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Food

Easy Fish Curry Recipe

A flavorful curry is pretty much the perfect meal, always.
Easy Fish Curry Recipe
Photo by Farideh Sadeghin

Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

for the curry paste:
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons freshly grated turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 medium shallots, roughly chopped
½ small serrano chili
pinch cayenne pepper

for the curry:
½ pound|225 grams fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon canola oil
kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
½ medium red onion, sliced
⅓ cup curry paste
12 fresh curry leaves
1 tablespoon white wine
2 ½ cups|591 ml fish or vegetable stock
1 (13.5 ounce|400 ml) can coconut milk
3 pounds|1361 grams cleaned and skinless snapper, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp (optional)
fresh lime juice, to taste
cilantro sprigs, to garnish
cooked basmati rice, for serving

for the tarka:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 small shallot, finely chopped
10 fresh curry leaves
½ serrano chile, finely chopped

Directions

  1. Make the curry paste: Purée all ingredients in a blender or bash in a mortar in pestle. You may need to add a little water to help it out. Set aside until ready to use.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the fingerlings with the canola oil and salt. Roast until the fingerlings are golden and tender, about 40 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
  3. Make the curry: Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil and half of the grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onions and season with salt. Cook until translucent, 4 minutes. Push the onions to one side and add the remaining coconut and grapeseed oils. Add the curry paste and cook until fragrant and caramelized, 3 minutes. Push to the side with the onions. You may need to add a touch more oil at this stage if the pan is dry. Add the curry leaves. They will sputter and pop a few seconds, then mix the onions and paste all together with the leaves. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Cook until the wine has dissolved, then stir in the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, then stir in the coconut milk. Right as the milk comes to a simmer, slide the fish into the pan along with the roasted fingerlings. Cook over low for 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, make the tarka. Heat the oils in a small skillet over medium-high. Add the mustard seeds and as soon as they begin to pop, toss in the shallot, immediately followed by the curry leaves and chile. Season with salt and cook until the shallots are translucent, 2 minutes. Ladle a small amount of curry into the skillet and swirl to combine, then transfer the entire contents of the skillet to the pan with the curry and fish. Cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Add the tamarind pulp, if using, and season with lime juice and salt. Top with cilantro leaves and serve with the rice.

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