Some, indeed, like it hot. This fish curry is marvelous, and, although I own a personal preference for Red Snapper or salted cod(bacalao), pretty much any kind works. The amount of heat you use can be altered to your taste. An oily fish like like cod definitely demands something pungent to contrast with the strong oil of its flesh. If mustard oil is unavailable, use mustard seed in safflower or canola oil, marinating for three or four days if possible.
Ingredients:
4 lbs White fish fillets, cut into cubes
For the marinade:
- 4 tsp (4 g) Turmeric (haldi) powder
- 2 tsp (8 g) Salt
- 1 cup Mustard (sarson) oil
- 6 tbsp Garlic (lasan), finely chopped
- 4 tsp Cumin (jeera) powder
- 4 tsp (4 g) Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 4 tsp Red chilli powder
- 40 Curry leaves (kadhi patta)
- 4 cups Coconut milk, thick, from 1 whole grated coconut
- 1/2 Cup Tamarind pulp, boiled in 2 cups of water and then strained
- 4 Green chillies, deseeded
- 4 Papaya
- Basmati rice
- 1 Lemon
- Rub the turmeric powder and salt into the fish thoroughly. Place in the refrigerator for two hours.
- Heat the mustard oil until it begins to smoke; fry the marinated fish cubes until they’re a golden color. Remove the fish cubes with a slotted spoon, draining the excess oil on paper towels.
- Use the same oil to fry the garlic light brown. Add the cumin powder, turmeric, salt, red chilli powder, curry leaves, coconut milk, tamarind extract, and green chillies.
- Stir rapidly and bring to the boil before adding the fried fish cube, lower trhe light and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Cut each papaya in half. Skin and seed. Place the papaya in the freezer 30 minutes before dinner will be served.
- When all is ready, serve rice for eight and squeeze the juices of the lemon on the cold papaya.
