Main Dishes
Fish moilee
A rich and luxurious Fish moilee curry on the table in just half an hour – what more could you want?! This one is made with white fish, so even fussy eaters will love it.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 2 banana shallots, or 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp finely grated fresh root ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 4 fresh or frozen lime leaves
- 1 long red chilli, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 400g can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ tsp flaked sea salt
For the fish
- 2 x 175g/7oz fillets fresh halibut, or any other thick white fish fillets, with skin
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- good pinch flaked sea salt
- 1 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 1 tsp yellow or black mustard seeds
- 5–6 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves, to serve
- ½ small red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped, to garnish
- handful fresh coriander, finely chopped, to garnish
- freshly cooked rice, to serve (optional)
Method for Fish moilee
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To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallots, ginger, garlic and lime leaves. Cook for 8–10 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
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Stir in the chilli, coriander and turmeric and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the coconut milk, salt and 100ml/3½fl oz cold water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Alternatively, cool it little and transfer it to a food processor or blender to blend. (For a really smooth sauce, pass through a fine sieve.) Set aside.
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Put the fish in a bowl, add the lemon juice, turmeric and salt and toss to coat.
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Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fish, skin-side down, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn it over and cook on the other side for 2 minutes. Add the mustard seeds for the last minute of cooking.
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Pour the sauce into the pan with the fish and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the lime leaves. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and just beginning to flake.
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Serve the moilee, with freshly cooked rice if using, garnished with the red chilli and coriander.
Fish moilee