Methods

1. Soak the tamarind. Wash the tamarind pieces first and then soak it in warm water. Set aside.
2. Make a paste. Take the ginger and garlic and mash this into a paste in a mortar and pestle (or use a small food processor). It doesn’t have to be perfectly pureed, just smashed enough so all the ingredients combine. Set aside.
3. Season the oil. In your chatti or pot on medium high heat, add in the coconut oil. Once the oil is melted and hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds pop, add the shallots and green chili peppers. Cook this until the ingredients soften and lose its rawness.
4. Form the saucy base. Now add in the spiced ginger and garlic paste. Mix this quickly so the spices don’t burn then pour in the tomato paste.
5. Mix for a few seconds then add the soaked tamarind (keep the tamarind water) into the pot along with all of the fish.
6. Cover the pot on low heat for about 10-15 minutes to let natural moisture from the fish come out and help form a saucy base. Check periodically to see if you need to add water. If there isn’t enough moisture from the fish then add some of the tamarind water and/or warm water to the pot, just enough to barely submerge the fish.
7. Cooking the fish. Now that the fish is in the pot, DO NOT mix it. If you move the fish too much, it could cause it to break up into pieces. I recommend using a soft silicone spatula if you need to move the fish or, the best thing to do is, rotate your pot. Lightly boil the fish until the sauce slightly thickens and the fish easily flakes when your cooking spoon touches it. Taste for salt and done!

Notes

1. You can use ginger garlic paste (about 2 tbsp) instead of fresh minced
2. In place of tomato paste, you can use about a 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
3. You can buy the tamarind online or in select Indian grocery stores. It’s commonly found under the name “kokum.”