In Sri Lanka, an island nation, fish is a staple. It is used in salads, as stuffing for savory pastries, as a flavoring in relishes, as a snack food with drinks, and, of course, in hundreds of curries. This particular curry was served to me for breakfast on a sunny patio at Castlereigh, a tea planter’s home turned boutique hotel, along with fresh rice noodles and good, hot tea. On that cool morning in the mountains nothing could have tasted finer. Almost any fish may be used here, as long as it is firm and holds its shape—swordfish, salmon, pompano, sole, haddock, kingfish, and mackerel. I have used swordfish. Serve with Plain Jasmine Rice and Gujarati-Style Okra.

　　

Ingredients

serves 2¿3

　　1 pound boneless swordfish, 3/4–1-inch thick, skin removed

　　Salt

　　3 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　1/4 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds

　　1/4 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

　　1/3 cup finely chopped red onions

　　1 clove garlic, chopped

　　15–20 fresh curry leaves or 10 fresh basil leaves, torn up

　　1 medium tomato, chopped

　　1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　1/2 cup coconut milk from a well-shaken can

　　

Step 1

Cut the swordfish crossways into as many pieces as there are diners. Sprinkle each piece lightly with 1/4 teaspoon salt on both sides.

　　

Step 2

Put the oil in a frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, put in the fennel seeds and then the onions. Stir and fry on medium heat until the onions soften a bit, about 2–3 minutes. Add the garlic and curry leaves. Stir another minute. Now add the tomatoes, turmeric, and cayenne. Stir a minute. Add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and cook gently for 10 minutes. Put the fish into this sauce and cook on medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes or until one side of the fish turns opaque. Turn the fish pieces over. Add the coconut milk, stir the sauce gently, and bring to a simmer again on medium heat, spooning the sauce over the fish. When the fish turns opaque all the way through, it is done.

　　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.