Recipes

Sunil Ghai’s sweet and sour fish curry

Sunil Ghai's sweet and sour fish curry from The Gathered Table. Photograph: Katie Quinn

Sunil Ghai
Sat Mar 25 2023 - 03:00
Serves: 4
Course: Dinner
Ingredients
  • Vegetable oil, for cooking
  • 150g red onion, finely diced
  • 10 curry leaves
  • ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 20g fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 dried red chilli, torn in half
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp fenugreek seed powder
  • 1½ tbsp tomato purée
  • 60–80ml coconut milk
  • 4 sea bass fillets, cut into large chunks
  • Sea salt
  • 1–2 tsp lime juice
  • 1–2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander, plus extra to garnish
  • Honey or brown sugar, to taste

1. Heat a generous drizzle of oil in a large, deep pan set over a medium-high heat. Once the oil has reached the smoking point, add the red onion, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onions are golden brown.

2. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the ginger and garlic and cook for one to two minutes, just until fragrant. Add the chilli powder or paprika and the ground coriander along with a small splash of water. Cook, stirring, for one to two minutes. Stir in the dried red chilli, turmeric and fenugreek seed powder, then mix in the tomato purée with another generous splash of water.

3. Stir in just enough coconut milk to make a thin sauce, then add the fish, making sure it’s covered. Season with a generous pinch of salt and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Just before serving, stir in the lime juice and fresh coriander. Finally, stir in a little honey or brown sugar to taste to add a little sweetness to the curry. Garnish with a little more fresh coriander and serve hot.

The Gathered Table: A Taste of Home is compiled by Gather & Gather Ireland, with all proceeds going to the Peter McVerry Trust (€30, ninebeanrowsbooks.com). Read more about the book here.

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