Fish in coconut milk (Macher Malaikari)

I don’t always think of using fish in a curry but it takes such a short time to cook it makes a brilliantly quick meal.

This recipe comes from Asma Khan’s Asma’s Indian Kitchen which features the same traditional Indian Home cooking she serves at her London restaurant Darjeeling Express.

Asma writes: “For a long time I was under the impression that the name of this dish derived from the Hindi word ‘malai’, meaning cream. Recently, however, I discovered that the origin of this creamy, coconut-based fish curry may be a little more ‘foreign’. During colonial rule, this dish was made in the Malay Peninsula by Bengali labourers who were sent there by the British to build the railways. Coconut milk is frequently used in East Asian cuisine, but rarely in Bengali dishes. The fact that this dish was once called ‘Malaya-Kari’ explains the use of coconut milk, as opposed to mustard and mustard oil, which is the more common base for fish and seafood dishes in Bengal.

Serves 4

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 chillies, finely sliced

Coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped

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 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 chillies and chopped coriander.

What to drink: I’d go for a crisp dry white wine like an albarino with this or a dry riesling.

This recipe comes from ‘Asma’s Indian Kitchen: Home-cooked food brought to you by Darjeeling Express’ by Asma Khan, published by Pavilion Books. Image credit to Kim Lightbody.

Berber breakfast eggs

It’s easy to get into a rut with egg recipes so why not try this delicious Moroccan egg dish from Nargisse Benkabbou’s Casablanca: my Moroccan Food which gives a modern twist to traditional Moroccan cuisine.

Nargisse writes: “In my parents’ home, eggs are something we used to enjoy almost religiously. They were allowed only for breakfast and never on weekdays. Nevertheless, my brothers and I used to quietly sneak into the kitchen in the afternoon to experiment with highly questionable egg recipes. And by recipes, I mean something that contained way too much butter and ketchup.

In my opinion, eggs are much more than a cheap way to have our daily serving of protein; they are delicious, especially when cooked the right way.

This Berber recipe is one of the many ways my mum used to prepare eggs for us at the weekend.”

Berber breakfast eggs

Serves 4 [although I think two could demolish it without too many problems FB]

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tomatoes, grated

1 green pepper (150g), cored, deseeded and chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

pinch of cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons water

4 eggs

To garnish

½ red onion, finely chopped

handful of chopped spinach

Warm up a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the tomatoes, pepper, garlic, parsley, spices and salt, give it a good stir, then add the water. Cover the pan and leave to cook for 20 minutes, stirringoccasionally. If it looks like there is not enough liquid in the pan at any point during the cooking process, add a couple more tablespoons of water.

Break the eggs straight into the sauce, re-cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Garnish with the chopped red onion and spinach and serve immediately with khobz [a simple Moroccan bread for which she also gives a recipe in the book]

What to drink: I personally wouldn’t drink wine with this though if you fancy it, a glass of dry southern French rosé would work. A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice would be nicer though

See also Which wines pair best with eggs

From Casablanca: My Moroccan Food by Nargisse Benkabbou, published by Mitchell Beazley at £20. Photograph © Matt Russell

Nargisse was nominated an Observer Rising Star in Food 2018 and blogs at mymoroccanfood.com

Khao Soi Noodles

After the carbfest that is Christmas I fancy clean spicy flavours in January so leapt on this easy, delicious dish from Claire Thomson’s The Art of the Larder.

As the title suggests the book is designed to help you make the best of ingredients you may already have to hand and is an incredibly useful and inspirational resource for everyday cooking.

Claire writes: Thai curry pastes add a pungent boost to many dishes. You can make your own, but there are some brilliant versions available to buy fresh or with a longer shelf life. The trick to getting the most out of them is to almost fry the paste along with the garlic, unlocking the flavour, before you begin adding any other ingredients. Use wide at rice noodles here in this fragrant spicy broth.

Khao Soi Noodles

Serves 4

50ml vegetable oil

4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste – use more if you like it spicy (or less!)

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

4 boneless skinless chicken pieces (thigh is best), thinly sliced (equally, cold leftover roast chicken or pork here will work well enough)

200ml chicken stock

1 x 400g tin of coconut milk

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

200g rice noodles

Put the oil into a medium saucepan over a moderate heat and cook the garlic for about 30 seconds.

Add the curry paste and the spices and cook for another 30 seconds, giving everything a good stir.

Add the chicken and stir to coat in the sauce. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and finally the sugar. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, remembering that the fish sauce should make the sauce salty enough.

Cook the noodles according to the packet directions, then drain and divide them between the bowls. Top with the sauce and serve immediately with the garnishes.

GARNISHES

Choose any or all of the below; you want to add texture to the finished noodles:

• thinly sliced raw shallot or red onion • sliced spring onion
• beansprouts
• Thai basil leaves
• coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• mint leaves, roughly chopped
• peanuts or cashew nuts, roughly chopped • limes, cut into wedges
• chilli flakes

What to drink: Even if you’re not doing Dry January I’m not sure I’d drink alcohol with this with the possible exception of sake. Kombucha (fermented tea) would be a good alternative.

From The Art of the Larder by Claire Thomson (Quadrille, £20) Photography: Mike Lusmore

Romy Gill’s Paneer Burji (Scrambled Paneer Curry)

A wonderfully comforting recipe from celebrity chef Romy Gill’s India, her most accessible book yet, which is full of the simple, homely recipes she makes for her family and friends. 

Paneer Burji (Scrambled Paneer Curry)

Romy writes: This is the easiest and most delicious paneer dish to make. If you’re going to try paneer for the first time, then this is the perfect recipe.

It’s a great choice for packed lunches or picnics, too. My daughters like to cut a pitta in half, turn each half into a pocket and fill them with the paneer, then enjoy them with pickled onions and salad on the side. You could also eat this paneer in a wrap, along with sliced onions and the chutney of your choice.

Serves 4

5 tsp sunflower oil or any other oil of your choice

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

3 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated (shredded)

20 g (3/4 oz) ginger root, peeled and grated (shredded)

2–3 green chillies, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

salt, to taste

1 tsp ground turmeric

75 g (2 1/2 oz) frozen peas, soaked in water and drain just before adding to the masala

225 g (8 oz) paneer, grated (shredded) – if using homemade paneer then simply crumble it

1 tsp garam masala 

small handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as they start to sizzle, add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further minute. Add the green chillies and tomatoes and cook for 2–3 minutes. Season with the salt, add the turmeric and mix, then add the frozen peas and cook for 2–3 minutes more.

When the peas are well coated, add the grated paneer and mix. Lower the heat, cover the pan with a lid and cook for a further 5 minutes. Just before the end of the cooking time, sprinkle with the garam masala and chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) and mix well.

Remove from the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving with the side dish of your choice.

What to drink: As this could easily be a breakfast dish you might want to have a fresh fruit juice with this or, if you’re having it for lunch or supper, a light or alcohol-free lager.

Credit: Romy Gill’s India by Romy Gill (Hardie Grant, £28), Photography © Sam A. Harris