Mackerel curry with tomatoes and eggplant

Name: Mackerel curry with tomatoes and eggplant
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 lemongrass stalk, peeled and sliced; 4 dried red chillies, soaked for 1 hour in hot water and drained; 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger; 2 garlic cloves, finely grated; 8 shallots or 1 onion, chopped; sea salt and pepper; 1kg small mackerel steaks; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 tsp ground coriander; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 12 fresh curry leaves, plus 4 sprigs for serving; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp sugar; 2 tomatoes, cut into quarters; 3 slim eggplants or 1 large, cut into bite-size chunks; 300ml coconut milk; 2 tbsp tamarind puree

Jill Dupleix

June 5, 2018

Mackerel curry with tomatoes and eggplant.Marina Oliphant

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

This fantastic way to make use of mackerel with hundreds of flavours inside this Indian dish

Ingredients

1 lemongrass stalk, peeled and sliced
4 dried red chillies, soaked for 1 hour in hot water and drained
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
8 shallots or 1 onion, chopped
sea salt and pepper
1kg small mackerel steaks
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
12 fresh curry leaves, plus 4 sprigs for serving
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tomatoes, cut into quarters
3 slim eggplants or 1 large, cut into bite-size chunks
300ml coconut milk
2 tbsp tamarind puree

Method

Pound or blend lemon grass, drained chillies, ginger, garlic and shallots or onion to a paste. Season the fish. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a fry pan and quickly brown fish on both sides, then remove.
Add two tablespoons of oil and fry lemon grass paste for four minutes, stirring, or until it smells fragrant. Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, curry leaves, salt and sugar. Add tomatoes and eggplant and cook for three minutes.
Slowly add coconut milk, stirring, and bring just to the boil. Add tamarind while stirring, then return fish to the pan. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until the fish and eggplant are cooked through, then scatter with sprigs of curry leaves and serve hot.
A whole mackerel is ideal for this "kari ikan", cut crosswise into small, manageable steaks. Or use any other oily fish. If you don't have time to soak the chillies, use two fresh, mild red chillies or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes.