Recipe for Goan-Inspired Fish Curry with Tamarind and Coconut

You can freeze this curry in batches, and on gloomy days when you just don’t feel like cooking, pull it out of the freezer for some instant sunshine!

Ingredients for 4 persons:

• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 4 dry, red Kashmir chillies
• 2 cm ginger, peeled and grated
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and ground
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, finely chopped
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown)
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1/2 or 1 green chilli, de-seeded and finely cut
• 500 g white fish fillets, skinless and cut into 3 cm pieces
• 2 tbsp chopped, fresh coriander

Instructions:

1. Toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dry chillies in a pan for about 1 minute. Grind in a spice grinder or my hand in a pestle and mortar, and then add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and 1 tbsp salt.
2. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onion and fry until golden.
3. Shake the spice mix over the onion, cook and stir for 2 minutes, and finally add the tomato. Continue to cook until all juices are evaporated.
4. Add the coconut milk, sugar, tamarind and green chilli and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and season.
5. Season the fish, add it to the sauce and simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Taste again to check salt levels and correct if necessary.
6. Add the fresh coriander, and serve with Basmati rice or chapatis.