Baked Fish with Spiced Vinegar

An aromatic white fish dish, simply baked in chillies and coconut milk with a touch of vinegar. Fragrant, spicy and a great way to serve fish.

15 minutes

20 - 30 minutes

180ºC

Ingredients

500gms white fish

- firm flesh and cut into pieces
4 dried red chilies
1 tbsp ghee
400mls coconut milk

- 1 tin
2 tbsp malt vinegar
1 tbsp coriander seeds

- lightly toasted
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 whole cloves

- lightly toasted
1 small stick cinnamon bark
1 tsp mustard seeds

- lightly toasted
1 tsp fenugreek seeds

- lightly toasted
Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
Accompaniment
Boiled rice

Instructions

01 Soak the dried chillies in vinegar until soft.
02 Place coriander, cloves, mustard and fenugreek seeds in a small pan, and toast lightly to release aromas. Set aside.
03 When chillies are soft and seeds all toasted, place all in a blender with the turmeric. Blend until smooth.
04 Heat ghee in a pan. Add spice paste and fry for a few minutes.
05 Add small pieces of fish followed by the coconut milk. Season well with pinch of salt (to taste), freshly ground black pepper and cinnamon bark.
06 Poach gently for about 10 minutes on a low heat or until fish is cooked.

Notes

Always best to choose a firm white fleshed fish for this dish, and not a problem to bake in the oven if your prefer. Just place paste in the melted ghee, fry for a few minutes, add coconut milk, gently bring to simmering point and pour over cubed fish in a baking dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes in the oven. If in a hurry, soak the dried chillies in warmed vinegar – they will soften more quickly.