Sri Lankan Fish Curry with Tomato
Serves 6.
Ingredients
750 g/1 1/2 lb thick steaks of firm fish
(Spanish mackerel or jewfish)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
oil for frying
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon Ceylon curry powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
salt to taste
500 ml/1 pint/2 cups coconut milk
Directions
Wash and dry fish and rub with turmeric and salt. Cut each steak into serving pieces. Heat oil in a frying pan for shallow frying, and fry the fish until golden brown on both sides. Drain.
Put onion, garlic, ginger and tomato in an electric blender and blend to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry the blended ingredients until oil starts to separate from mixture. Add the curry powder and chilli powder, about a teaspoonful of salt, and the coconut milk. Bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the fish and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)