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Whitefish Curry

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Sri Lankan Kiri Maalu

Dee Williams has a recipe for whitefish curry

There are so many dishes in Sri Lankan cuisine that I love to cook and eat. When I was growing up in Sri Lanka and preparing my palate for spices, kiri maalu (whitefish curry) was my favourite ‘go to’ food. It’s a great preparation for someone who is not used to spicy foods.

You can use firm fish for this recipe. Though traditionally served with rice, it is also great with crusty bread or roti. This mild and delicious curry will help many newcomers get used to Sri Lankan cuisine.

This mildly spicy fish curry is prepared by marinating whitefish with Sri Lankan spices and cooking it with coconut milk, turmeric, tamarind or tomatoes, curry leaves and fresh onions, to create a delightfully creamy and exceptional bowl of curried goodness!

Here’s my take on this dish.

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Whitefish Curry

This mildly spicy fish curry is prepared by marinating whitefish withSri Lankan spices and cooking it with coconut milk
Cuisine Sri Lankan
Author Dee Williams

Ingredients

  • 500 g skinless firm whitefish (barramundi fillets)
  • 1 tsp Sri Lankan roasted chilli powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper (ground)
  • 1 tsp turmeric (ground)
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ inch ginger (finely grated)
  • 1 onion (red onions or Asian shallots – thinly sliced)
  • 150 g semi-ripe tomatoes (roughlychopped)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (finely grated)
  • 8 curry leaves
  • 1 lemongrass stalk (bruised)
  • 2-3 green chillies (chopped)
  • 500 ml coconut milk
  • 100 ml water
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

  • Garnish the dish with some fried curry leaves and dried red chillies,for extra flavour and presentation.
  • Use thick coconut milk for this recipe.
  • Don’t overcook the fish – poach it in the sauce on medium to low heat.Insert a skewer to check whether the fish is cooked through. It should slide ineasily without any resistance.
  • Barramundiis the perfect choice of fish for this fragrant coconut cream curry but you canalso use thalapath (sailfish), seer fish or Spanish mackerel.
  • If you wish to eat the fish curry later, make sure that the gravy has cooled downcompletely and then refrigerate it. Consume within 2-3 days.

Notes

Clean and cut the fish into big chunks, marinate with black pepper and salt, and leave aside until required.
Heat the oil in a large wok or saucepan; and when it’s hot, add the onions and fry for a couple of minutes. Include the ginger and fry for a further minute, and then add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes.
Drop in the curry leaves, followed by the mustard and fenugreek seeds, and fry until the mustard seeds start to sputter.
Then put in the bruised lemongrass and green chillies, and fry for a few more minutes. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes, and cook them down. Add 100 millilitres of water, turmeric and roasted chilli powder to the saucepan, and mix everything together.
Pour in the coconut milk, stir and simmer for 12-15 minutes, season with salt and sugar. Taste and adjust the flavours according to your palate.
Finally, add the fish and simmer for a further 5-8 minutes. Remove from the stove, and serve warm with rice and sliced cucumber.
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