Sweet & Hot White Fish Curry

A super spicy curry like this one deserves both rice and bread to soak up the sweet heat.

A good side dish with fish curries is always okra - Cafe Drake braised these whole in a sauce of yogurt, ghee and assorted spices.

GUJARATI STYLE FISH CURRY

While Gujarat is a heavily vegetarian region in India, the area's predilection for dishes both sweet and fiery hot works beautifully with firm, less delicate flavored fish such as cod. Trust me you'll want to make this one. If the number of chilies employed is too intimidating, reduce by 3 or 4 and serve with plenty of heat-absorbing rice. Additionally, the brown sugar and meaty fish go along way toward balancing the fieriness. 

You'll need to start with 15 dried red chilies. If you can find the Kashmiri ones they are less hot but equally flavorful. Grind the chilies along with 2 T. tamarind paste and 3 cloves of garlic in a mini-processor or blender, adding a few drops of water as needed. Now add enough water to achieve a pouring consistency, much like a thin pancake batter. Season with salt to your taste.

Add the mixture to a medium-sized skillet and bring to a boil. Stir in 2-3 T. brown sugar and add about 1 1/2 pounds of chopped, white-fleshed fish (cod or plaice for example). Immediately reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook until fish is just done to your liking. Serve hot and garnish the curry with 1 T. coconut oil, spooned over the top.