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    Chetna Makan’s spring fish curry with cumin coriander rice

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    Chetna Makan’s spring fish curry with cumin coriander rice

    This is my go-to curry when I’m craving fish at this time of year. It’s fresh, creamy and fragrant – comforting but light at the same time. I like to use cod and prawns as they have a natural sweetness but also act as little sponges, absorbing all the aromatic spices.

    • Gluten Free
    • Preparation time: 15 minutes
    • Cooking time: 30 minutes
    • Total time: 45 minutes 45 minutes

    Serves: 4

    Ingredients

    2 tbsp sunflower oil
    2 onions, roughly chopped
    2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
    10g fresh root ginger, roughly chopped
    2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
    400ml can coconut milk
    4 dried Kashmiri chillies
    1 tsp cumin seeds
    1 tsp black mustard seeds
    1 tbsp coriander seeds
    1 tsp salt
    ½ tsp chilli powder
    ½ tsp turmeric powder
    1 tsp clear honey
    240g cod fillets, cut into 5cm chunks
    200g spinach, finely chopped
    2 x 180g packs raw king prawns

    Rice
    2 tbsp sunflower oil or ghee}
    2 tsp cumin seeds
    1 red chilli, finely chopped
    ½ tsp salt
    280g basmati rice, rinsed
    Handful fresh coriander, leaves finely chopped

    Method

    1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes, until you start to get some colour. Add the garlic and ginger; cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat, until they start to soften. Stir in the coconut milk, then tip into a blender and whizz to a purée.

    2. Meanwhile, for the rice, boil a kettle. Heat the oil or ghee in a separate pan and add the cumin seeds; once they start to sizzle, add the chilli and salt, then stir in the rice. Add the coriander and stir everything together, then slowly add 700ml just-boiled water. Mix well, cover and cook over a low heat for 12 minutes. Take off the heat, without removing the lid, and let the rice sit for 5 minutes.

    3. Put the dried chillies and the cumin, mustard and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan over a low heat; toast for a few seconds until aromatic. Crush together with a pestle and mortar until you have a rough powder.

    4. Return the onion-tomato mixture to the pan, cover and cook for 5 minutes over a low heat. Add the salt, chilli powder, turmeric, honey and the crushed toasted spices; mix well. Nestle in the cod and spinach; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the prawns and cook for 3 minutes more, until the prawns and cod are cooked through and opaque. Use a fork to fluff up the rice, then serve it with the curry.

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