Macher Malaikari – (Fish in Coconut Milk) and Tamatar Bharta – (Smoky Mashed Tomatoes)

This creamy, coconut-based fish curry by Asma Khan is served with smokey mashed tomatoes and rice. Asma recently discovered that this curry was originally made in the Malay Peninsula by Bengali labourers who were sent there by the British to build the railways. When cooking the tomatoes make sure the heat is set to low–medium so the tomatoes cook all the way through.

Ingredients

  • 4 halibut, plaice or tilapia fillets (approximately 750 g/1 lb 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
  • 1½ tbsp fresh ginger paste
  • ¼ tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste)
  • 1 x 400-ml/14-fl oz tin full-fat coconut milk
  • A pinch of sugar
To garnish
  • Green chillis, finely sliced
  • Coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped
  • 2 medium–large tomatoes
  • 1⁄2 tsp lime juice
  • 1⁄2 tsp mustard oil (or argan oil)
  • 1 green chilli, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, bashed and finely chopped 1⁄4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

Method

Macher Malaikari – Fish in Coconut Milk

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 caramelized. 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 puree, 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.

Tamatar Bharta – Smoky mashed tomatoes  

The tomatoes can be cooked either in the oven or under the grill (broiler). The cooking times for tomatoes will vary depending on their variety, size and water content, so do keep checking during the cooking.

If cooking in an oven, preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Place the whole tomatoes in an oven tray and slow roast for 20–30 minutes. As the tomatoes dehydrate, they will lose their shape and collapse – this is when you know they are almost ready. When the tomatoes reach this stage, turn off the heat and leave them in oven for a further 10 minutes. When ready, the skins should be charred and the flesh cooked all the way through.

Once cooked, place the tomatoes in a bowl and leave until they are cool enough to handle. Remove the charred tomato skins and then, using kitchen scissors, chop the tomato flesh into small pieces.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl of chopped tomatoes and mix to combine. Taste to check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.

If you make the bharta in advance, remember that the intensity of the chilli will increase over time as it infuses in the tomato mixture.

Ingredients

  • 4 halibut, plaice or tilapia fillets (approximately 750 g/1 lb 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
  • 1½ tbsp fresh ginger paste
  • ¼ tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste)
  • 1 x 400-ml/14-fl oz tin full-fat coconut milk
  • A pinch of sugar
To garnish
  • Green chillis, finely sliced
  • Coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped
  • 2 medium–large tomatoes
  • 1⁄2 tsp lime juice
  • 1⁄2 tsp mustard oil (or argan oil)
  • 1 green chilli, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, bashed and finely chopped 1⁄4 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

Method

Macher Malaikari – Fish in Coconut Milk

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 caramelized. 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 puree, 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.

Tamatar Bharta – Smoky mashed tomatoes  

The tomatoes can be cooked either in the oven or under the grill (broiler). The cooking times for tomatoes will vary depending on their variety, size and water content, so do keep checking during the cooking.

If cooking in an oven, preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Place the whole tomatoes in an oven tray and slow roast for 20–30 minutes. As the tomatoes dehydrate, they will lose their shape and collapse – this is when you know they are almost ready. When the tomatoes reach this stage, turn off the heat and leave them in oven for a further 10 minutes. When ready, the skins should be charred and the flesh cooked all the way through.

Once cooked, place the tomatoes in a bowl and leave until they are cool enough to handle. Remove the charred tomato skins and then, using kitchen scissors, chop the tomato flesh into small pieces.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl of chopped tomatoes and mix to combine. Taste to check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.

If you make the bharta in advance, remember that the intensity of the chilli will increase over time as it infuses in the tomato mixture.