Taste Buddies - A Sydney Food Blog

Southern Indian Coconut Fish Curry

 

Last night fish curry was on the menu. It was a coconut based curry which is a common ingredient in Southern Indian dishes.  It was a hit. The subtle sweetness of the trout was perfect with the tangy sweetness of the tamarind coconut broth.

 

Southern Indian Coconut Fish Curry Recipe
(Serves 4)

2 small Trouts
2 tbs Vegetable Oil
3 Garlic cloves
4 cm Piece of Ginger
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Tumeric
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 Onion
1 1/2 large Vine Tomatoes
1 can Coconut Milk
2 tsp Tamarind Pulp or 1 tsp Tamarind Paste
2 Green Chilis
A handful of Coriander for garnish

Method:

1. Skin the Trout and cut it in to chunks about 3-4 cm wide. The 'chunks' will be thin but make sure the pieces are wide. I am lucky enough to have a personal fish filleter and skinner. Thank you Nic. You can leave a little skin on if you want but not too much as the curry will become too rich.
2. If you are using fresh Tamarind, peel it and place the fruit it in a small bowl of warm water. Massage the flesh into the water with your fingers until you get most of it off the seeds. Set aside to soak.
3. Dice the onion.
4. Deseed the tomatoes and dice.
5. Crush 3 garlic cloves with a pestle and mortar to a paste.
6. Grate the ginger finely. Place in a bowl with the garlic.
7. Heat up 2 tbs of oil in a pot and add the onion. Fry until translucent on a medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic, stir fry for about 2 minutes.
8. Add spices and lower heat ensuring to stir constantly so the spices don't burn. Add the salt.
9. Add the tomatoes and stir fry for 5 minutes. Now add the coconut milk and return to a medium heat.
10. Bring the broth to a boil then add the Tamarind. Lower the heat slightly and add the Trout. Stir gently to coat the fish in the broth.
11. Turn the heat off and let the curry sit for about 3 minutes. Serve with Basmati rice and garnish with coriander and green chilis sliced lengthways.
    
    Make sure you wash your hands after slicing the chilis and don't rub your eyes like I did!   
    
     

Szechuan Eggplant and Pork Mince Hot Pot

I first had this delicious dish at a Szechuan restaurant in Vancouver. It was baked in an earthenware hot pot and served sizzling and steaming. The dish consisted of perfectly cooked egg noodles (not too soft) baked with mince pork, eggplant and a mixture of spicy and flavoursome sauces. It was mouthwatering and a wonderful way to eat eggplant.

For this recipe, I tend to use the long, purple Chinese eggplants as they hold together better in the cooking process and draw in the complex mixture of flavours of this dish. Usually when cooking eggplants, you are told to  'degorge' them which means to extract their bitterness by covering them in salt for 20 minutes or so. I have never actually done this however I mostly use eggplant in Asian recipes so perhaps the strong flavours mask their bitterness.

The Szechuan Eggplant and Pork Mince Hot Pot perfectly balances the hot, sour, sweet and salty flavors and makes use of ginger, garlic and the key ingredient; chili bean paste. I use the Lee Kum Lee Brand. I also added a little roasted chili paste as well but this is optional. We like a bit of extra spice in this household.

The following recipe has a few steps to it but it is certainly worth the effort.

My favourite breakfast

I am not one for fancy breakfasts. The most indulgent thing I have ever eaten in the mornings are scrambled eggs from Bills in Sydney. Bills is a popular breakfast and lunch establishment owned by Bill Granger, otherwise known as 'the Eggmaster'. And rightly so. His eggs are famous for being terribly rich and fattening - a combination that I can't cope with in the morning.

That's why I love a dippy egg and vegemite soldiers...I usually have this for brekkie every weekend. Sometimes Nic manages to coerce me into having French toast with smoked bacon or crepes but not today. It's dippy egg time! Yes, I am almost 30 and I still love dipping my soldiers into my egg! It can't be too runny though. It has to be hardening on the outside with a little golden liquid in the centre. Delicious.