If you ever get the chance to travel to Goa, India, DO NOT LEAVE without going to a shack on the beach and eating their famous fish or shrimp curry. It is nothing short of a revelation! It's like a miraculous party of spices and coconut in your mouth. This fish curry is very different from the fish curry that my mom usually makes, which is very garlicky and also very specific to the region of India we are from. Although both our region and Goa are not too far in distance and are both coastal areas where fish and shellfish are available in abundance, somehow the cuisines are quite different. You should try both and see which one you like best. I of course like them both and don't think I could ever choose!
Ingredients:
4 6oz salmon fillets cut into halves (you can also use firm white-fleshed fish like Kingfish or halibut)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
8 curry leaves
2 Thai green chilies, slit open (can substitute with jalapeno. Don't worry about the spice level for these because they are going to be used to temper the oil, so they lose a lot of heat in that process)
6 dried red chilies (if you go to the indian store, look for Kashmiri chilies, otherwise you can use dried red chilies from any grocery store. This also turns out pretty spicy so you can adjust it if you think it's going to be too much. Start with 3 red chilies and then if you think you can handle it add more the next time you make it. But beware, once you actually grind and cook the chilies there's no going back to adjust the spice level)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (if you don't have fresh coconut, you can use the frozen kind or the dessicated kind).
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
10 medium cloves of garlic
1" piece of ginger, peeled
1 cup light coconut milk combined with 1 cup hot water
2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
Preparation:
In a food processor, grind the shredded coconut, dried red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric pwd, garlic and ginger until it forms a pesto-like paste. Add a tiny bit of water if necessary.
Cook:
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat until shimmering.
Add the curry leaves and green chilies and stir quickly until they are fragrant and spluttering. This will happen very quickly in about 15 seconds since the oil is so hot.
Reduce heat to medium and add the onions. Saute until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes.
Add the ground spice paste and stir occasionally until it is fragrant and the oil starts to float to the top, about 5-7 mins.
Add the water/coconut milk mixture and bring the curry to a boil.
Once boiled, add salt and taste for seasoning. If it is too spicy at this point, you can add some coconut milk powder, which will thicken the curry and also cut the spice level. Adding salt also helps to reduce the heat of the spice.
Reduce heat to low and slide in the pieces of fish until they are completely submerged in the curry.
Let the curry simmer and the fish cook gently for about 10 minutes without stirring, as this will break the fish.
If some of the pieces of fish are thick, you will have to gently turn them over and cook for another 5 minutes to ensure they are cooked all the way through.
ENJOY with steamed white rice!
Ingredients:
4 6oz salmon fillets cut into halves (you can also use firm white-fleshed fish like Kingfish or halibut)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
8 curry leaves
2 Thai green chilies, slit open (can substitute with jalapeno. Don't worry about the spice level for these because they are going to be used to temper the oil, so they lose a lot of heat in that process)
6 dried red chilies (if you go to the indian store, look for Kashmiri chilies, otherwise you can use dried red chilies from any grocery store. This also turns out pretty spicy so you can adjust it if you think it's going to be too much. Start with 3 red chilies and then if you think you can handle it add more the next time you make it. But beware, once you actually grind and cook the chilies there's no going back to adjust the spice level)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (if you don't have fresh coconut, you can use the frozen kind or the dessicated kind).
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
10 medium cloves of garlic
1" piece of ginger, peeled
1 cup light coconut milk combined with 1 cup hot water
2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
Preparation:
In a food processor, grind the shredded coconut, dried red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric pwd, garlic and ginger until it forms a pesto-like paste. Add a tiny bit of water if necessary.
Cook:
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat until shimmering.
Add the curry leaves and green chilies and stir quickly until they are fragrant and spluttering. This will happen very quickly in about 15 seconds since the oil is so hot.
Reduce heat to medium and add the onions. Saute until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes.
Add the ground spice paste and stir occasionally until it is fragrant and the oil starts to float to the top, about 5-7 mins.
Add the water/coconut milk mixture and bring the curry to a boil.
Once boiled, add salt and taste for seasoning. If it is too spicy at this point, you can add some coconut milk powder, which will thicken the curry and also cut the spice level. Adding salt also helps to reduce the heat of the spice.
Reduce heat to low and slide in the pieces of fish until they are completely submerged in the curry.
Let the curry simmer and the fish cook gently for about 10 minutes without stirring, as this will break the fish.
If some of the pieces of fish are thick, you will have to gently turn them over and cook for another 5 minutes to ensure they are cooked all the way through.
ENJOY with steamed white rice!
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