San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Macher Malaikari (Fish in Coconut Milk)
This recipe is adapted from “Asma’s Indian Kitchen,” by Asma Khan (Pavilion Books), who writes that it was made in the Malay Peninsula during colonial rule by Bengali laborers who were sent there by the British to build the railways. 4 fillets halibut, plaice or tilapia (approximately 1 pound 10 ounces/750 g) 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil + 1 tablespoon more as needed
2 large white onions, thinly sliced into half moons
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1½ tablespoons fresh ginger paste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (14-ounce/400 ml) can full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
Pinch of sugar
To garnish Green chiles, finely sliced Cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions: Place the fish fillets on a plate, sprinkle with half the ground turmeric and half the salt, and rub this into the fillets. Leave for 10 to 30 minutes.
In a heavy frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the pan and fry gently, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the pan, leaving as much of the oil in the pan as possible, and place on a plate to drain. Spread the onions across the plate so they crisp as they cool.
You should have enough oil left in the pan to fry the fish; if not, add another 1 tablespoon. In the same pan, sear the fish fillets for 20-30 seconds on each side. Do not allow the fish to cook. Remove the fish to a plate.
Keeping the heat at medium-high, add the garlic and ginger pastes to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the remaining ground turmeric and the cayenne. If the pastes stick to the base of the pan, sprinkle with some water. Add ¼ cup warm water, the tomato paste, the remaining salt and the fried onions, then cook for few minutes until the oil has seeped to the edges of the pan.
Return the fish fillets to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and carefully turn each fillet over. Taste the coconut milk and adjust the seasoning with sugar or salt as necessary. Before serving, garnish with sliced green chiles and chopped cilantro.