Description
An authentic fish curry from the Bengali region.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lb 5 oz (1.5 kg) skinless, boneless fish filets, such as cod or halibut
- 1 tbsp salt, divided
- 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric, divided
- 6 tbsp mustard oil or a high-heat, neutral oil
- 1 large white onion, finely grated
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 piece ginger, 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, crushed to a paste
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 7 oz (200 g) tomatoes, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- ½ tsp sugar
To garnish:
- Green chilis
- A sprigs of fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cut the fish filets into 12 equal portions. Mix 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the ground turmeric, then rub on all sides of the fish and set aside for 30 minutes.
- In a shallow saucepan, heat 5 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. If you are using mustard oil, heat the oil until it is smoking hot – this removes the bitter pungency of the oil – then bring it down to medium-high heat. Add the fish to the pan and fry to sear each piece, but do not let the filets cook through. Transfer the fish to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. If the paste is burning or sticking to the base of the pan, add a splash of water. Add the remaining salt and ground turmeric, followed by the ground coriander, ground cumin, cayenne, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes. Pour into 2 ½ cups (600 ml) warm water and cook for 5 minutes. Keeping the pan on medium-high heat, let the liquid reduce for 15 minutes or until the oil comes to the surface and seeps to the sides of the pan.
- Gently return the fish filets to the pan and cover with the gravy, ensuring all sides of each filet are cooking evenly. If possible, cook the fish filets in a single layer in the pan; this will prevent them from breaking into flakes. Lower the heat, add the sugar, and cook covered, until the filets are cooked through – this should take no longer than 5 minutes.
- To serve, garnish the fish with whole green chilis and sprigs of fresh cilantro.