Sri Lankan cod and crab curry with pickles and samosas
You can use any firm, white fish in this zingy, spicy curry.
For this recipe, you will need a deep-fat fryer.
Ingredients
For the cod and crab curry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp white peppercorns, crushed
- 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 9 curry leaves, plus 6 leaves to garnish
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 250ml/9fl oz coconut milk
- 1 cod loin, cut into chunks
- 10g plain flour
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 free-range egg
- 170g tin evaporated milk
- 3 soft-shell crabs, cut in half
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves, to garnish
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
For the samosas
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ small cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
- 8–10 green beans, roughly chopped
- pinch ground turmeric
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp plain flour
- pinch English mustard powder
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 150g packet spring roll wrappers
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pickles
Method
For the curry, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, turmeric, peppercorns, fenugreek, cinnamon stick, 9 curry leaves, chillies, coriander and chilli powder and sweat for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the tamarind paste and coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the cod and gently poach for 8–10 minutes.
Preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180C/350F. (CAUTION: do not leave unattended. Hot oil can be dangerous.) Place the flour and chilli powder in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix together. Mix the egg and milk together in a separate bowl with a tablespoon of water.
Dip the crab halves in the flour mixture and then in the egg mixture. Place in the deep-fat fryer for 3–4 minutes, turning two or three times, or until golden brown and crispy. Carefully remove the crabs from the hot oil using a slotted spoon, place on a plate lined with kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper.
For the samosas, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the cauliflower, onion, apple, beans, turmeric, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft, and stir in the flour and mustard powder. Stir in the vinegar and a few teaspoons of water to make a paste. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Preheat the deep-fat fryer again to 180C/350F. Lay out the spring roll wrappers, add the filling evenly to the centre of each wrapper and then fold into a triangle. Place each samosa in the deep fat fryer for 5–8 minutes, then carefully remove using a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper.
For the pickles, toss the onion and cucumber in the sugar and salt and leave to drain in a colander for 10 minutes. Squeeze to remove any excess water and toss in the lime juice. Set aside.
Just before serving, add the crab halves to the curry and spoon into four warmed bowls. Garnish with the curry leaves and coriander and serve with the lime wedges, samosas and pickles alongside.
