I love the flavours of Thai food. The freshness of the limes and lemongrass and the warmth of the chillies. This curry is slightly different as it has added depth by the addition of curry powder. The end result is a fragrant curry that is not too hot. It is really easy to make and, as the sauce is made first, you can make this in advance and either finish it off when you are ready to eat or freeze for another day then thaw and continue by adding the fish when the sauce has heated up. This flexibility makes it a great dish to come home to after work or for a dinner party when you can use the free time to socialise with your guests.
Fish curry Serves 4
- 1 tbsp groundnut oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 heaped tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 1 red chilli, sliced (omit the seeds if you don’t like it hot)
- 2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed and bruised
- 1 heaped tbsp medium curry powder
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- small bunch coriander, stems finely chopped
- 400g can coconut milk
- 4 fillets of firm white fish, skinless. I used cod but you could use hake. Cut into 3 inch pieces
- 200g raw king prawns
- Juice of a lime
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet and fry the onion until softened, about 5 minutes, over a medium heat. Stir in the ginger, garlic and shrimp pastes and the chilli and lemongrass. Cook over a low heat for 1 minute, stirring so it doesn’t burn.
- Add the curry powder and sugar. When the sugar is melted add the coriander stems, coconut milk and 2 tbsp water then bring to a simmer. You can freeze at this stage if you want to.
- Add the fish and the prawns to the sauce then squeeze over half the lime juice. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the prawns are pink. Taste for seasoning and add a little more lime juice if you like. Scatter with the coriander leaves and serve hot with boiled rice.
Tasty Advice 