This is a special-occasion dish that is beautiful to look at and sensational to eat. A delectable dish that was once served in the royal palaces to the reigning kings and princes (baadshas), it reflects the flamboyance and decadence of a bygone era. It has a lovely combination of flavors in a deliciously creamy sauce.
▪ Shell and devein the shrimp. Rinse, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Combine with the spring onions, garlic tops (if you are using them), red pepper, half the turmeric, chilies, fennel seeds, coriander and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Set aside.
▪ Heat the remaining oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan and add the cinnamon stick and stir for a few seconds. Add the shrimp mixture and stir-fry for about a minute.
▪ Stir in the curry sauce and salt, and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Turn down to a simmer.
▪ Stir in the yogurt, cream, almonds and chili powder. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Stir through the garam masala, tomatoes and half the cilantro. Simmer for a minute.
▪ Serve sprinkled with the remaining cilantro accompanied by Poori (page 160).
This dish is really quick and easy to prepare and has a lovely creamy and colorful sauce. The key to a really good Fish Masala is to buy the freshest fish you can.
▪ Rinse the fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Slice into large chunks.
▪ Combine half the salt, half the turmeric, the chili powder and 1 tablespoon of the oil with the fish pieces, and set aside.
▪ Heat the remaining oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan and add the spring onions and garlic tops (if you are using them). Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute more.
▪ Add the curry sauce with the remaining salt and turmeric, and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce on high for about 5 minutes until thickened.
▪ Stir the chili and yogurt into the sauce and cook, stirring until completely incorporated. Lower the heat and simmer gently while cooking the fish.
▪ Heat a separate frying pan or karahi and stir-fry the fish on high heat for a minute or two until lightly browned. Add the fish to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
▪ Stir in the tomatoes, garam masala, cream and half the cilantro. Simmer for a minute and serve sprinkled with the remaining cilantro.
This is another south Indian delicacy thought to have originated in Goa that has been modified over time by the Mangaloreans and other southern states. The delicious sauce has the robust flavors of garlic and mustard seeds, and the sour tamarind is balanced by the addition of sugar and a generous amount of chili.
▪ Rinse the fish, pat dry with paper towels and cut into chunks. Combine the fish, tamarind, sugar and chili powder in a bowl, and set aside.
▪ Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan and add the mustard seeds. Stir for a few seconds, then add the garlic. Stir-fry for a minute or two and add the cumin, salt and turmeric.
▪ Stir in the tomato, cook for a minute and stir in the curry sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened slightly.
▪ Add the fish and marinade, bring back to a boil and simmer the fish in the sauce for about 5 minutes, stirring carefully, until the fish is cooked through. The sauce should be quite thin.
▪ Serve topped with the whole red chilies.
Although Malabar is a region in the southern state of India where food is generally more fiery and pungent, Malabar cuisine is noted for its mild flavors and gentle cooking styles such as steaming or baking. The subtle spicing in this dish is ideally suited to the delicate flavor of fresh shrimp. If you are using frozen shrimp, thaw in the fridge overnight and pat dry before using.
▪ Grind the spices and coconut to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar or electric grinder. Combine with the shrimp and 1 tablespoon of oil. Set aside.
▪ Heat the remaining oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan and add the onion and red pepper. Stir-fry for 3 minutes until soft and add the turmeric, curry sauce and salt.
▪ Bring to a boil and cook on high for 5 minutes until thickened. Turn down the heat and let the sauce simmer very gently.
▪ Meanwhile, heat a separate pan or karahi and stir-fry the shrimp on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add to the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for another 3 or 4 minutes.
▪ Finally, stir in the green chili and cream. Cook gently for another 2 minutes and serve, sprinkled with the cilantro.
This is a tasty dish originating in the north of India where fresh fenugreek is used in abundance. The distinct “curryish” flavor of the fenugreek beautifully enhances the relatively mild flavor of the fish and spinach in this dish.
▪ Rinse the fish fillets, pat dry with paper towels and cut into large chunks.
▪ Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan and add the cumin seeds. Stir-fry for a few seconds and add the onion and garlic. Fry on high heat for 2–3 minutes until soft.
▪ Add half the tomatoes and stir around in the hot oil for about a minute before adding the spinach and fenugreek.
▪ Stir-fry on high heat for about 3 minutes. Turn down the heat and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the mixture is quite dry.
▪ Add the curry sauce and salt and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
▪ Stir in the fish and chilies and simmer, uncovered, for another 10–12 minutes, stirring carefully, until the fish is cooked through and the liquid has almost evaporated.
▪ Stir through the remaining tomatoes and serve.
This is a wonderful Bengali delicacy traditionally made with a carplike fish called katla. The delicious aromatically spiced sauce is flavored with a special spice blend called panch phoran (five spices), which complements the oily fish beautifully. Salmon is an excellent substitute for the traditional katla but other varieties of fish can also be used.
▪ Combine all the spices for the spice blend and set aside. Mix half the turmeric with half the salt and rub over the fish. Set aside.
▪ Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan and add the spice blend. Stir around in the hot oil for about 20 seconds until the seeds start to pop, then add the garlic. Fry for another few seconds and stir in the tomato paste and remaining turmeric.
▪ Stir-fry for a minute and add the curry sauce, paprika and the remaining salt. Bring to a boil and cook on high for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Turn down the heat and stir in the yogurt. Simmer while preparing the fish.
▪ Heat a separate pan capable of holding all the fish in a single layer. Cook on high heat for a minute each side or until lightly browned.
▪ Transfer the fish to the sauce and turn the pieces in the sauce until each piece is completely coated.
▪ Bring to a boil and turn down the heat. Cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes, turning once. Stir in the tomato halfway through.
▪ Transfer to a serving platter or plates, sprinkle with the red chilies, garam masala
Note: This dish needs the extra sauce to counterbalance the richness of the fish.
A traditional fish curry from Goa that like most Goan food, is colorful, hot and delicious. This is a quick and easy recipe that doesn’t require any curry sauce — the spice mix and coconut milk combine to make a delicious thick sauce. Reduce the number of chilies if you don’t want it too hot.
Use any fish of your choice. Tuna and salmon work well with this dish, as does any firm-fleshed white fish.
▪ Combine the spices for the spice mix and grind to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar or electric grinder. Set aside.
▪ Combine the fish with the tamarind, half the salt and half the turmeric, and set aside.
▪ Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan and add the sliced onion. Stir-fry for 4–5 minutes until lightly browned and stir in the curry leaves, spice mix, remaining salt and turmeric. Fry for a few seconds.
▪ Add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for a minute until aromatic and add the tomato. Cook the tomato for a couple of minutes until pulpy and stir in the paprika, coconut milk and cream.
▪ Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened slightly. Stir in the red chilies, fish and marinade, bring back to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice until the fish is cooked through.
▪ Serve sprinkled with garam masala.