Recipe, with my annotations in caps...is v adaptable.
Fish Moli
White fish fillets cut into biggish chunks. I JUST USED SALMON FILLETS, LEFT WHOLE
Spring onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies, handful of fresh coriander, all cut fine. I USE AN ORDINARY ONION, OR IN THIS CASE A RED ONE, AND BLEND IT ALL UP
Thickish coconut milk, I USED A LUMP OF COCONUT CREAM AND DILUTED IT
curry leaves YOU DO NEED FRESH NOT DRIED BUT THEY FREEZE VERY WELL AND USE STRAIGHT FROM FROZEN. YOU CAN GET THEM FROM OCADO
mustard seeds (about a teaspoonful) BLACK MUSTARD SEEDS NOT WHITE
whole cumin seeds (quarter teaspoonful)
pinch of turmeric
squeeze of lemon juice to finish.
Season the fish with salt, pepper, chilli powder and a touch of turmeric. Toss in a little olive oil, and place in a hot oven (mark 6) for about ten minutes. this way the fish will firm up and take on some flavour.
Meanwhile, make the coconut sauce: Heat some oil in a pan, and put in the curry leaves, mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, turn down the heat to medium, put in all the chopped stuff together and let them soften (You don’t want them to brown. but they must start to cook and colour a bit) Pour in the coconut milk with a pinch of turmeric and enough salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then pour it over the fish. Put back into the oven to cook for another 10-12 minutes, until everything is well blended. Test for seasoning, and squeeze some lemon to sharpen. Easy!
Variation, to make it really wow them:
Make a tomato sauce: Do exactly the same as for a moli, but instead of the coconut milk, add a tin of tomatoes. Let this simmer gently for a good fifteen minutes until well blended. Then blitz in a blender. This much can be done ahead. When you assemble the dish, cook the fish in the oven in exactly the same way for 10 mins in a hot oven. Then cover it in the seasoned tomato sauce, and add an equal amount of coconut milk. When you come to serve the dish, scatter some griddled prawns and thin rounds of squid over.
Note: If you do this dish, you will have to make quite a well-seasoned tomato sauce base, as the coconut milk will balance it out. (The mustard seeds and curry leaves when ground in, give a really piquant flavour)
Note 2 The tomato sauce also works on its own, or with chicken, meat balls etc.
I DID IT THIS TIME USING TOMATOES, WITH A CHUNK OF COCONUT CREAM AND A BIT OF WATER ADDED AT THAT STAGE. DIDN’T DO ANY BLENDING. I DO MAKE THE TOMATO SAUCE, USING CHOPPED TINNED TOMATOES, SEPARATELY. ALSO WORKS AMAZINGLY WELL AS THE BASIS FOR AN EGG CURRY.