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Fish koftas
Serves SERVES 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- For the sauce
- 3tbsp ghee
- 1 black cardamom pod, crushed
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- 1tbsp grated root ginger
- ½tsp turmeric
- 2tsp ground cumin
- ½tsp chilli powder
- 1tsp garam masala 6 tomatoes, liquidised
- pinch of saffron threads steeped in 1tbsp hot milk
- 8tbsp yoghurt whisked with
- 2tbsp water
For the fish
- 240ml whole milk
- 4-6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 black cardamom pod
- ¼tsp turmeric
- ¼tsp ground cumin
- 500g white fish fillets, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 large potato, cooked and diced
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1tsp roughly chopped root ginger
- 1 large green chilli
- 2-3tbsp chopped coriander leaves, plus more to serve
- 1tsp roasted cumin seeds, coarsely crushed
- 2tbsp flaked almonds, toasted, plus extra to serve
- 1tbsp gram flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Method
To make the sauce, heat the ghee in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the cardamom pod and onion and cook until the onion turns a pale gold. Now add the ginger and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the turmeric, cumin, chilli powder and garam masala and continue to stir-fry for a few more seconds.
Add the tomatoes, the saffron and its milk and sea salt to taste, then stir and simmer for a couple more minutes. Gradually add the yoghurt and simmer for a further 3-4 minutes. Remove the cardamom pod and squeeze out the seeds back into the pan, discarding the husk. Pour the sauce into a blender and whizz until smooth.
Now, for the fish, bring the milk, cardamom pods, turmeric and ground cumin to the boil in a heavy-based pan. Poach the fish fillets in this for 3 minutes on either side, drain, discarding the milk, and transfer fish to a mixing bowl. Leave to cool. Now remove the cardamom pods and add the potato to the fish.
Blend the onion, ginger and green chilli with 1tbsp of water to a smooth paste in a blender. Add this to the fish mixture along with all the other ingredients except the oil. Knead well together and form into balls, each the size of a pingpong ball. (If the mixture is sticky, moisten your hands with water before forming the koftas.)
Heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep, heavy-based pan or wok until it begins to sizzle. Reduce the heat and drop the fish balls into the oil a few at a time, turning them frequently and frying to an even golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
Put the koftas into a dish, reheat the sauce and pour over. Sprinkle with the extra coriander and almonds and serve.
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