Peanut haddock curry Moongphalli machali

Ingredients

500g (1lb 2oz) skinless haddock fillet, cut into 5cm (2 inch) pieces

pinch of salt

pinch of ground turmeric

1 tablespoon lemon juice

FOR THE CURRY

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 bay leaf

2 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

2 onions, grated

2 tomatoes, grated

200ml (7fl oz) boiling water

½ teaspoon salt

FOR THE PASTE

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

50g (1¾oz) roasted, unsalted peanuts, plus extra to garnish

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2.5cm (1 inch) piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 red chillies, roughly chopped

100ml (3½fl oz) water

Directions

Place the fish pieces on a plate, sprinkle with the salt and turmeric and drizzle with the lemon juice, then rub the seasonings in well with your fingertips. Let the fish rest while you prepare the curry.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the whole spices and then the onions and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes until golden.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes until soft and mushy.

Meanwhile, to make the paste, heat a small pan and add the oil. Once hot, add the peanuts and cook over a low heat for a minute until golden. Then add the garlic, ginger and chillies and cook for a minute. Pour in the measured water and mix well. Then blitz the mixture to a paste in a blender (preferably) or a food processor.

Add the paste to the tomato mixture with the measured boiling water and salt and bring to the boil. Place the fish pieces in the curry and gently stir. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until the fish is just cooked and flaky, then serve, garnished with chopped peanuts.

Notes

A delicious fish curry, enriched with a warm nutty flavour, you really do have to try this to understand its distinctive qualities. It’s beautiful with some rice, or serve with bread such as the Tandoori Masala Roti to mop up all that deliciousness.