Goan Fish Curry

• 4 kingfish (surmai) slices, about 400–500 g
• salt to taste (on the slices, the onion and in the curry)
• 1 cup packed freshly scraped coconut (from 1 coconut, about 100 g)
• 4–5 dried Kashmiri red chillies
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 7–8 black peppercorns (optional)
• 5–6 garlic cloves
• 1-inch piece ginger
• tamarind, a marble-sized ball
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• about 1.5–2 litres water, for a thin curry
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1–2 green chillies, slit
• 3–4 pieces dried kokum
• ¼ tsp triphal (Goan Sichuan pepper), crushed (optional)

Method

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1. Sprinkle salt over both sides of the fish slices, rub gently and refrigerate until needed. 1:56
2. Grind the scraped coconut with the Kashmiri chillies, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, tamarind and turmeric, adding water little by little, to a very fine paste. 3:23
3. Mix the chopped onion with a pinch of salt, squeezing it with your fingers. Put it in a clay pot or saucepan with the paste, rinse the grinder jar into it and add water (about 1.5–2 litres) for a thin curry. No oil is used. 6:54
4. Bring to the boil and cook 8–10 minutes. Add the slit green chillies and kokum and cook another 8–10 minutes until slightly reduced. 7:55
5. Slide in the fish and crush the triphal over the top. Do not stir; lift the pot with a cloth and swirl it gently to mix. 8:56
6. Taste for salt, then cook 8–10 minutes (6–7 for smaller pieces) until the fish is just done. Serve hot with rice. 10:05

Tip. Mackerel or pomfret work instead of kingfish. Frozen grated coconut is an easy swap for fresh, and the paste freezes well in batches. For the Saraswat (hooman) style, leave out the onion and garlic.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.