Monkfish tikka masala
- Main
- Medium
- 4
- 60 minutes
PT1H
Josh Eggleton evokes flavours of the nation's favourite curry in this delicious fish curry recipe, using meaty monkfish to stand up against the flavours of the rich spiced crust and aromatic chickpea and spinach tikka sauce. Josh steams his fragrant pilau rice in a steam oven, but you can easily steam or boil the rice on the hob, as in our how to cook rice guide.
Ingredients
Spiced monkfish
- 1 monkfish tail , cleaned and trimmed
- 1 tbsp of mild curry powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 350ml of rapeseed oil
- coriander cress , to garnish
Tikka sauce
- 2 shallots , diced
- 1 garlic clove , roughly chopped
- 20g of fresh ginger , minced
- 1 red chilli , finely chopped
- 1/2 mixed spice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp mild curry powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- 400g of tinned chopped tomatoes , drained
- 400g of tinned chickpeas , drained and rinsed
- 25ml of double cream
- 100g of baby spinach leaves , stalks removed
- 1/2 lemon , juiced
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Pilau rice
- 250g of basmati rice
- 380ml of water
- 1 onion , diced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tsp black onion seeds
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
- Food processor
- Steam oven or steamer
Method
1
Portion the monkfish tail into 4 pieces, about 130–150g each. Place all the spices for the monkfish in a plastic bowl or container and whisk in the oil, then add the fish portions and turn to coat fully in the spiced oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook
- 1 monkfish tail , cleaned and trimmed
- 1 tbsp of mild curry powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 350ml of rapeseed oil
2
Mix the rice, water, onion and spices together in a deep tray. Set a steam oven to 100°C and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and fragrant. Season to taste
- 250g of basmati rice
- 380ml of water
- 1 onion , diced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tsp black onion seeds
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
3
Meanwhile, prepare the tikka sauce by adding the shallots, garlic, ginger, chilli and vegetable oil to a food processor and blitzing until smooth. Add the dry spices and tomato purée, then blitz again to make a paste
- 2 shallots , diced
- 1 garlic clove , roughly chopped
- 20g of fresh ginger , minced
- 1 red chilli , finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 mixed spice
- 1 tsp mild curry powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp tomato purée
4
Transfer to a heavy-based pan and place over a medium-low heat to cook out for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, then stir in the chickpeas to warm through. Add the cream to the pan and cook for another minute
- 400g of tinned chopped tomatoes , drained
- 400g of tinned chickpeas , drained and rinsed
- 25ml of double cream
5
Stir in the spinach leaves until just wilted, then finish with the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve
- 100g of baby spinach leaves , stalks removed
- 1/2 lemon , juiced
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
6
Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the spiced monkfish portions, allowing to sear for 2–3 minutes on the bottom until the spiced oil forms a dark crust. Carefully turn the pieces and sear on all sides for a few minutes until the spiced crust is coloured all over. Transfer to a warmed plate and cover, allowing the fish to rest for 5–10 minutes
7
To serve, divide the steamed rice and tikka sauce between serving plates. Once rested, slice the monkfish portions into even pieces and arrange them over the rice and sauce, garnishing with a few sprigs of coriander cress
- coriander cress , to garnish
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Monkfish tikka masala
