Fish Curry with Whole Grain Mustard
Machli ka Curry Bengali
Mamta Gupta
This is a delicious, creamy fish curry, with gentle flavours and it is very easy to cook. I have used Salmon here but you can use any firm fish you like. The list of ingredients looks large, but once you have measured them, it is an easy dish to make.
You can cook this dish with cod, salmon, tuna, trout,prawns, haddock, mackerel or any other local fish of choice.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 kg. or 2 lb. fresh salmon, cod, haddock or any other firm fish in season. Buy boneless fillets or fish steaks with bones
Marinade
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed well
1/2 level tsp. turmeric powder
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice
For the Curry
2 medium or 250-300 gm. onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 inch piece of ginger peeled and roughly chopped
3-4 tbsp. oil
1 level tsp. black mustard seeds (rai)
12-15 curry leaves, meetha neem patte (not bay leaves)
2 dry red chillies, broken up into halves
1 level tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
1 level tsp. chilli powder, adjust to taste
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 1/2-2 level tsp. salt, adjust to taste. It is better to start with less and add more if necessary
2 level tbsp. whole grain made mustard like Coleman’s
1 cup thick yoghurt
3 cups water
2-3 tbsp. cream coconut powder (sold in packets). You can used tinned creamed coconut. The amount is a rough guide only, taste and adjust it to your taste.
1 tsp. Garam Masala
A handful or coriander leaves, chopped finely (optional)
Instructions
Cut each fish fillet into 2 1/2 inch or 6-7 cm. portions. Marinate in garlic, turmeric and lemon juice mix.
Place onions, ginger, garlic in a food processor and grind to a paste.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter, add curry leaves and whole chillies. Stir for 5-10 seconds. Mustard seeds jump a lot, so you may like to cover the pan while they are spluttering.
Add and fry the onion, ginger, garlic mix, until oil separates and it looks medium brown.
Add turmeric, coriander, cumin and chilli powder and salt. Stir fry for a few seconds. Add 2 tbsp. water and stir fry until oil separates. This helps to cook onions etc. through.
Add yoghurt and mustard and stir fry for a minute or two, until oil separates from the mass.
Add water, bring to boil. Add fish pieces and simmer for no more than 5 minutes. Fish should not be over cooked, it will break up and not taste as good.
Add the coconut cream. Simmer for another minute. Turn heat off, add garam masala and leave covered.
Serve garnished with coriander leaves, with freshly Boiled Rice.
Notes
You can cook chicken pieces or prawns in the same spice mix. If cooking chicken, brown the pieces first in a little hot oil.
