This king fish curry flavoured with mustard and coconut is just divine. The yellow mustard pairs so well with coconut and gives a unique flavour to this Bengali style fish curry. I wanted to keep it lightly spiced but flavourful so used only those spices and ingredients which can complement each other. I used white chilli powder instead of red in order to retain the light mustardy hue as well as not to make it hot and spicy. The mustardy coconut taste suits any fleshy white fish and the King fish fitted so well in this equation. It is a simple and very easy curry to make that is ready in no time, makes a good meal with steamed rice and papad. So delicious!
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
For the ground masala:
4 cloves of garlic
8 small green chillies
1/2 small onion (lime size)
1 tbs yellow mustard seeds
6-1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup finely ground coconut
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
For the Curry
1 lb king fish steaks
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
A pinch of methi (fenugreek)seeds
1 strand of fresh curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp white chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp mustard powder
2 tsp tamarind pulp
1/4 cup canola oil
Salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Clean and rinse the fish in cold running water, drain well, rub them with salt and lemon juice and set aside.
2. Pulse the yellow mustard and cumin seeds in a wet grinder, then add the onion, garlic, 2 green chillies and grind to a fine paste. Grind the coconut separately to a fine paste.
3. Heat the oil in a pot. Add the black mustard seeds once they start spluttering toss in the fenugreek seeds. When they begin to slightly change colour, quickly throw in the curry leaves followed by the ground masala, salt, white chilli, cumin and coriander powders. Methi (fenugreek) seeds burn really fast so adding curry leaves and the ground masala halts the burning process)
4. Sauté the masala in the oil, then mix in the ground coconut paste and continue to sauté till it gets reduced and starts oozing out oil from it.
5. Now add the salted king fish steaks. If you have the king fish head pieces you could add them as well because the the fish curry gets more flavourful and tasty.
6. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of water from the sides and let the curry cook on medium heat.
7. Do not stir the fish while it is cooking with a spatula. Hold the pot with your oven mitts and give the pot a gentle shake to move the fish pieces in the pot so they don’t stick to the bottom.
8. Mix 2 tsp of tamarind paste in 1/4 cup of water and add it to the fish curry. Taste and adjust the salt.
9. Let it cook on simmer till the oil rises on top. If the curry is too thick sprinkle a little water from the sides (so that any masala sticking to the sides is washed into the curry), add a pinch of jaggery and give the pot a gentle shake to mix well.
10. Garnish with chopped cilantro, drizzle some fresh lemon juice and serve hot with steamed rice. Enjoy!
Notes:
1. For best results follow step after step in the same order all the instructions exactly to the letter. For instance the slightest delay in adding the ground masala in the tempering process will result in burnt methi seeds which would impart a burnt flavour to the whole dish.
2. Do not use the spatula to stir the curry when the fish is cooking. Use mitts to hold the pot and give the curry a gentle shake. It i is really important to follow this step while cooking any kind of fish.
- Ingredients:
- For the ground masala
- 4 cloves of garlic medium size
- 6-8 small green chillies
- 1/2 small onion lime size
- 1 tbs yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 cup finely ground coconut or 1/2 cup coconut milk
- For the Curry
- 1 lb king fish steaks
- 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp Methi (fenugreek) seeds
- 1 strand of fresh curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp white chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp tamarind pulp
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- Instructions:
- Clean and rinse the fish in cold running water, drain well, rub them with salt and lemon juice and set aside.
- Pulse the yellow mustard and cumin seeds in a wet grinder, then add the onion, garlic, 2 green chillies and grind to a fine paste. Grind the coconut separately to a fine paste.
Heat the oil in a pot. Add the black mustard seeds once they start spluttering toss in the fenugreek seeds. When they begin to slightly change colour, quickly throw in the curry leaves followed by the ground masala, salt, turmeric, white chilli, cumin and coriander powders. Methi(fenugreek) seeds burn really fast so quickly adding the curry leaves and the ground masala halts the burning process)
- Sauté the masala in the oil, then mix in the ground coconut paste and continue to sauté till it gets reduced and starts oozing out oil from it.
- Now add the salted king fish steaks. If you have the king fish head pieces you could add them as well because the the fish curry gets more flavourful and tasty.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of water from the sides and let the curry cook on medium heat.
- Do not stir the fish while it is cooking with a spatula. Hold the pot with your oven mitts and give the pot a gentle shake to move the fish pieces in the pot so they don’t stick to the bottom.
- Mix 2 tsp of tamarind paste in 1/4 cup of water and add it to the fish curry. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Let it cook on simmer till the oil rises on top. If the curry is too thick sprinkle a little water from the sides (so that any masala sticking to the sides is washed into the curry), add a pinch of jaggery and give the pot a gentle shake to mix well.
Garnish with chopped cilantro, drizzle some fresh lemon juice and serve hot with steamed rice. Enjoy!
Notes:
1. For best results follow step after step in the same order all the instructions exactly to the letter. For instance the slightest delay in adding the ground masala in the tempering process will result in burnt methi seeds which would impart a burnt flavour to the whole dish.
2. Do not use the spatula to stir the curry when the fish is cooking. Use mitts to hold the pot and give the curry a gentle shake. It i is really important to follow this step while cooking any kind of fish.
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