Smash The Place

Tom and I went to Chinatown after work last week and bought some lovely king fish (8 bucks for two lovely whole fishies!). As I was taught by my mother, I asked the fish monger to cut them up into thin slices - key if you want your king fish to be nice and tender. You could use other kinds of firm fleshed, flavorful fish, like mackerel, snapper, porgy, or croaker. You could also easily substitute in tofu, eggplant, squash, potatoes, or any other combination of non-meats that makes you happy. We had a jolly early summer dinner here at the house with Noam and Kirubel. Tom contributed a delicious jicama, mango and spinach salad that perhaps I will ask him to post about later.


2 medium king fish, head off, tail off and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 tbs vegetable oil
2 c. chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 inch ginger root, peeled and grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder (or to taste)
1 14 oz can of coconut milk
1 28 oz can of tomatoes
salt


1. wash and dry fish. sprinkle lightly with salt.
2. heat oil in large saucepan. add onions and cook until deeply carmelized, about 10 - 15 minutes, maybe more. this is where most people screw up curry - you must let the onions brown and begin to break down because they are the base of the curry. if you do not, your curry will not be nice and thick.
3. add garlic and ginger. cook one minute.
4. add dry spices. cook one minute.
5. add coconut milk and tomatoes. cook 15 - 20 minutes, until curry is a nicely thick and smelling very good.
6. add fish and simmer 6 - 8 minutes, until fish cooked through.
7. serve over basmati rice (basmati rice is best cooked on the stove with a bay leaf thrown into the water to add nice flavor).

feeds three hungry boys and one small girl with plenty to spare for lunch the next day.