Mangalorean Prawn and Fish Curry (Meen Gassi)
This is a nod to the main dish which L enjoyed very much at Scotts, Mayfair. I sourced the recipe on the net, aided by Zeph, my AI assistant. I haven't cooked this specific recipe, but it looks fairly authentic. Rather too authentic in fact. How so? Well, the recipe calls, inter alia, for kingfish, pomfret or seer. Good luck finding those.
When making fish curries I generally use monkfish, ideal because it doesn't break up. On the prawn front you need king prawns of eastern origin, partly for the same reason. My fishmonger sells excellent frozen, uncooked prawns which turn out surprisingly well, both in texture and flavour.
The hotter issue (pun intended, sorry) is which type of chilli to use. I'd never heard of Byadgi, though it is from the Bangalore area. Alternatives which I found involved using Deggi Mirch, Guntur or Reshampatti. Not sure that helps. On the dried front, I do have a supply of Kashmiri chillies. For the paste you are looking for colour as well as heat. Byadgi score 5000 - 15000 on the Scoville Heat Unit scale (SHU): Kashmiri on the other hand, are only 1000 - 2000. Jalapeno chillies, heatwise, are on a par with Byadgi. If you can find dried ones, these would be great, but avoid chipotle which are smoked. At a pinch you could get away with just using some hot paprika for colour.
Whatever you choose, under no circumstances omit the tamarind paste. It's quite easy to find in good supermarkets, and is fast becoming a favourite ingredient of mine. See for example the Pork Fillet a la de Freitas recipe.
Ingredients
250 g monkfish cut into bite sized pieces; 250g king prawns (see above); 1 medium onion, very finely chopped; 1–2 green chillies very finely chopped; 1 tbsp oil (coconut is authentic but any vegetable oil will do apart from olive); about half a dozen curry leaves (optional); salt.
For the Masala Paste:
90 - 100g dried coconut; 6–8 dried red chilies (Byadgi for colour, or mix with spicy ones - see important note above); 1 tbsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; ½ tsp black peppercorns; ¼ tsp turmeric powder; 4 -5 garlic cloves; 1 tbsp tamarind paste.
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First, make the masala. Dry roast the red chillies, coriander, cumin, and pepper in a dry frying pan for 1–2 minutes on a medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and grated coconut. roast lightly until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
Allow to cool slightly, then grind to a smooth paste with the tamarind and a little water. Traditionally you would use a mortar and pestle. I find a mini blender much easier.
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the chopped onion and green chillies until soft. Add the masala paste and fry for 3–4 minutes. It will start to separate. Fear not, that's normal. Add about 250ml of water. You may want to add more later to adjust your sauce to the desired thickness. Bring to the boil and add salt.
Add the fish, prawns and curry leaves, if using. Reduce the heat and cook until the fish and prawns are cooked. If your sauce is too runny, remove the fish and prawns and reduce the sauce as required.
Check the seasoning and serve at once with rice or naan. I would usually add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end, but that's personal preference.
Tom Cooks! will be back in a couple of weeks.