South Asian Fish Curry is a tasty dish which preserves the more delicate flavour of a freshwater fish. Mustard oil helps to enhance the flavour, but olive oil works well too.
Suggested Go Spice Blends: Jammu, Kerala, Newar
Serves 2-3
3 tbsp mustard oil or olive oil
250g cobbler, basa or other freshwater fish, (firm, white sea fish are fine too) cut into large chunks
½ tsp salt
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1-2 tsp Go Spice Spice Blend
1 large tomato, chopped
2 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
200g aubergine, cut into chunks
600 ml water
a little flour (optional)
Warm the oil in a deep frying pan or karahi over a medium heat and then add the fish. Sprinkle with a pinch of the salt and fry for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, keeping the fish chunks whole, until just cooked. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
In the remaining oil, fry the onion for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly softened. Add the Go Spice Blend and the remaining salt and stir fry in the onions for 30 seconds. Add the tomato and stir fry for 1 minute before adding the potatoes and aubergine and mixing through the pan, coating well with the other ingredients and cook for a 2-3 minutes minutes, stirring occasionally. Add half of the water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potato and aubergine are cooked, about 15-20 minutes, depending on the type of potatoes used and the size of the wedges. Stir occasionally and add more water as required. A little flour towards the end of cooking can be stirred in to thicken the sauce if required. Check the seasoning and add the cooked fish to the pan. Stir through gently being careful not to break the fish pieces. Serve hot.
