Julie Le Clerc: Keralan fish curry

Picture / Carolyn Robertson

Serves 4

800g orange roughy or snapper, cut in 4cm pieces
2 tsp each ground chilli, turmeric, yellow mustard seeds and cinnamon
sunflower oil for frying
2 onions, finely chopped
3cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
400ml can coconut milk
2 limes, juiced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup coriander leaves

1. Place pieces of fish in a bowl. Combine all the spices, then rub these into the flesh of the fish. Set aside for 30 minutes to marinate.

2. After 30 minutes, heat a large non-stick frying pan with a little oil and brown pieces of fish in 2-3 batches for 1 minute on each side. Remove to one side. Add a little more oil to the pan and cook onion, ginger and chilli for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Add any remaining spice mix. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fish and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

3. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve scattered with coriander.

* More of Julie Le Clerc's recipes are available in viva, part of your Herald print edition every Wednesday.