1,000 Indian Recipes (274 page)

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

4 coarsely chopped kokum halves

¹
⁄
₄
cup hot water

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

1 to 3 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken into pieces

4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

3 to 4 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon ground black mustard seeds

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 large onion, finely chopped

1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 cups of water

7 to 8 fresh green curry leaves, lightly crumpled

1.
Prepare the coconut milk. Place the fish in a bowl, add the turmeric and salt, and mix well, making sure all the fish pieces are well-coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour. Meanwhile, soak the chopped kokum in the hot water about 30 minutes.

2.
In a blender or a food processor, process together the kokum, plus the water they were soaking in, the green and red chile peppers, ginger, garlic, and ground mustard seeds to make a smooth paste.

3.
Heat the oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the whole mustard seeds; they should splatter on contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan until the splattering subsides. Quickly add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook until the onion is soft but not golden, 7 to 10 minutes.

4.
Add the kokum,-ginger-garlic paste and cook over medium heat, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the fish and 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook about 5 minutes.

5.
Add the coconut milk and curry leaves and simmer until the sauce is thick and the fish is tender, just flaky and opaque inside, about 5 minutes, adding more water if you want a thinner sauce. Do not stir the fish at all. To mix, swirl the pan a little on the burner. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Spicy Fish Curry with Coconut Sauce

Masaladar Nariyal-Macchi Kari

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The red chile peppers in the marinade make the dish very hot. The coconut milk does a good job of tempering the heat, but if you prefer a milder dish, reduce the quantity of chile peppers and discard all the seeds, then serve with steamed
basmati
rice or Asian sticky rice.

¹
⁄
₂
cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

4 to 6 dried red chile peppers, such as chiles de arbol, broken into pieces into pieces

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds any firm fish fillets, such as halibut, salmon, or swordfish, cut into 1
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 (1-inch) piece peeled ginger, cut into thin and long matchsticks

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

¹
⁄
₄
cup chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Prepare the coconut milk. Then, in a small spice or coffee grinder, coarsely grind together the red chile peppers, coriander, mustard seeds, and the peppercorns. In a food processor or a blender, process together the chopped onion and garlic until smooth. Add the ground spice mixture, the turmeric, and the salt and process once again to make a smooth paste.

2.
Place the fish pieces in a large non-reactive bowl, add the marinade, and mix well, making sure that all the pieces are well-coated. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 and up to 4 hours.

3.
Heat half of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook the sliced onion and ginger, stirring, until browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

4.
Add the remaining oil to the skillet and fry the fish pieces, turning once or twice, until golden outside, about 4 minutes total.

5.
Add the coconut milk and simmer over low heat, about 5 minutes. Do not stir with a spoon; if needed, stir by shaking the skillet. Very carefully, mix in the vinegar and simmer another 2 to 3 minutes to blend the flavors. (The fish should be just flaky and opaque inside.) Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the cilantro on top, and serve.

Goan Fish Curry with Coconut Milk and Tamarind

Goa ki Fish Caldene Kari

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Rosita Dighe gave me this recipe—a popular fish curry from Goa that can be made with any firm variety of fish.

1 cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

2 to 3 tablespoons
Tamarind Paste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 large cloves fresh garlic, minced

3 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken into pieces

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds any firm fish fillets, such as catfish, salmon, or swordfish, about 1 inch thick, cut into 2-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Prepare the coconut milk and tamarind paste. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir 1 minute.

2.
In a small spice grinder or coffee grinder, grind together the red chile peppers, coriander, and cumin. Mix in the turmeric, then add the spice mixture to the onions and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.

3.
Add the water and coconut milk and bring to a quick boil, stirring, over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer about 5 minutes. Add the tamarind paste and salt and simmer another minute.

4.
Add the fish pieces and simmer until the fish is flaky and opaque inside, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro, and serve.

Variation:
Add 1 large finely chopped tomato to the onion before adding the spices in Step 2.

Hyderabadi Fish Curry with Sesame Seeds and Tamarind

Til aur Imli ki Fish Kari

Makes 4 to 6 servings

A thick, hot, and tangy sauce envelopes the fish pieces in this typical Hyderabadi preparation that is authentically made with flame-roasted onions—though I roast mine in the oven.

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Tamarind Paste

2 medium onions, with skin on, halved

1 small head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped dried coconut (kopra) or 1 tablespoon finely ground unsweetened dried coconut

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons coriander seeds

2
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons cumin seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon fenugreek seeds

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

15 to 20 fresh curry leaves

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds any firm fish fillets, such as halibut, or swordfish, about
¹
⁄
₂
inch thick, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 cups water

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Prepare the tamarind paste. Then, preheat the broiler. Place the onions and garlic on a cookie sheet and broil on the top rack of the oven or in the broiler, turning once or twice, until completely charred. Let cool, peel off most of the charred skin from the onions (leave a little of the second layer for flavor) and garlic, then process in a food processor or a blender to make a smooth paste. Leave in the work bowl.