12th September 2007

Tanzanian Monkfish Curry

This is my take on the delicious simple dish famed in Zanzibar.  The tangy tamarind and creamy coconut milk blend perfectly with a delicate undertone of curry spices.  You can use any seafood for this, but make sure it's firm-fleshed. If you like a bit of heat, add some chopped red chillies when serving.

600g monkfish tail, off the bone & cut into 5cm pieces
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed (2 tsp)
2 tsp medium heat curry powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
35g tamarind, soaked in 350ml boiling water for 10 minutes
2 tsp tomato paste
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
4 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped into 1cm dice
To serve:
100g wild rice, cooked and drained
200g basmati rice, steamed
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Sweat the onion in a casserole dish in a little vegetable oil until soft.  Add garlic for two minutes, stirring.  Add 1 tsp of curry powder with garam masala and stir until fragrance is released, but be careful not to burn. Drain the solids from the soaked tamarind and add water to the pan with tomato paste, lemon juice and coconut milk.  Increase heat and bring to the boil.  Reduce to a low simmer while preparing fish.  Coat fish in remaining teaspoon of curry powder and heat a frying pan with a little vegetable oil.  When hot, add pieces of fish and sear on each side for 1 minute.  Transfer fish directly into the curry and add the tomato.  Continue to simmer for 10 minutes, or until fish is cooked through, and check for seasoning.  Combine the two cooked rice and warm to serve.  Place a spoonful of rice in a soup dish and ladle the curry on top, and scatter with coriander leaves.

Serves 4.