nutritious dish like no other Indian recipe, a definite must-try in the kitchen!
By Justin Narayan
This recipe is part of the set of OG, unadulterated recipes that I want to pass on to my kids. When I was little, my mum’s favourite fish to use in this curry was from Fiji. We’d smuggle it into Australia frozen and wrapped in newspaper. None of us have done a side-by-side comparison with locally caught fish, but my family is convinced the Fiji fish is better.
In Australia, my favourite is Spanish mackerel, which is widely available. Mum washes all her seafood in vinegar or lemon. It makes the fish firmer. Interestingly, it’s the opposite of what you usually want in Western cooking, where you want it to be soft, flaky and melt in your mouth. For a curry, you need it to be set, so it doesn’t break apart.
Serves 4-6 × Active time 20 minutes × Total time 35 minutes
Ingredients to make fish curry recipe
100 ml (3½ fl oz) white vinegar
6 Spanish mackerel cutlets (600–700 g/1 lb 5 oz –1 lb 9 oz)
2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
1/3 cup (80 ml) light olive oil
1 small brown onion, thinly sliced
1 sprig fresh curry leaves
1 teaspoon The Mixture (page 60) or ¼ teaspoon each of cumin seeds and black mustard seeds, and 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
10 garlic cloves, crushed, or 1½ tablespoons garlic paste (page 59)
10 g (¼ oz) fresh ginger, finely grated, or 1 teaspoon ginger paste (page 59)
1 tomato, diced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon chilli powder
2 tablespoons Fiji masala powder
25 g (1 oz) fresh tamarind soaked in 100 ml (3½ fl oz) warm water (see tip, page 61) or 1 tablespoon store-bought tamarind paste
300 ml (10½ fl oz) hot water
100 ml (3½ fl oz) coconut cream
TO SERVE
1 small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves and stems roughly chopped
Roti (page 57) and Rice (page 28)
How to make fish curry recipe
Combine the vinegar and 2 cups (500 ml) water in a bowl. Wash the fish in the vinegar mixture, drain and pat dry with paper towel. Sprinkle the fish with the flour and a pinch of salt. Heat ¼ cup (60 ml) oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the fish and fry until GBD (see page 13), about 2 minutes each side.
(No need to cook the fish through, just aiming to get colour.) Set aside on a plate. Wipe the pan clean with paper towel, then add the remaining oil along with the onion, curry leaves and whole spices. Cook over medium–high heat. When the onion starts to turn golden brown, add the garlic, ginger and tomato and cook until the tomato breaks down, 3–5 minutes. Add the powdered spices and a pinch of salt and cook out for 1–2 minutes.
Now, mix in the tamarind paste, then cook for another 2 minutes. Add the hot water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the seared fish and let it cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the coconut cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste and garnish with the coriander. Serve with roti and rice.
How to cook perfect rice
1 cup (200 g) uncooked rice
serves 2 with some left over
Active time 5 minutes × Total time 35 minutes
Ratios (rice:water)
jasmine or basmati 1:2
sushi 1:1.5
Wash the rice until the water runs clear. (This removes starch, which is essential for making fluffy rice.) Drain the rice, then put in a saucepan with the water using the ratio on the left. Bring to a simmer – this will take about 5 minutes.
As soon as it comes to a simmer, turn the heat to low and cover with a lid. Let it cook for 15 minutes (the same time for any amount of rice). Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 10–15 minutes (don’t touch it, keep that lid on). Once the timer is up, you have perfect rice and now you can do anything in life.
ROTI
2 teaspoons (10 g) honey
2 cups (300 g) atta flour, plus extra if needed (see tip)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Boil a saucepan or kettle of at least 1½ cups (375 ml) water. Take off the heat and let the water cool down for 5 minutes, then mix the honey into 1½ cups (375 ml) of the water until dissolved. (I’ve measured the temperature my mum uses, it’s about 90°C/195°F.)
Place the flour and about 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl and mix with your hands, then slowly add the honey water. Mix with a fork (it’s too hot to use your hands) until it’s a dry, shaggy mess. At this point, it should be cool enough to use your hands, so work it into a dough.
Knead on a clean work surface for a few minutes until the dough is looking smooth. Add the remaining oil and knead some more until you have a soft, smooth and playdough-like dough, about 5–10 minutes all up. Make adjustments with extra flour or hot water if you need to. Cover the dough with a damp tea (dish) towel and rest in a warm environment for 5 minutes, then divide into large golf ball-sized balls.
Dust the work surface or cutting board with extra flour (this will prevent the dough from sticking) and roll each ball out until it’s 1–2 mm (1/16 inch) thick. Heat a frying pan over medium–high heat, then cook one roti for 20–30 seconds on one side, then flip and cook for 30–45 seconds on the other side.
Do a final third flip and cook for another 30 seconds. On the third flip, you should be looking for a bit of browning and some puffing up (you don’t want it to go black, so adjust the heat if it’s too hot or not hot enough). When it’s done, set aside under a clean tea towel. If you have a roti or tortilla warmer, use that. Repeat with the remaining roti, adding each following roti to the stack and covering with the tea towel. When you’re finished, serve with your favourite curry.
GINGER AND GARLIC PASTES
Because I’m making so many recipes that require garlic and ginger, I keep jars of garlic and ginger paste in my fridge. I make my own in bulk. Get a whole heap of garlic and ginger, peel, roughly chop and blend each separately with a pinch of salt and a little oil (to help extend the shelf life), then place each in a clean jar and store in the fridge.
For 1 cup (about 150 g) chopped garlic or ginger, go with a pinch of salt (2–4 g/1/8 oz) and 1–2 tablespoons oil. If you can’t be bothered, buy some, but I find the flavour of store-bought to be more subdued, so you may need to add more to the recipe to get the same impact as fresh garlic/ginger or a homemade paste.
THE MIXTURE
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
Combine all the ingredients in a jar. If you want a bigger quantity, use the same ratio of cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds (2:2:1).
Citro food tip
You can use store-bought tamarind paste in a jar or make your own with fresh tamarind. I find the jar tamarind is quite sharp and acidic. Fresh tamarind is more earthy, nuanced and has a deeper flavour.
Make your own by soaking tamarind pods (find at your local Asian grocer or specialty grocer) in warm water until just covered for 30 minutes, then use your hands to separate the flesh from the seeds and fibrous bits (the flesh and water will form a paste). If you don’t have tamarind, you can add a squeeze of lemon to finish the curry.
Images and text from Everything Is Indian by Justin Narayan, photography by Rob Palmer. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.
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