Sluttishly Savoury: North Indian Fish Curry

This recipe takes us to north India, and to a very different cuisine to that of the south. The sauce is thicker and richer and the curry is more heavily seasoned. It's rough and ready and quicker to throw together than a more traditional curry - there's no endless simmering and minimal chopping, as you simply bash most of the ingredients together. It took me half an hour from coming home from the shops to serving up.

This curry is modified from this Anjum Anand dish that she calls 'the ultimate, authentic peasant food', which should give you a clue about what you'll be getting. This isn't a delicate dish: it's not hot, but there's no onion or coconut milk to sweeten and balance the garlic and chilli. Using the coriander stalks as well as the leaves makes for a more intense flavour too, and - bonus! - saves on having to labouriously pluck the leaves.

Give it a bash (literally, you'll give your pestle and mortar a good workout) if you fancy an unapologetically full-flavoured dinner.

North Indian Fish Curry (serves 2)

You will need:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Half a tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• Handful of coriander stalks and leaves, chopped
• 2 firm white fish steaks (I used sustainable cod)
• 150 ml water

For the masala:

• 5 large garlic cloves, crushed
  
• 2 cm fresh ginger, grated
  
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp water
  

Make it!

1. Bash the masala ingredients into a smooth paste in a pestle and mortar.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chilli and garam masala and cook for 8 minutes until it's thickened up. Season to taste.
3. Pop in the fish and coat it in the paste. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the water and bring to the boil. Cover and cook over a low heat for another 8 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. If the water doesn't cover the fish, turn it halfway through.
   

Serve over a bed of rice. You end up with a lovely sauce that soaks through the whole dish.