Living along the coast, fish curry was almost a staple as for the longest time the seas around Durban provided a bounty of seafood. Fishing was the weekend pastime, especially during winter when there was the sardine run as well as larger fish like shad that followed. Here is my version of a deliciously hot, spicy and sour Durban fish curry.
Ingredients
500g Steenbrass (or fish of choice)
To marinate
1 tsp mixed masala
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs soy sauce
Fresh cracked black pepper
Splash of lemon juice
For braising
Dry spice mix:
1 tsp Whole Dhania seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp mixed dhania and jeera
Wet grind
handful of curry leaves
5 cloves garlic
2 green chillies
small handful of dhania leaves
1 medium onion
1/2 cup oil
2 tbs mixed masala
1 tsp hurdee (tumeric)
1 tsp rough salt
2 tbs imlee (tamarind)
Serve with some soft roti or hard porridge (puthu). There is a popular saying that fish curry gets even better if kept overnight and eaten the next day!
