ASSAMESE SOUR FISH CURRY - CURRY AIGRE DE POISSON

A few months ago fellow foodblogger and expat (Hong Kong & London) Janet Ching from "Gourmet Traveller 88" who lives in Basel (Switzerland) kindly proposed to send me a complimentary copy of her self-produced book as an appreciation of my supporting her blog all along. It was with much excitement that I accepted her kind proposition...

A few days later the book arrived and I had a lot of pleasure going through it's pages. This little 32 pages cookbook is enjoyable and is full of delicious recipes that can be found on her blog. The vast majority of the courses presented are Asian-oriented (Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Korean and Vietnamese) and a minority of them are Western-oriented (Switzerland, Holland, Italian and French).

Picking out a main course that would be featured in an article was not an easy task as I fancied many of them. Thanksfully, as I am passionate about Asian cuisine, as I drool any time the word "curry" is pronounced and as I believe in seasonal cooking my choice was made a lot easier. Since a few dishes required summer veggies I opted for a recipe that would enable me to buy local produces and respect the environment. It is for that reason that I decided upon preparing "Assamese Sour Fish Curry". Not only did the picture of that dish attract me, but I also liked the idea of eating a spicy meal that would not be too heavy nor too fat and which would bring a little heat as well as comfort - much needed with this polar weather (snow and minus temperatures) we are having here at the moment.

"Assamese Sour Fish Curry" or "Masoor Tenga" hails from Assam in northeastern India where it is a very popular speciality (a note to the purists - of course this version is a little Westernized and different from the original LOL). This light curry is really easy to prepare, can be put together in no time at all and it tastes lipsmackingly good. It is quite peppery and hot, exhaliratingly spicy, delightfully sour and has a certain freshness thanks to the addition of lime juice. Perfectly balanced and flavored!

~ Assamese Sour Fish Curry ~

Recipe adapted from " Discovering New Tastes And Rediscovering Long Lost Tastes" by Janet Ching.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs Coriander seeds
2 Tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp Ground tumeric
1 Tsp Black peppercorns
2cm Piece fresh ginger (10g), grated or chopped coarsely
2 Cloves garlic, grated or chopped coarsely
Sunflower oil
400g White firm fish (e.g. monk fish fillets or blue-eye cutlets), cubed
2 Medium brown onions, sliced thinly (hald moon)
1 1/2 Tsp Black mustard seeds
4 Dried or fresh curry leaves
1 Tsp Samabal oelek
1 Tsp Sweet chili sauce
180ml Water
1 Tsp Organic chicken stock powder
The juice of 2 limes
1 Tbs Fish sauce (or to taste - I added 5 Tbs)

Method:
1. Using a small pan, dry fry the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and tumeric until fragrant, be careful not to burn them.
2. Form a paste by crushing the peppercorns, ginger and garlic with pestle and mortar.
3. Heat some oil in a large frying pan, pan-fry the fish fillet until cooked and lightly brown. Remove the fish from the pan and keep the oil.
4. Add a little more oil, stir fry the onions, mustard seeds and curry leaves until the onion becomes lightly brown and translucid.
5. Add the fried spices, keep stirring until fragrant.
6. Then, add the wet paste, the sambal oelek and the chili sauce. Stir.
7. Dissolve the chicken stock powder in the water and add into the pan, then add in the lime juice and fish sauce.
8. Bring the mixture to boil and then add the fish back into the pan. Simmer for about 5 mins or until the fish is cooked.
9. Serve.

Remarks:
The original recipe didn't contain sambal oelek or sweet chili sauce. Instead you can add 1 red chili that has been seeded, chopped and crushed to a paste in the mortar and pestle.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with basmati rice or jasmine rice.

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~ Curry Aigre De Poisson ~
Recette adaptée de " Discovering New Tastes And Rediscovering Long Lost Tastes" par Janet Ching.

Ingrédients:
1 CS de Graines de coriandre
2 CC de Graines de cumin
1/2 de CC de Curcuma en poudre
1 de CC de Graines de poivre noir
Un morceau de 2cm de Gingembre frais (10g), pelé et haché grossièrement
2 Gousses d'ail, hachées grossièrement
Huile de tournesol
400g de Poisson blanc à chair ferme (merlu ou beaudroie), coupé en gros cubes
2 Onions moyens, coupés finement en demi-lune
1 1/2 de CC de Graines de moutarde noires
4 Feuilles de curry fraîches ou sèches
1 de CC de Samabal oelek
1 de CC de Sweet chili sauce
180ml d'Eau
1 de CC de Bouillon de poule bio en poudre
Le jus de 2 limes
1 CS de Sauce de poisson (ou selon goût- j'ai ajouté 5 CS)

Méthode:
1. Dans une petite poêle, griller à feu doux les graines de coriandre, de cumin et le curcuma afin que les arômes se développent. Faire attention à ne pas les brûler.
2. Dans un mortier, réduire le poivre, le gingembre et l'ail en une pâte homogène.
3. Chauffer une grande poêle et ajouter un peu d'huile, puis faire griller les cubes de poisson jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés de chaque côté. Retirer le poisson du feu et le transférer dans une assiette. Mettre de côté.
4. Ajouter un peu d'huile dans la poêle et faire revenir les oignons, les graines de moutarde et les feuilles de curry, jusqu'à ce que l'oignon soit translucide et légèrement doré.
5. Ajouter les épices grillées et bien mélanger jusqu'à ce qu'un parfum s'en dégage.
6. Ajouter la pâte (ail, gingembre et poivre), le sambal oelek et la sweet chili sauce. Mélanger.
7. Dissoudre le bouillon dans l'eau et l'ajouter à la poêle, puis faire de même avec le jus de lime et la sauce de poisson.
8. Porter à ébullition et ajouter le poisson, puis laisser mijoter pendant 5 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que le poisson soit cuit.
9. Servir.

Remarques:
La recette originale ne contient pas de sambal oelek ou de sweet chili sauce. Vous pouvez les remplacer pas un piment rouge qui a été au préalable nettoyé, haché et réduit en une pâte dans le mortier.

Idées de présentation:
Servir avec du riz thaï ou du riz basmati rice.