30 Minute Curries by Atul Kochhar

Author:Atul Kochhar
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472937766
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2017-04-10T04:00:00+00:00

Goan Fish Curry

SEA BASS WITH SPINACH

Palakwali Machhi

SEAFOOD

Cardamom isn’t a spice normally cooked with fish, but here I use both green and black cardamom seeds to flavour the spinach in this Kashmiri-inspired dish. I think the result is very successful. The spinach is also given an extra dimension with dried fenugreek leaves, which you can find in Indian food shops. I devised this recipe with 125g of spinach leaves per portion, but if you want more, please feel free to increase.

For variety, substitute 2½ teaspoons Benares Curry Powder for the ground turmeric, red chilli powder and ground ginger and cinnamon.

SERVES 4

2.5cm piece of ginger

4 large sea bass fillets, skin on

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

sea salt

1 lemon, to garnish (optional)

For the spinach

500g baby spinach leaves

3 green cardamom pods

1 black cardamom pod

3 garlic cloves

1 onion

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon black cumin seeds, or use ordinary

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon red chilli powder, or to taste

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves

½ lemon

Assemble all the ingredients and equipment before you begin. You need a colander or sieve, a pestle and mortar, a wok and a large non-stick sauté or frying pan.

First prepare the ingredients for the spinach. Rinse the spinach leaves and shake off the excess water. Lightly crush the green and black cardamom pods to remove the seeds, then grind the seeds with a pestle and mortar. Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves. Peel, halve and thinly slice the onion.

To cook the spinach, heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat in the wok. Add the garlic and black cumin seeds and stir until the seeds crackle. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and continue stirring until the onion is softened, but not coloured. Add the ground cardamom seeds, the turmeric, chilli powder, ginger and cinnamon, and continue stirring for 30 seconds to cook the spices. Watch closely so they do not burn.

Add the wet spinach a handful at a time, stirring and pressing it down until it all fits into the wok. Add the dried fenugreek leaves. Season with salt, increase the heat and continue stirring for 3–4 minutes until the spinach reduces in volume and is tender, but not reduced to a mush – you want to have some texture left. Squeeze in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and reserve the lemon shell. Set the spinach aside and keep hot.

Peel the knob of ginger. Coarsely chop 2 or 3 small pieces, which will be used to flavour the oil used for cooking the fish, then thinly slice the remainder and cut into fine julienne slices to use as a garnish. Set aside separately.

Pat the fish fillets dry. Use a thin knife to slightly score the skin side of each fillet. Season lightly with salt on the flesh side, then set aside.

Heat the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat in the sauté pan. Add the chopped ginger and stir just until it turns light brown to flavour the oil, then remove it immediately – if it browns too much, it will add a bitter flavour.

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