Recipe: Simply Goan fish curry

Indian dishes can have endless ingredients but this light and spicy curry is a doddle

Serves 4
4 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 dried red Kashmiri chillies
2cm root ginger, peeled and finely grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large plum tomato, finely chopped
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
1 tbsp palm sugar, or soft light brown sugar
2 tsp tamarind paste
1 green chilli, deseeded
and finely sliced
500g firm white fish fillets, skinned, cut into 3cm chunks
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Thyme sprigs or chopped chives, to garnish
Lemon zest strips, to garnish

1 Toast the coriander and cumin seeds and dried chillies in a dry frying pan for about a minute. Crush in a pestle and mortar, then mix in the ginger, garlic, turmeric and 1 tsp salt.
2 Heat the oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat and fry the onion until soft and golden. Stir in the spice mix. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the tomato and cook until it is soft.
3 Add the coconut milk, sugar, tamarind and green chilli and bring to just under the boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes, until slightly thickened. Taste for seasoning.
4 Season the fish all over, then add it to the sauce and simmer for about four mins until cooked through. Add the coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Recipe from Simple by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley)
 

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Recipe: Hardwick lamb curry in a hurry

Lamb curry and a decent beer is hard to beat. This is camping-friendly lamb curry doesn’t take hours and all goes in one pot. If you are in the Lake District, seek out Herdwick lamb and a local ale for a campsite meal to remember. Discover more in Pitch Up Eat Local by Ali Ray (AA Publishing). 

Herdwick Lamb Curry in a Hurry

Serves 4

vegetable oil
2 tsp each of ground turmeric and garam masala
1 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander and chilli powder
500g lamb leg steak, cut into bite-sized cubes
a small handful of green beans (about 8), trimmed and cut in half
a bunch of spring onions, sliced, including the green bits
350g basmati rice
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
100ml vegetable stock (made with a cube)
a small bunch of fresh coriander (mint will also work nicely), chopped
salt and pepper
a big knob of butter

1 Heat a glug of oil in a large saucepan with a lid, and stir in the spices for a minute.

2 Add the lamb, beans and spring onions, and jostle them about in the pan so that the lamb browns, about 2 minutes.

3 Now add the rice to the pan, stir well, and then add the coconut milk and the stock.  Bring up to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer, put the lid on and leave for 10 minutes.

4 After 10 minutes, check that the rice has cooked, but don’t stir it. If it’s not done, let it cook for another couple of minutes.

5 When ready, stir in the fresh coriander (or mint), keeping a little back to garnish at the end.  Season with salt and pepper, then add the butter and gently stir through.

6 Serve with the remaining herbs sprinkled on top, accompanied by a good local ale. 

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From the October issue

Camping recipes

Curry recipes