Jan Pillay’s Durban Fish Curry

Jan Pillay shares her family’s fish curry:

This is an authentic fish curry that is made with freshly roasted and ground spices, without which it cannot be called authentic Durban fish curry, and the whole and crushed garlic that goes with it.

Note: We do not add breyani spices and ginger to seafood curries, unless making a fish or any seafood breyani, although some make the curry differently.

This recipe has been in our family for generations. However, it’s just the curry powders that have changed a bit. Back then it was just the dry-roasted spices and plain chilli. Nowadays we have Kashmiri chilli and seafood masala, but the taste is very much similar. What is important are the ground spices.

Ingredients

Spices

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder

Masalas

• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 3 tablespoons seafood masala
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Kashmiri chilli powder

For the chutney

• ½ cup oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• Curry leaves
• 5 or 6 green chillies, split halfway
• 10 cloves of garlic, lightly bruised
• 6 jam tomatoes, grated (or use 5 tomatoes with 3 tablespoons tomato purée as a thickener)
• A handful of chopped dhania
• A few sprigs of mint
• Salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 75 g tamarind (¾ of a 100 g block), mixed to a pulp in about 4 cups of water
• 4 baby brinjals, cut in half (optional)

Fish and garnish

• 1 kg fish of your choice
• Chopped dhania and curry leaves, to garnish

Method

1. Dry-roast the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns and fenugreek seeds, then grind finely. Add the cumin powder and coriander powder. Keep aside.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot. Add half the ground spice mixture, the onion and curry leaves. Lightly brown, then add the bruised garlic. Mix and add the turmeric powder.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and add the seafood masala and Kashmiri chilli powder.

4. Lower the heat and return the pot to the stove. Mix well and add the tomatoes and green chillies. Add the brinjals, if using. If using tomato purée as a thickener, use 5 tomatoes and 3 tablespoons purée instead of 6 tomatoes.

5. Add the dhania, mint and salt to taste, then add the sugar. Cover and allow to cook on low heat until the chutney is well done and the oil surfaces.

6. Add the tamarind pulp and cook, covered, on high heat for about 20 minutes.

7. Add the fish. Cook for 10 minutes on high heat, then reduce to medium heat and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes or until the gravy thickens.

Durban Curry Recipes · https://www.curryrecipe.co.za/jan-pillays-durban-fish-curry/