- 1½ to 2 pounds skinless flaky, white fish fillets (like cod, flounder, or halibut), shrimp, cleaned squid, clams, mussels, or a combination of fish and seafood (see headnote)
- 1 lemon
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Golden Milk Spice Blend
- 1¼ to 2 teaspoons Surya Salt
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 18 curry leaves, optional
- 1 teaspoon whole Nandini Coriander
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 serrano peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (155g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ teaspoon Byadgi Chilli Powder, optional
- One 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate or 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Handful roughly chopped cilantro, for garnishing
- Steamed rice or crusty bread, for serving
Ingredients
Methods
- First, prepare the fish and seafood. If using white fish fillets, cut into 2” pieces. If using shrimp, devein and peel (though you can leave the shells on if you want). If using cleaned squid, cut the bodies into ½” rings and leave the tentacles intact. If using mussels, remove the beards and scrub clean. If using clams, scrub and place in a bowl of salted cold water in the fridge for at least 1 hour (this will cause them to expel a lot of the sand).
- If using fish, shrimp, squid, or scallops, place them in a bowl and toss with the juice of ½ lemon (about 1 to 2 tablespoons), 1 teaspoon Golden Milk Spice Blend and ¾ teaspoon salt. Cover and refrigerate while you make the curry. Cut the remaining ½ lemon into wedges and set aside for serving. (If you're only using clams or mussels, you can skip this step, and just cut the lemon into wedges for serving.)
- To make the curry, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When shimmering, add the curry leaves, if using, and coriander seeds, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the coriander turns a shade darker and the curry leaves turn bright green and translucent, 15 to 45 seconds. Add the shallots, garlic, half the serrano peppers, and ¾ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften and start to turn light golden around the edges, 5 to 9 minutes.
- Stir in the cherry tomatoes, chili powder, if using, the remaining 2 teaspoons Golden Milk Spice Blend and ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoon water, and cook until the water evaporates and the tomatoes just start to soften, 2 to 4 minutes. Then, stir in the coconut milk and tamarind paste, bring to a simmer, and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes to let the flavors marry. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary.
- Next, nestle in the fish and seafood (the cooking time will depend on the type and variety you’re using). For fish, bigger shrimp, and/or clams or mussels, cook, covered, until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork and the clams and mussels open, 4 to 7 minutes. If using bay scallops, smaller shrimp, or squid, add during the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking and simmer, covered, until opaque and cooked through. Remove from the heat and garnish with the remaining half of the serrano peppers and cilantro. Serve with steamed rice or crusty bread and the reserved lemon wedges for squeezing over at the table.
