Fish curry, the lighter way
Reviewed by Dr Namrata Bagaria, MBBS, MPH (Harvard)Last reviewed
If you eat fish, it is among the most useful things on your plate after 60. Complete protein, very easy to chew and swallow, and in the oily varieties, the omega-3 fats associated with heart and brain health.
This version uses a tomato and curd base rather than a thick coconut gravy, which keeps it lighter for an ordinary evening without losing anything that matters.
Ingredients
- 500 g firm fish, cut into pieces (surmai, rohu, pomfret or any local fish)
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, pureed
- 1/2 cup curd, whisked smooth
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- A few curry leaves
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp oil
- Chopped coriander
Method
- 1
Rub the fish with a little salt and turmeric and leave it fifteen minutes while you make the gravy.
- 2
Heat the oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, then the onion, and cook until properly golden.
- 3
Add the ginger garlic paste, then the tomato puree and the dry spices with salt. Cook until the oil separates at the edges.
- 4
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the whisked curd slowly. Return to low heat and cook two minutes without letting it boil hard.
- 5
Slide in the fish, add half a cup of hot water, cover and simmer eight to ten minutes only, until the fish flakes. Do not stir much or it will break. Finish with coriander.
Good to know
- Fish needs minutes, not tens of minutes. Overcooked fish goes dry and tough, which is the usual reason people think they dislike it.
- Oily fish such as surmai, bangda or sardines carry the most omega-3. Freshwater fish are still excellent protein even with less of it.
- The curd goes in off the heat, as with any curd gravy, or it will split.
- Two portions a week is a reasonable aim. If you have gout or kidney disease, check with your doctor about which fish and how much.