Malaysian fish curry recipe

Fancy a change from your usual chicken curry? Try this delicious fish curry recipe, full of all of the fresh flavours of Malaysia. With fresh mackerel, creamy coconut milk, healthy aubergines and exotic okra, it's a fab way of giving the family a couple of their 5-a-day and because it only takes an hour from start to finish, it makes a quick midweek supper too.

Ingredients

• 600g prepared mackerel fillets (8) or sea-bass fillets
• 2tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 2-3tbsp Malaysian Rendang curry paste
• 24 curry leaves, optional
• 4 small aubergines, quartered or 1 medium aubergine, cut into chunks
• 400ml can coconut milk
• 2tsp tamarind paste
• 2tbsp tomato purée
• 1 or 2 red and 1 or 2 green bird’s-eye (hot) chillies, deseeded and kept whole, optional
• 175g okra, topped and tailed
• 4 medium-sized tomatoes, each cut into quarters
• Coriander leaves, to garnish

Method

1. Sprinkle the fish fillets with a little salt and leave for about 20 mins.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, sprinkle with a little salt and fry until it begins to brown.
3. Reduce the heat, add the curry paste and leaves and fry gently for 2-3 mins, stirring. Add the aubergine, coconut milk, 200ml water, tamarind paste, tomato purée, chillies, and okra. Simmer for 15 mins. Set the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
4. Arrange fish snugly, side by side, in a roasting tin. Pour over the curry sauce. Tuck the tomato quarters in. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20-25 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rice.