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Tag: Coconut curry

  • Goan Fish Curry

    Xitti kodi, rice and curry, is the everyday meal of Goa, and the fish curry at its heart is cooked in almost every Goan home. Fresh coconut is ground with Kashmiri chillies, coriander seeds, turmeric, garlic and tamarind into a smooth paste, then simmered with fish such as kingfish, pomfret or mackerel. The result is a vibrant orange curry.

    The taste is sour first from tamarind or kokum, followed by the gentle heat of Kashmiri chilli and the creamy sweetness of coconut. Some cooks add a little tirphal, a Sichuan-pepper-like spice, for a citrusy aroma, and others add slit green chillies and onion. The gravy is thin enough to soak into rice.

    Goans eat fish curry for lunch nearly every day, usually with red parboiled rice and a fried fish on the side. The curry tastes better reheated. Many Goan families keep a jar of ground masala ready to make the curry quickly on busy days. Mackerel, sardines and prawns are equally popular, depending on what the market offers that morning.

    At a glance

    RegionGoa
    CuisineGoan
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientskingfish / coconut / kashmiri chillies / tamarind

    Ingredients

    For the fish

    • 500 g kingfish (surmai), cut into steaks
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric

    For the masala

    • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated coconut
    • 8 dried Kashmiri chillies, soaked 15 minutes
    • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 5 garlic cloves
    • 1 inch ginger
    • 1 tbsp tamarind pulp

    For the curry

    • 2 tbsp coconut oil
    • 1 small onion, finely sliced
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tomato, chopped (optional)
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • Salt to taste
    • 3-4 tirphal (optional)

    Method

    1. Rub the fish with salt and turmeric and set aside for 15 minutes.
    2. Grind the coconut, soaked chillies, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, turmeric, garlic, ginger and tamarind with about 3/4 cup water to a very smooth paste.
    3. Heat coconut oil in a wide pan on medium. Add the onion and green chillies and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
    4. Add the tomato if using and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ground masala and fry for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
    5. Pour in the water, add salt and tirphal and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
    6. Slide in the fish pieces and cook on low for 6-8 minutes without stirring, until the fish is just cooked through. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Grind the masala very smooth; a grainy paste gives a coarse curry.
    • Kashmiri chillies give colour without too much heat; add one spicy Goan chilli if you want more bite.
    • Do not boil hard after adding coconut; it can split.

    Serve with

    Goan red rice, fried fish and a pickle.

  • Malvani Fish Curry

    Malvani cuisine comes from the Sindhudurg coast of southern Maharashtra, where fish curry and rice are eaten almost every day. The curry gets its flavour from Malvani masala, a powder of more than a dozen dried spices and red chillies, and from fresh coconut ground with a little roasted onion. Kokum provides sourness instead of tamarind.

    The gravy is orange-red, medium-thick and coconut-rich, with a sharp tang from kokum and a deep spicy warmth from the masala. Firm fish such as surmai (kingfish), pomfret or bangda (mackerel) holds its shape and absorbs the flavours. Unlike Goan curries, it is not sour-sweet; the balance leans to heat and tang.

    It is eaten with steamed rice or tandlachi bhakri, a soft rice-flour flatbread, with a glass of sol kadhi to finish. The curry tastes better a few hours after cooking, once the fish has soaked up the gravy. Mackerel and prawns are common, inexpensive alternatives to surmai in everyday cooking.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMalvani
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientssurmai / coconut / kokum / malvani masala

    Ingredients

    For the fish

    • 500 g surmai or pomfret, cut into thick steaks
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice

    For the masala paste

    • 1 tbsp oil
    • 1 small onion, sliced
    • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated coconut
    • 6 garlic cloves
    • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
    • 2 tbsp Malvani masala
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric

    For the curry

    • 2 tbsp coconut oil
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 4-5 kokum petals soaked in 1/4 cup water
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Marinate the fish in turmeric, salt and lemon juice for 15 minutes.
    2. Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the sliced onion on medium for 5-6 minutes until brown. Add coconut and roast for 3-4 minutes until light golden. Add garlic, coriander seeds and peppercorns and roast 1 minute more.
    3. Cool, then grind with Malvani masala, chilli powder, turmeric and about 1/2 cup water to a smooth paste.
    4. Heat coconut oil in a wide pan on medium. Cook the chopped onion for 3-4 minutes until soft.
    5. Add the ground paste and fry for 4-5 minutes until oil starts separating. Add 1 1/2 cups water and salt and bring to a boil.
    6. Simmer for 5 minutes, then slide in the fish pieces in a single layer. Cook on low for 6-8 minutes without stirring, gently shaking the pan, until the fish is opaque and flakes at the thickest part.
    7. Add the kokum with its soaking water and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, garnish with coriander and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Add kokum at the end; boiling it for long can make the curry bitter.
    • Do not stir after adding fish; shake the pan to avoid breaking the pieces.
    • If Malvani masala is unavailable, use a mix of 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli, 1 tsp garam masala and 1/2 tsp roasted coriander powder.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice or tandlachi bhakri, with sol kadhi.