Bangladeshi Fish Curry
In Bangladesh, the basic diet is fish and rice. It is not fish from the Bay of Bengal, the sea that rules their shores, that the people thrive on. In fact, they hardly touch that. What they love is the sweet-water fish that comes from their estuaries, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Since local Bangladeshi fish are unavailable to most of us, I have adapted this recipe to fillet of flounder. One of the common local seasonings is an aromatic lime leaf very similar to the kaffir lime leaf of Thailand. If you cannot get that, use fresh curry leaves, or, failing that, fresh basil leaves. Serve with plain rice, a dal, and a vegetable or salad.
Ingredients
serves 4
Step 1
Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt on both sides of the flounder fillets. Cut each fillet this way: First cut a 3-inch portion off the tail end. Now cut the remaining fillet in half lengthways and then cut crossways into 3-inch segments. Set all the pieces aside as you prepare the sauce.
Step 2
Combine the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons water in a bowl. Mix well to make a paste.
Step 3
Pour the oil into a very large frying pan or sauté pan (a 12-inch diameter is ideal) and set on medium heat. When hot, put in the shallots. Stir and fry until they are lightly browned. Now put in the spice paste. Stir and fry for a minute. Add 1 cup water and the kaffir lime leaves. Stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low heat for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
Step 4
Just before serving, bring the sauce to a simmer over low heat. Lay the fish pieces in the sauce in a single layer. Cook 1 minute and turn the fish pieces over carefully. Cook another 2–3 minutes, spooning the sauce over the top, until the fish is just done.
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