MALU CURRY - FISH CURRY FROM SRI LANKA

I love curries. There are so many different types! I enjoy the curries from Thailand for their amazing fragrant flavours, but also like a good Indian curry. This one from Sri Lanka is a bit in between, with the coconut milk, it is milder than the traditional northern Indian curry. It really makes a difference if you make your curry from scratch. There is a recipe below to do that. However, I used some Sri Lankan curry already made from a very good brand and it turned out beautiful. I couldn't find any fenugreek or curry leaves in the shops near where we live, so I had to cook it without them.

INGREDIENTS

4 large fish steaks (jewfish, kingfish or cod)
1/2 kg fresh prawns (optional)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
oil for frying
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tsp grated ginger
1 small stick cinnamon
8 curry leaves
1 1/2 Tbsp Ceylon curry powder
1/2 cup tamarind liquid
1x400ml tin coconut milk
1x400ml tin coconut cream

In Sri Lankan cooking, one of the main characteristics is that the spices are dark roasted. This gives them an aroma completely different from Indian curries, so be sure to use curry powder that is labelled 'Ceylon Curry Powder'. If you cannot buy it ready made, here is a simple recipe. (Charmaine Solomon)

METHOD:
Wash the fish steaks and peel the prawns, reserve the prawn heads. Dry the fish on kitchen paper and cut into serving portions.

Put the pepper, salt and turmeric in a small plastic bag. Mix well.

Add the fish to the spice mixture.

Shake until the fillets are well coated with the spice mixture.

Heat about 1.75 cm oil in a large frying pan and fry fish quickly to a golden colour. Drain on paper while preparing the gravy.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onions, fenugreek, garlic and ginger until the onions are soft and golden. Add the prawn heads and fry a few more minutes, until the heads turn into a reddish colour.

Add the cinnamon, curry leaves and curry powder and fry for two minutes, stirring.

Open the tin of coconut cream (do not shake it!). Get the thick paste on top of the tin and add to the onion mixture. Cook for about 1 minute.

Extract as much liquid as you can from the prawn heads and discard them. Add the tamarind liquid, the rest of the coconut cream and the coconut milk and simmer, uncovered, until the gravy is thickened and slightly reduced.

Put in the fish steaks. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add the prawns. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve hot with boiled rice and chutneys.

Serves 4-6

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