Keto Kokum and Coconut Fish Curry

• a couple of pieces of kokum, soaked in 50 ml hot water (the pieces are not eaten)
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 small green chilli
• 1 dried red chilli
• 100 g red onion, grated
• salt, to taste
• 10 g ginger-garlic paste (half ginger, half garlic)
• Garlic: the garlic half of the ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 100 ml tomato purée (passata)
• about 50 ml water, plus the kokum soaking water
• 200 g coconut cream
• 300 g black pomfret fillets (or any firm fish), cut into curry pieces
• fresh coriander, to garnish

Method

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1. Soak the kokum in about 50 ml hot water for 10 minutes. Grate the onion and cut the fish into curry-sized pieces. 0:49
2. Melt the ghee in a heavy saucepan, add the mustard seeds and cook over medium heat until they pop. Add the curry leaves, green chilli and dried red chilli and fry for a minute. 0:59
3. Add the grated onion with a pinch of salt and cook on low-medium heat for 4–5 minutes until it starts to colour. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute. 2:10
4. Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder and coriander and fry for a minute. Add the kokum with its soaking water, the tomato purée and about 50 ml water; cover and simmer 5–8 minutes until the fat separates. 3:28
5. Stir in the coconut cream, season with salt and bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. 4:50
6. Add the fish so it is submerged, cover and cook 4–5 minutes until it is just cooked. Finish with fresh coriander. 5:47

Tip. Serve with cauliflower rice (or rice if you're not keto). Salmon or cod also work, says the cook. Add more green chillies for heat. Kokum is sold dried in Indian grocers.

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