In Indian cuisine, chicken claims the coveted top spot as the preferred protein especially in traditional Punjabi food. However the State of Punjab is also known as ‘the land of five rivers’ in India, where freshwater fish is widely used as well as the locally available Sole and Singharais. So the fact that this delicious traditional curry recipe uses fish actually comes as no surprise
PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes, Marination Time: 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: 20 minutes
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
For the Marinade:
700g boneless firm white fish fillets
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp salt or according to taste
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp garlic paste
½ tsp ginger paste
2 green chillies into paste
½ lime
3 tbsp oil for shallow fry
For the Tempering:
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 onions, large
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
½ tsp red chilli powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tomato, large
1 tsp salt or according to taste
1½ cups warm water
1 tbsp oil, for cooking
Fresh coriander, chopped to garnish
METHOD
For the Marinade:
Wash and clean the fish thoroughly, then pat it dry with a kitchen paper towel. Place the fish on a chopping board and cut it into evenly sized pieces, about 2 inches each.
Place all the ingredients of marinade except oil in a large bowl. Mix with the fork till everything is well combined. Add fish to the mixture and gently mix it till all the pieces are well coated. Cover and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a heavy base frying pan over medium flame. Shallow fry the fish pieces, few at a time, turning them once, until they are brown on both the sides. Place them on the kitchen paper towel and set aside for later use
For the Tempering: Heat oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan over medium flame.
Add cumin seeds and sauté until aromatic. Peel, wash, and grind the onions into a smooth paste, then add the onion paste to the pan and sauté for 4–5 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir in the garlic paste, then add the ginger paste and sauté for another 30 seconds.
Reduce the flame to low and add all the spice powders. Stir with a splash of water to prevent them from burning. Add chopped tomatoes and salt, then sauté over medium flame for 3–4 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften and the oil separates.
Add warm water to the onion mixture and mix gently. Cover the saucepan and bring it to a boil over high flame. Then reduce the flame to medium and cook the gravy for 3–4 minutes, until the oil surfaces.
Add the fish (just before serving) to the gravy and mix gently, making sure not to break the pieces. Cover and cook for 2–3 minutes, allowing the fish to simmer well in the gravy.
Transfer the fish curry to a serving bowl, garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with jeera rice.
RUBY’S TIP
To retain the flavour and colour of the fish, rub it with a little lemon juice before cooking.
In India, Singara or Rohu fish is commonly used for this recipe, but Tarakihi or any other firm fish can also be used as per your preference.