Sri Lankan Snapper Curry

By sarah_carroll

Ingredients

• To serve:
• 50 gm
• ghee
• 20 20
• fresh curry leaves, plus extra sprigs, to serve
• 5 5
• cloves of garlic, sliced
• 10 (about 300gm)
• red shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tsp
• ground turmeric
• 1 1
• stick of cinnamon, halved
• 5 5
• cardamom pods, lightly bruised
• 50 gm (1/3 cup)
• Sri Lankan curry powder
• 1.5 litres
• fish stock
• 2 tsp
• fennel seeds, soaked in water for 10 minutes
• 1.2 kg
• sweet potato, cut into 1cm pieces
• 2 2
• 375 ml tins coconut cream
• 2 1/2 tbsp
• vegetable oil
• 6 (about 200 gm each)
• snapper fillets, skin on and pin-boned
• Steamed basmati rice, plain yoghurt, chutney and pickles, optional
• Curry powder:
• 2 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tbsp cumin seed 1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds a pinch of fenugreek seed 2.5cm/1in piece cinnamon stick 3 cloves 2 green cardamom pods 6 black peppercorns

Preparation

Step 1

Heat ghee in a heavy-based saucepan and, when a light haze comes over the pot, add curry leaves, garlic and shallots, and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes until shallots are translucent. Add remaining dry ingredients and cook for 4 minutes, stirring continuously or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Add stock and drained fennel seeds and bring to the boil.



2

Add sweet potato and simmer for 10 minutes or until just tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sweet potato to a tray. Bring curry base to the boil, add coconut cream and bring to the boil, then remove from heat. Season to taste with sea salt and ground black pepper.



3

Heat oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over high heat, add snapper fillets, skin-side down, pressing to ensure skin is touching pan evenly. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then turn and cook for another 3 minutes until just cooked through.



4

To serve, add sweet potato to curry sauce and cook until heated through, spoon rice into shallow bowls and top with snapper and a sprig of curry leaves. Ladle curry sauce into individual small bowls and pass separately. Serve immediately with small bowls of yoghurt, chutney and pickles, if using.