Fish Entertaining

Tamarind salmon curry

Name: Tamarind salmon curry recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 50g unsalted butter; 1 handful curry leaves; 1 onion, chopped; 20.00 ml finely chopped ginger; 3 garlic cloves, chopped; 20.00 ml garam masala; 20.00 ml curry powder; 40.00 ml tamarind puree (see notes); 250ml water; 250g cherry tomatoes, halved; 400g can chopped tomatoes; 20.00 ml brown sugar; 4 × 200g salmon pieces (skinless, pin-boned); 125ml coconut cream; Juice of 1/2 lime, to drizzle; Basmati rice, to serve; Coriander, to serve

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by Warren Mendes

delicious. team

May 23, 2024

"Tamarind is a tropical fruit that, when turned into a puree, has a sour tangy flavour that is an incredible addition to a rich curry. Originally brought over by Indian labourers in the 18th century, the ingredient quickly spread into Cape Malay cuisine. Here, it’s the backing track to a rich tomato-based curry sauce in which the fish is poached. A final fluttering of coconut cream softens the intensity a bit and really balances out the flavours." – Warren Mendes. This recipe is from an edited extract from Food Trail: South Africa by Warren Mendes, published by Booktopia Studios, $59.99. Photography by Toby Murphy.

50g unsalted butter
1 handful curry leaves
1 onion, chopped
1 tbs finely chopped ginger
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbs garam masala
1 tbs curry powder
2 tbs tamarind puree (see notes)
1 cup (250ml) hot water (mix with tamarind puree)
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbs brown sugar
4 × 200g salmon pieces (skinless, pin-boned)
1/2 cup (125ml) coconut cream, to drizzle
Juice of 1/2 lime, to drizzle
Basmati rice, to serve
Coriander, to serve

Method

1.

Melt the butter in a saucepan with the curry leaves, then add the onion, season, and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until softened.
2.

Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute, then add the garam masala and curry powder cook, stirring often, for a further 1 minute.
3.

Add the tamarind, fresh and canned tomatoes and the brown sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.
4.

Add the fish fillets and baste, cover with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes until cooked through. Drizzle with coconut cream and fresh lime juice and serve with basmati rice and coriander.

Review 1

Recipe Notes

Tamarind puree is what you want to use here. Sometimes it’s sold as tamarind paste, but you don’t want to use the concentrate. Stick to the tamarind puree or paste. If using coriander leaves to garnish, chop the stalks finely and add to the base when cooking the onions. There’s big flavour there, and no point in wasting half of the bunch!