Fish Curry ~ Parsi Food

• Parsi Fish Curry

• Parsi food adores curries, particularly those with fish or prawns. Traditionally, it must be prepared with bone-in fish. Adding the whole fish is my personal favourite, as it adds to the flavour. The Western world, however, tends to eat fish fillets, and many are squeamish when served with a whole fish! Here I share my curry recipe with salmon fillets.

Smooth, deep and delicious the Parsi fish curry is hard to beat!

Serves 6 people

• 1kg/2.2 lbs fish
• 1 cup desiccated or freshly scraped Coconut
• 6 large flat dry red chillies
• 1 whole pod of fresh peeled garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 12 curry patta/ leaves
• 2  slit green chillies
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup fresh tomato puree
•  1 tsp tamarind paste or kokum paste

• Grind together until fine, the coconut and red chillies. Now add the onion, garlic, sugar, salt and the coriander and cumin powders with the vinegar to make into a paste.

•  In a pan heat a tsp of oil and add turmeric curry patta/ leaves and the green chillies.

• Gently stir for a minute and add the curry paste. 

• Now add the water. Mix well, bring it to a boil, cover. Lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Now add the fresh pureed tomatoes and the tamarind or kokum. Cover again and cook for another 30 minutes on a very low steam. 

• Add the fish and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Cover and close the stove. Let it rest for 10 minutes and serve with freshly boiled steaming hot rice.

• Tips

• Substitute 1 cup of coconut water for water if you wish. 
• If you cannot get tamarind or kokum use the juice of one fresh lemon or lime.
• 2 tsp of chilli powder equals the 6 large flat dry chillies, however the chillies do give the colour and flavour.
• Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk to make it creamier.

• My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on Amazon.

  The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

  The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

  Photo courtesy Niloufer Mavalvala 

Comments
31st July 2018
A favourite made with Prawn/Shrimp