Keralan Hake Curry Recipes

KERALAN FISH CURRY

Steps:

• Peel and finely slice the shallots, garlic and ginger. Trim and finely slice the chilli. Cut the fish into chunks.
• Heat a lug of groundnut oil in a large pan, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and cook until the seeds start to pop.
• Add the shallot, garlic, ginger and chilli, and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until softened.
• Mix the chilli powder and turmeric together with a splash of water, and stir into the pan. Fry for 1 minute, then add the fish, coconut milk and tomatoes.
• Season, bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked and the sauce has reduced.
• Pick, chop and scatter over the coriander leaves. Delicious served with basmati rice and warm naan bread.

KERALAN HAKE CURRY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a shallow casserole dish (or ovenproof frying pan with a lid) over a medium heat. Add the onion, coriander stalks, ginger and peppers, and cook gently with the lid on for 15 mins until softened and beginning to brown. Turn up the heat, stir through the spices and cook for 1 min more until aromatic.
• Tip in the tomatoes and pour in the coconut milk. Bring to a bubble, then put in the oven with the lid on for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and nestle the hake on the sauce. Return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 10-15 mins or until the hake is cooked through. Season to taste, scatter with the coriander leaves and serve with rice or naan to mop up the sauce.

KERALAN CHICKEN CURRY

Steps:

• For the Keralan curry, put the turmeric, yoghurt and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and leave to marinate for an hour.
• Meanwhile, make the curry paste. Place a frying pan over a low heat and add the oil, followed by the ginger and garlic. Fry for about a minute, then add the remaining paste ingredients and fry for 5-6 minutes, or until lightly coloured. Leave to cool, then transfer to a blender, add 3-5 tablespoons water and blend to a fine paste. Set aside.
• To finish the Keralan chicken curry, place a heavy-based, non-stick pan over a medium heat and add the vegetable oil. When hot, add the chillies and let them sizzle for about 10 seconds. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry for 10-12 minutes, or until browned. Stir in the blended tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the spice paste and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring well, until the sauce thickens slightly. Increase the heat and add the marinated chicken pieces, stirring well to coat them with spice paste. Fry for 4 minutes, or until lightly coloured. Add 100ml/3½fl oz water and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the coconut milk, stir well and simmer for a further 4-7 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
• For the raita, in a small bowl, add the mint, coriander, yoghurt, ginger, spring onions and 100ml water to a blender. Blend to a smooth paste, then transfer to a bowl and sprinkle over the crushed cumin seeds, black salt and sea salt. Set aside.
• For the lime and coriander rice, season the cooked rice with salt and pepper. Fork lightly to loosen the grains and set aside.
• Place a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the chopped chilli and fry for a few seconds. Add the rice and heat through, stirring well. Add the lime zest and fresh coriander. Mix well and turn off the heat. Stir through the lime juice.
• To serve, garnish the curry with chilli flakes or coriander and serve in bowls with the rice and raita alongside.

KERALA FISH CURRY

Steps:

• Cut the fish into bite-sized chunks, put them into a large bowl, and rub with a little salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric. Heat the oil in a large, shallow pan and peel and tip in your fine half-moons of onion; sprinkle them with a little salt to stop them browning and then cook, stirring, until they've softened; this should take scarcely 5 minutes. Cut the whole, unseeded chillies into thin slices across (although if you really don't want this at all hot, you can deseed and then just chop them) and then toss them into the pan of softened onions. Peel the ginger and slice it, then cut the slices into straw-like strips and add them too, along with the remaining teaspoon of turmeric and the cumin. Fry them with the onions for a few minutes. Pour the tin of coconut milk into a measuring jug and add a tablespoon of tamarind paste and the fish stock concentrate, using boiling water from the kettle to bring the liquid up to the litre mark. Pour it into the pan, stirring it in to make the delicate curry sauce. Taste and add more tamarind paste if you want to. And actually you can do all this hours in advance if this helps. When you are absolutely ready to eat, add the fish to the hot sauce and heat for a couple of minute until it's cooked through but still tender.