Goan Fish Curry from Scratch.+ Saffron Rice Recipe.

Quick and healthy curry is packed with white fish fillets, smothered in a velvety-smooth aromatic sauce served with rich saffron rice. Perfectly balanced with aroma and taste, rich but not overwhelmed.

Indian cuisine is famous for its complicated dishes, but there are some amazing Indian dishes that are easy to make from scratch, like this Goan fish curry. Forget about supermarket curry paste with preservatives, flavour enhancers and another nasty stuff. This curry can be made in only 30 minutes. According to Ayurvedic diet philosophy, fresher foods contain more nutrients. Fresh food has higher levels of ‘prana’ or ‘life energy’. Here’s my rule: eat the prepared food within three hours of making it. Of course, it takes plenty of my time, so I started collecting quick and easy recipes that could be made in 30 minutes or so.

I lived in India in my youth. It was a beautiful time full of adventures, new friends and parties. Goan fish curry is one of my favourite Indian dish (along with palak paneer and malai kofta). First time I tasted this fish curry in a small local sideroad eatery, quick stop during the travel. Curry was made using a small fish with bones. The bones definitely add some richness to the taste, but personally, I prefer flaky fish fillet.

Saffron rice.

Hope you didn’t miss my article about 11 different varieties of rice found in a cupboard. I just realized that not many dishes with basmati rice have been posted on my blog, while basmati is one of the most popular types of rice in my kitchen. Basmati rice is easy to cook, no rice cooker required, it’s always fluffy and yummy. I also noticed that basmati rice lighter than other types of rice, I feel well after consuming it. I did some research about what does basmati so special.

Basmati rice has a low content of starch and accordingly low GI, lower than for other types of rice. The glycemic index is a measure of how your body handles sugar. Basmati rice GI is 52 making it a low-glycemic food (White rice has a glycemic index of 79, which makes it a high-glycemic-index food. Brown rice has a glycemic index of 55).
Don’t forget to prepare basmati rice properly, wash it a few times, removing excess of starch until water is clear. Soak for about 30 minutes if you have time.
Today I’m happy to share with you my fave basmati rice recipe with ghee butter and saffron. Ghee butter and saffron are both an excellent source of umami and make the taste of the rice deep and rich. Adding salt to the rice or not? It’s up to you, on your own taste. Usually, I don’t add salt to my rice because there is enough salt in my curry.

Spices.

Freshly ground spices are a key for a perfect Indian curry. In India, fresh spices are ground in mortar right before food preparation. Be ready for a little bit of fitness. Or just buy freshly ground spices in the Indian grocery store, as I usually do. You can also find grated fresh coconut in a section of frozen foods. Fresh coconut used as a thickener in this curry, gives nice and light texture when mixed in a blender (BTW nice in raw cakes too). Didn’t find fresh coconut? Try soaked cashew instead, cashew is using in traditional Indian cuisine as a thickener for curries, sauces and gravy.

You probably noticed I’m adding spices and aromatics a few times on different stages of recipe. Indian curry is built from many layers of spice that come together. Spices can be added to curry multiple times for layering flavour.

Goan Fish Curry from Scratch.+ Saffron Rice Recipe.

Recipe by Leno RegushCourse: Main courseCuisine: Indian

Servings

3

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Quick and healthy curry is packed with white fish fillets, smothered in a velvety-smooth aromatic sauce served with rich saffron rice. Perfectly balanced with aroma and taste, rich but not overwhelmed.

Ingredients

• Saffron rice

• 1 cup basmati rice

• 2 cups water

• pinch of saffron (I prefer Persian saffron)

• 1 tablespoon ghee butter

• Marinated fish

• 500 grams fish fillet (I prefer flaky blue cod)

• 1 teaspoon cooking oil

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste (grated ginger)

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste (grated garlic)

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

• pinch of chilli powder

• salt

• Curry paste:

• 1-2 teaspoon cooking oil 

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste (grated ginger)

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste (grated garlic)

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 1/2 fennel seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1/4 turmeric powder

• 1 green chilli, chopped (seeds removed)

• 2 tablespoons fresh grated coconut

• 1/2 cup tomato passata (or 2 chopped tomatoes)

• Additionally:

• 1 sprig curry leaves 

• 1/4 cup minced onion

• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

• 1 1/2 cup water

• coriander leaves

Directions

• Saffron rice. Wash the rice a few times, removing excess of starch until water is clear. Soak for about 30 minutes (optional). In a medium pot, bring the water and rice to a boil. Meanwhile, grind the saffron in mortar. Add a few tablespoons of hot water from the rice pot to saffron, mix well and pour it back to the rice. Add ghee butter.
  Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. If the rice is still too firm, add a few more tablespoons of water and continue cooking for a few minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
• In a medium-size bowl mix together the fish, oil, spices and aromatics. Set aside.
• Curry paste. Preheat sauté pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, chopped green chilli and onion, fry until soft. Add grated coconut, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and turmeric, fry until fragrant. Don’t overcook the spices, otherwise, they can turn bitter. Add tomato passata, cook another minute. Transfer the mix into a high-speed blender and mix into a smooth paste, add a splash of water if the mix is too thick.
• Sear the fish on a preheated pan, just for a few minutes on both sides.
• Preheat sauté pan on medium heat, add 1-2 teaspoons of cooking oil, chopped onion, and curry leaves fry until onion is soft. Add curry paste, garam masala, bring to the boil. Add one and a half cups of water, cook until the oil begins to separate and the gravy thickens a bit. Season with salt. Transfer seared fish into the gravy, don’t stir. Cook until fish is done. Serve curry warm with saffron rice and coriander leaves. Enjoy!