Seafood lovers will delight in this recipe for Malabar fish curry courtesy of our friends at Brasserie Blanc. This classic French colonial recipe, made with grilled king prawns and served with toasted coconut is absolutely delicious.
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
For the marinade
- 1 tsp galangal, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 6 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ tsp chilli curry powder
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- Generous pinch of salt
- 450g skinless hake fillets
For the curry sauce
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1-2 Birdseye chillis, roughly chopped (deseeded if you don’t like it too hot)
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
- 1 tsp fresh turmeric, grated
- Thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 lemongrass stalks, 1 finely chopped, 1 crushed
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 onions, diced
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or soft light brown sugar
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- 3-4 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 lime leaves
- 400g tin coconut milk
- 180g raw king prawns
For the pilaf
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 350g long grain rice, rinsed
- 1 lime leaf
- ½ tsp salt
- 400g tin of coconut milk
To garnish
- Crispy shallots
- Small bunch of coriander, leaves picked
- Coconut flakes
METHOD
- Put all the marinade ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor and blitz until smooth. Place in a large plastic freezer bag with the fish, turning the fish in the bag a few times to ensure it is thoroughly coated. Secure the bag with a loose knot and put on a plate in the fridge to marinate overnight.
- To make the sauce, blend all the ingredients (except for 1 lemongrass stalk, the oil, lime leaves and coconut milk) in a food processor until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a large casserole and add the lemongrass and lime leaves. Cook until fragrant, then add the curry paste and cook for two minutes. Add 400ml of boiling water and the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened.
- While the sauce is cooking, make the pilaf. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onion for 3-5 mins until soft. Add the rice and stir to coat with the melted butter. Cook in the pan for a further minute until the rice begins to turn translucent.
- Add the lime leaf, salt, 300ml of boiling water and the coconut milk. Bring to the boil, then put the lid on and turn down the heat. Simmer very gently for 15-18 mins or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Drain and set aside.
- Remove the lemongrass and the lime leaves from the sauce and add the fish and prawns. Put the lid on and simmer for 5 mins or until the hake is just cooked and flaking and the prawns are pink through.
- Sprinkle the rice with the crispy shallots and coriander and scatter the coconut over the curry. Serve immediately.