How to cook… Mauritian Fish Curry with Aubergine

Recipes

Serves 4 as a main dish

Take one Indian Ocean island with great fishing around it’s coral reefs and add a huge Indian diaspora and it’s not surprising you can get great fish curries in Mauritius. Simply create a mildish sauce with spices and curry leaves and add delicious fresh fish with aubergine slices.

What you need
• 4 Tablespoons oil
• 0.5 cumin powder
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 800g red snapper (or other firm, white fish), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• salt to taste
• 1 aubergine, sliced into 6 pieces (de-stalked but not peeled)
• Few coriander leaves (for garnish)
• 2 green chillies, sliced lengthways (for garnish)

Spice Paste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 red dried chilli



How you make it
1. Blend all the ingredients for the Spice Paste and set aside.
2. Mix the curry and cumin powders with a little water to create a paste and set aside.
3. Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil to a medium heat, add the fish and cook until all the pieces are sealed and start to brown (about 3-4 mins). Remove and set aside.
4. Add another 1 Tablespoon oil to the pan, add the aubergine slices and fry until they soften and start to brown (about 3 minutes). Remove and set aside.
5. Add the rest of the oil, the Spice Paste and cook until the oil separates from the paste (about 3 minutes).
6. Add the tomato paste and salt, and cook for 2 minutes. Add water as required.
7. Add the aubergine until it absorbs the sauces (about 1 minute).
8. Add the fish and fry gently until all the pieces are cooked through.
9. Add the coriander leaves and chilli slices as garnish and serve.

CHEF’S TIP
If you like some tartness to your curries your can add 1 Tablespoon tamarind paste to the recipe at stage 5.

If you like this you should try our
Medium Chicken CurryChicken MadrasChicken VindalooChicken BhoonaChicken Feet Curry (Africa)

I don’t know why fishermen say it’s hard to catch a fish. Everytime my friend throws me one I catch it ok.