Fish Curry

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins

FOR THE MASALA (spicy paste)

1 large - onion

10 cloves - garlic

1 inch - fresh ginger

2 medium - tomatoes

10 - curry leaves

2 tablespoons - coconut powder

FOR THE CURRY

1 lb - fresh mackerel fillets

1 large - cherry-sized tamarind

10 - 12 tablespoons - vegetable oil

1 - onion

5 cloves - garlic

1 medium - tomato

5 - curry leaves

1 teaspoon - turmeric powder

2 teaspoons - red chili powder

½ teaspoon - salt

For the Masala (spicy paste), peel and roughly chop the onion, garlic and ginger and roughly chop the tomatoes. Grind these to a paste along with the curry leaves and coconut powder and then set aside.
Wash the fish fillets thoroughly and set aside on absorbent kitchen towels to dry. Soak the tamarind in warm water for about 5 minutes then squeeze it to extract the juice and set the juice aside.
For the body of the dish, peel and finely chop the onion and garlic and chop the tomato. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan (skillet) then add the chopped onion, garlic, tomatoes and curry leaves. Sauté for few minutes then stir in the masala paste before adding the turmeric powder and the chili powder.
Cook for about 5 minutes over a medium heat. Check for the pungent smell of raw masala. Once the masala is fried and cooked it oozes oil from the sides; when it reaches that point, add the tamarind juice and salt. Taste and add additional seasoning if required. (Don't add any water, since the oil in the fish is sufficient for the curry).
Once the masala is well cooked, gently squeeze out any remaining water from the fish, add the fish to the pan and allow the liquids to boil gently for about 5 minutes on a low-medium heat. Test a corner of the fish to see if it is adequately cooked (take care not to overcook fish - better a little undercooked than overcooked). Serve hot with steamed rice.