Goan Monkfish Curry Recipe

Prepare fish

Cut the monkfish into 3–4 cm chunks. Pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, toss the pieces with turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt and lime juice. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the masala, 15–20 minutes.

Soak tamarind

Place tamarind paste in 100 ml hot water, stir and set aside to loosen for 10 minutes; press and strain if there are fibres. Reserve the tamarind water.

Prepare coconut paste

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the desiccated coconut, stirring constantly, until lightly golden and aromatic, 4–6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly. In a blender, combine the toasted coconut, reserved tamarind water, 200 ml water and about half of the toasted spice mix (see next section) once ground (or whole if toasted separately) and blend to a smooth, slightly coarse paste. The paste should be thick but pourable; add up to 50 ml additional water if needed. Reserve.

Dry-roast whole spices

In a clean, dry skillet over medium heat, toast mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and dried red chilies until fragrant and slightly darker, 2–4 minutes. Shake the pan constantly to avoid burning. Remove and cool.

Grind spices

Once cooled, grind the toasted whole spices in a spice grinder or blender to a coarse powder. Mix in 1 teaspoon turmeric. Reserve about 1–2 tablespoons of this ground spice for frying the aromatics, and the rest can be added to the coconut-tamarind paste while blending or sprinkled into the simmering gravy to taste.

Fry aromatics

Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Add curry leaves and slit green chilies; fry briefly. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft and golden brown, 10–12 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the chopped tomato and cook until it breaks down, 3–4 minutes.

Add garlic & ginger

Stir in the garlic and ginger and fry for 2–3 minutes until raw smell dissipates. Add 1–2 tablespoons of the ground toasted spice mix and stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices in the oil.

Add coconut-tamarind paste

Pour the prepared coconut-tamarind paste into the pan with the fried aromatics. Stir to combine. Add 400 ml water and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Adjust salt (start with the reserved 1 teaspoon) and add the jaggery to balance the sourness. Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes to let the flavors meld and the raw coconut taste to cook out.

Add monkfish

Gently add the marinated monkfish pieces to the simmering gravy, taking care not to overcrowd. Simmer on low heat for 6–8 minutes, turning pieces once, until the fish is opaque and cooked through (internal texture should be firm but not dry).

Finish with coconut milk

Stir in the coconut milk and warm through on low heat for 2–3 minutes; do not boil vigorously after adding coconut milk to avoid splitting. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or a little more jaggery if needed.

Garnish

Sprinkle chopped fresh coriander leaves over the curry. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow flavors to settle.