Monday, August 03, 2009

Well paint me green and called me Delia, or don't.*OOPS*updating with correct amount of fish!

Recently I travelled to the other side of the island in a little plane. I initially only had one eensy problem with this statement,but then it transpired there would be two.

This first one was that this plane was approximately three sizes smaller than the ones I prefer to fly in.However that eensy problem was swiftly dwarfed when the second eensy problem reared its pimply head - it appeared that the plane was about to be piloted by a child. (Is somebody taking the piss here? Or are we about to be Punk'd?)

It's never a great way to start a day. Anyway, I had bought a magazine to take my mind off the fact that I was about to be hurtled through the air at hundreds of kilometres an hour in something the size of a cigarette, but had I known that Captain Nappy was to be our pilot - I may have opted for hard liquor.

But that's all beside the point.

In this magazine I stumbled upon a recipe which, I have since discovered, is great (if you like fish curry, if you don't - I'd stop reading now). It's got curry leaves, which I have never used before (and look like something koalas would like to eat) and they give it a fantastic biting, citrus taste. As I am never good at following recipes I also added fresh coriander, increased the spices somewhat, and threw in beans and red pepper.

But here it is:

2 tbsp ghee ( or oil, which I used)
2 tsp black mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
2 small green chillies
1 chopped red onion
1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/4 tsp chilli powder
400 mls coconut milk (I just used the standard tin)
750 g firm white fish, cut into chunks (Initially had 50 grms, heh, otherwise it's fish soup).

And then there's the ingredients for a cucumber-yoghurt thingy, but I've never got the cucumber-yoghurt combo, as far as I am concerned yoghurt should be served with muesli.

Heat the oil, add mustard seeds over moderate heat till they pop. Add curry leaves, chilli and onion and cook for 10 minutes or 'til golden. Add tamarind, turmeric (for some reason turmeric has always slightly terrified me), salt, pepper, chilli powder and coconut milk. Add fish and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring gently a couple of times. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until ghee/oil separates from curry.

Serve with basmati rice and I challenge you to not to lick the bowl.

This recipe was bought to you courtesy of Air New Zealand, Captain Nappy and a slighty terrified passenger.

You're welcome.

7 comments:

Fat Sparrow said...

That looks yummy. If you cook, I'll wash up, 'kay? I love to eat, hate to cook, but don't mind the clean-up.

Those damn kids just seem to be getting employed at younger and younger ages, don't they? I swear the "doctor" who delivered my last sprog wasn't more than 17, and besides, she was on her cell phone the entire time, I shit you not.

It worries me, because I have a 17-year-old, and damned if she knows fuck all. Teenagers can't even get my order right in the drive-thru, and now they're delivering babies and flying planes.

It's not on.

Fat Sparrow said...

Oooh, I forgot to tell you, I know how to do the cucumber-yogurt thing (and lots of other yogurt dressings). I thought it sounded nasty, too, but once you've had it, you'll see it's really good. You need a sweet cucumber, not an old bitter one.

laughykate said...

Noooo, your delivery-quack was on the phone while you were having a baby?

Ya what?

I mean?

Did you want to slap her?

And thank you for the hint re the cuc-yog thingy, will attempt to keep an open mind on it.

Fat Sparrow said...

Hey, at least she wasn't texting.

Then again, probably the only reason she wasn't is that she had her hands full, now that I come to think of it. My son was born Thanksgiving evening, never have a baby on a major holiday, anyone who ranks has the day off.

The yogurt thing is quite yummy, also it helps to get Greek yogurt (if it's available) which is nice and thick. I fry up chunks of eggplant in some olive oil and make a yogurt sauce that uses Lawry's Season Salt, a squeeze of lemon, and some olive oil stirred in, and then I dip the eggplant in it, nom nom!

laughykate said...

How clever - having the good sense to arrive in this world on a public holiday, go your boy!

Re: your yoghurt/eggplant thingy, ohhh now I'm listening. I can get that.

Holemaster said...

Ghee means something entirely different in Ireland. Well Gee to be precise.

laughykate said...

Should I ask, Holemaster ?