Weeknight fish curry

A mild Sri Lankan-style curry perfect for the whole family. This recipe is based on a recipe by one of my favourite cookery writers, Madhur Jaffrey, an expert on Indian cooking.

Ingredients

600 g	Firm fish fillets, boned and cut into 3cm thick pieces (I used fresh trevally fillets) (Main)
1 tsp	Sea salt
3 Tbsp	Vegetable oil, such as sunflower oil
½ tsp	Black mustard seeds
½ tsp	Fennel seeds
1	Medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves	Garlic, crushed
2	Tomatoes, skinned and chopped
12	Fresh or frozen curry leaves, see tip
1 pinch	Ground turmeric
1 pinch	Cayenne pepper
150 ml	Coconut milk
2	Lemon wedges, for squeezing

Directions

1. Rub fish pieces with 1 tablespoon of oil and a little salt.
2. Place a large frying pan with a lid over medium heat. Place in the fish pieces and lightly brown on both sides. You may need to do this in two batches. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining oil to the pan and, when hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin popping, add the fennel seeds and the onion. Lower the heat and cook until the onion softens, stirring from time to time, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and curry leaves and stir through the onions, then add the tomatoes, turmeric and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add 200-240ml water, stir and bring to a simmer.
4. Place on the lid and cook at a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Remove the lid towards the end of cooking if sauce is not of a syrupy consistency.
5. Remove the lid and add the fish pieces. Cook until the fish is just cooked through. This will depend on the thickness of your fillets but check after 2-3 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, stirring gently to swirl it through the sauce. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing and plain rice (jasmine rice is good here).