I used to make this dish with fillets of halibut until the cost, at least in New York, made me look at other fish. Now I use cod or hake. They both flake a bit more but still manage to hold their shape. Salting them ahead of time helps hold them together. I like to use fresh tomatoes even if they are out of season, as they are gentler in flavor. I grate the tomatoes on the coarsest part of a four-sided grater (see method on page 289), which removes the skin but keeps the seeds. Four medium tomatoes will yield roughly 1 3/4 cups of fresh puree, about what you need here. Light and lovely, this dish is best served with rice. I like to add a dal and perhaps a green, leafy vegetable.

　　

Ingredients

serves 2¿3

　　1 pound fillet of cod, hake, or halibut, 1/2–3/4 inch thick

　　Salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　Cayenne pepper

　　1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　3 tablespoons mustard, olive, or canola oil

　　1/8 teaspoon ground asafetida

　　1/4 teaspoon whole mustard seeds

　　1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

　　1/4 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

　　1/8 teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds

　　3 tablespoons plain yogurt, preferably the acidophilus variety sold at health-food stores, or Greek yogurt

　　4 medium tomatoes, coarsely grated

　　1 cup fresh or frozen and defrosted peas

　　

Step 1

Sprinkle the fish on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and the ground turmeric. Set aside 30 minutes or longer, refrigerating if necessary.

　　

Step 2

Put the oil in a frying pan and set on medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asafetida and then the mustard, cumin, fennel, and fenugreek seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds start to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the yogurt. Stir the yogurt on medium-high heat until it almost disappears. Add the tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and some black pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes or until tomatoes thicken slightly. Add the peas, stir, and continue to cook another minute on medium heat. Lay the fish down in this sauce. If there is a thinnish tail end, tuck it under. Spoon the sauce over the fish and bring to a simmer. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and poach fish on medium-low heat, spooning the sauce over the fish now and then, until it is just cooked through, about 7–10 minutes. If the pan seems to dry out, add a few tablespoons of water.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.