Fish curry is ubiquitous in many parts of India. As an anglo-Indian and an Indian food obsessive, when I started the low-FODMAP diet, I decided I had to come up with a low-FODMAP version.
This recipe works so well you would never imagine there is no onion or garlic. I make it with hake, salmon, cod, but any firm fish works brilliantly.
I use tamarind concentrate for the sour element, which you can find in any Asian shop. Curry leaves are not essential but add their unmistakable sweet pungency to the background of this dish, taking it to another level entirely.
Ingredients
For the fish
400–500g firm fish (hake, salmon, cod or similar)
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp salt
For the spice mix
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
5–6 dried red chillies
For the sauce
3 medium tomatoes
5cm piece of fresh ginger
2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
2 tbsp olive oil
8 fresh curry leaves (or 12 frozen)
240ml (1 cup) coconut milk
360ml (1½ cups) water
1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
Salt to taste
Method
Cut the fish into roughly 4cm pieces. Toss with the turmeric and salt and set aside.
Dry-roast the seeds and chillies in a pan over a gentle heat for 3–4 minutes. Grind to a powder in a blender or pestle and mortar, and sieve if necessary. Set aside.
Quarter the tomatoes, peel and roughly chop the ginger, and blend both to a smooth paste with the garlic-infused oil.
Heat the cooking oil in a large pan, add the tomato/ginger paste and 1 tsp salt, and cook for 5 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the curry leaves and keep cooking.
Stir in the spice powder, with another pinch of salt if you like, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes more.
Add the water, check the seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the tamarind and simmer for another 2 minutes.
Add the fish and cook until just done; be careful not to overcook it. Taste for seasoning and serve with plain rice.
Notes and substitutions
Coconut milk and Tamarind: low FODMAP in moderate amounts. These quantities shared between four are well within a low-FODMAP serving.
Chillies: low FODMAP, but heat can irritate a sensitive gut. Use fewer or leave them out if you prefer.
Garlic oil: the FODMAPs in garlic don’t dissolve in oil, so you get the flavour without the trouble. Use shop-bought. If you don’t have it, leave it out.
Curry leaves: fresh or frozen both work. Leave them out if you can’t find them.
No tamarind? A squeeze of lime juice at the end will also add the sour element.