Coconut fish curry (macher malaikari)

Ingredients

• 4 halibut, plaice or tilapia fillets (approximately 750g/1lb 10 oz)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large white onions, thinly sliced into half moons
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1.5 tbsp fresh ginger paste
• 0.2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 400ml/14fl oz tin full-fat coconut milk
• 1 pinch sugar

Instructions

• Place the fish fillets on a plate, sprinkle over half the ground turmeric and half the salt and rub into the fillets. Leave for a minimum of 10 minutes but no longer than 30 minutes.
• In a heavy-based frying pan (skillet), heat the oil over a medium-high heat.
• Add the sliced onions to the pan and fry gently, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelised.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the pan, leaving as much of the oil in the pan as possible to cook the other ingredients, and place on a plate to drain. Spread the onions across the plate so they crisp as they cool.
• You should have enough oil left in the pan to fry the fish; if not, add another 1 tbsp vegetable oil. In the same pan, flash-fry the fish fillets for 20–30 seconds on both sides to seal. Do not allow the fish to cook.
• Remove the fish from the pan and set aside on a plate.
• Keeping the heat at medium-high, add the garlic and ginger pastes to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the remaining ground turmeric and the chilli powder. If the pastes stick to the base of the pan, sprinkle over some water.
• Add the tomato purée, 4 tbsp warm water, the remaining salt and the fried onions, then cook for few minutes until the oil has seeped to the edges of the pan.
• Return the fish fillets to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and carefully turn each fillet over.
• Taste the coconut milk and adjust the seasoning with sugar or salt as necessary.
• Before serving, garnish with sliced green chillis and chopped coriander.