This is a recipe from my mum’s friend who taught us Arabian, Pakistani and Kenyan dishes, you could never visit her and not be fed a whole meal!
Ingredients
Stage 1
- 1lb (50g) white fish fillets
- 1tsp salt
- qtr tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp red chillies
- 1 tsp lime/lemon juice
Stage 2
- half cup oil
- whole masalas – 1 tsp peppercorns, 1 stick cinnamon, 4 cloves, 1 tbs whole cumin, 1 tbs crushed dry coriander
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbs tom puree
- 1 tsp red chillie powder
- 1 tbs crushed garlic
- 3½ cups water
- 1 tsp garam masala (optional)
- 4 tbs fresh sliced green coriander (optional)
Method
Rinse 2 mugs of rice and soak in cold water for 2 hours or more.
Stage 1
- Wash and pat dry the fish pieces.
- Apply all ingredients and marinate for 2 hours.
- Grill or shallow fry and remove into a flat dish without piling up.
Stage 2
- Switch on oven GM3-4/160C
- Put half cup oil into in a large pan, add the sliced onion, and fry until dark brown, then add the whole masalas, measured water, salt, tomato puree, red chillies, garlic and bring to the boil.
- Drain the rice in a colander, discard water add rice to the pan, return to the boil, cook uncovered on medium heat until mixture reduces and most of the water is absorbed. Switch off.
- Gently arrange the cooked fish on top of the rice, cover tightly with aluminium foil and a tight lid and place in the oven on a low heat for 15 mins, or cook on lowest setting on stove top for 10mins (dhum).
- Carefully use a fish slice to disturb the rice and fish and remove generous helpings onto a serving platter.
- Garnish with garam masala and fresh coriander if using, take to the table steaming hot.
- Serve with a cooling cucumber raita, bundi raita or plain low fat yoghurt.
