fish curry in a tomato gravy | tamatar wali machhli

Tomatoes lend a wonderful flavour to fish steaks when simmered for some time. I usually like fish with bones and skin for my curries as the skin and bones bring all the flavours of fish alive. I wouldn't ever use fish fillet for curries unless I am serving it to fussy guests. But trust me this simple tomato fish curry would floor some of those fussy eaters too.

A tomato based fish curry, as simple as it can be. I mean no overpowering spices, very nominal cooking oil used and very few steps to make the curry. A mild whiff of nigella seeds and a tangy taste of tomatoes complimented well by a bit of garlic is somewhat describes this curry totally, of course the red chilli balances the act. And that's about it. No other flavours spoiling the tomato fun.

Most of my Indian style fish curries are inspired by Bengali fish curries and this is one of them. I started eating fish influenced by some Bengali friends and I owe it to them the way I can handle my fish. And note that this tomato fish curry has to be cooked in mustard oil, else you will get something else, you may like it but not you will miss some magic that mustard oil lends to this curry.

ingredients 
(2 servings)

2 large fish steaks about 120-150 gm each
2 tsp besan (chickpea flour)
generous pinch of salt and turmeric to smear the fish steaks
400 gm tomatoes (desi tart and sweet variety please)
3 cloves of garlic
1 green chilli broken
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1.5 tbsp mustard oil
1/4 tsp kalonji or nigella seeds
handful of chopped coriander greens
salt to taste

procedure..

Smear the salt and turmeric over the fish steaks and dredge very lightly over a very thin layer of chickpea flour.

Heat mustard oil in a cast iron pan and shallow fry the prepared fish steaks.

In the meanwhile chop the tomatoes roughly and make a paste along with garlic cloves. Keep aside.

In the remaining oil after shallow frying the fish steaks, add the nigella seeds and green chilli pieces. Wait till nigella seeds get fragrant and pour the tomato paste over it. Add salt, red chilly powder, half of the coriander greens (preferably the stem parts) and let it come to a soft boil.

Slide the fried fish steaks in the simmering tomato gravy, add a little hot water if you want the curry thinner and simmer for about 5-6 minutes.

Adjust seasoning, add a little sugar ( I needed 1/4 tsp) if the tomatoes are too tart.

Serve hot with plain boiled rice, garnished with the remaining coriander greens.

Rustic, simple, clean flavours that make everyday food so much more desirable. You can serve some vegetable stir fry with this meal of some raw salads too. We had a lavish fish meal with these fish cakes along with this tomato fish curry.

Here is another tomato based fish curry where I have used Bombil or Bombay duck. One more tomato based fish curry is a bit complex with some spices used and a little rich too. You can see I love using tomatoes in my fish curry, but this one is the simplest of all tomato fish curries I make.

Do let me know whenever you try this. It will be good to mention that this curry tastes great with just some lightly fried boiled potatoes or even paneer. Or use the besan ki katli or patode to make this curry. So there are many vegetarian versions too.

Bombil curry in a tomato gravy | Bombay duck in curried tomatoes

Bombil or Bombay duck is a delicate fleshed fish with just one central bone. The bones are very delicate too and can be chewed on when the fish is fried crisp.Not to mention that the fish turns to a melt in the mouth texture when fried crisp with a coating of seasoned rice powder. It would be the best fish fry for you if you love a crisp exterior and melt in the mouth inner parts. The reason why the fish is liked in the fried form mostly. But I love a simply seasoned tomato based curry with this fish too. The fish is poached in a chunky tomato gravy and turns buttery after cooking. You can poach a few Bombils in a ready to use tomato garlic sauce too, especially if the sauce is not too spicy.

ingredients...

Bombil fish 500 gm cut to about 3 inch pieces if the fish is big
tomatoes diced 500 gm
chopped garlic 1 tbsp or more
chopped (diced) red onion 1 cup or about 100-120 gm
chopped green chilly (jalapeno) 2 tbsp
pinch of red chilly powder or paprika if you like
salt to taste
mustard oil 2 tbsp

preparation...

Heat the oil in a wide bottomed pan and tip in the garlic and fry just for 30 seconds or so. Do not brown the garlic. Add the onions and green chilies, mix well and keep cooking after adding salt.

Once the onion is softened and lightly pink, add the tomatoes and the red chilly and turmeric powder too. Stir and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Add about 3/4 cup of water and let it boil once.

Add the cut fish as soon as the tomato mixture starts boiling. Cover and simmer the mixture for about five to seven minutes. Check if the fish is done and the sauce has thickened well. It will be a chun ky sauce with melt in the mouth texture of fish.

If you want a smooth gravy, just blend the sauce after it gets a boil, pour back into the pan, add water and simmer with added fish till done.

No herb is required in this curry but curry patta, coriander greens or a hint of thyme can be a good thing to add when you feel like.

The buttery melt in your moth texture of fish with this mildly flavored soupy sauce can be a meal in itself. Or just have a little plain boiled rice with it.

tamatar waali macchli | fish in a tomato gravy...

Tomato based curries are very common in north Indian homes and probably the easiest to pull off as a tomato based curry is quite forgiving. Very very versatile as well. There can be a butter/makhni gravy with tomato base and there can be a spicy gravy too. And there can be a bong style tomato based curry that I learned from my friend Rita Sinha almost a decade ago. I had started eating fish recently and would ask for new ways to cook fish to each and everyone known. This one was one such fish curry I learned during the time that is repeated quite frequently till date. Especially when I have the best quality tomatoes and fresh green coriander leaves in the fridge. Slightly tangy and aromatic with fresh coriander greens, a thick gravy that is mildly hot. My addition to the curry is chopped stems of coriander greens during the final simmering, adding a really fresh dimension to the flavors.

This tomato gravy fish is best enjoyed with rice and tastes best when the fish steaks are big. A fatty fish with skin and bone is what you are looking for. Large fillet would also work.

ingredients...

fish steaks 3-4 (150-200 gm each)
quartered potatoes 1-2
coarse onion paste 3/4 cup
fine paste of ginger garlic and red chilies 2 tbsp
coarse paste of fresh red ripe tomatoes 1.5 cup
coriander powder 2 tsp
cumin powder 2 tsp
black pepper powder 2 tsp
turmeric powder 1 tsp
mustard oil 1/4 cup
chopped coriander greens 1/2 cup (stems and leaves separately cut)
salt to taste

procedure...

Heat the mustard oil in a large kadhai. Fry the fish steaks lightly in mustard oil and place the quartered potatoes on the side too so they get browned as the fish steaks get fried. Drain and transfer the fried fish and potatoes to a flat base frying pan, or another kadhai.

Pour the onion paste into the remaining oil first and fry for a while. Till the mixtures starts getting pinkish in color. Add the salt and ginger-garlic-chilly paste. Fry till the oil separates or the mixtures gets glazed.

Add the powdered spices and mix well. Cook (bhuno) tll the spices get lightly aromatic. Add the tomato paste and again bhuno till the tomatoes change color and get glazed again.

Pour this cooked spice paste over the fried fish steaks in the other pan. Sprinkle the chopped stem parts of the coriander greens.

Now pour a cup of water into the pan and keep it back to the burner...

Cover and let it simmer on low flame slowly for about 20-15 minutes. The oils will float atop the gravy and the coriander stems will be cooked and aromatic, lending the curry a nice flavor. This final simmer is the essence of this curry, all the flavors are evoked in the presence of this fresh coriander stems tha are added in this step. So don't skip it.

Garnish with coriander leaves when cooked and serve hot with plain boiled rice.

Boiled rice is the only accompaniment that this curry needs, that too in minimal amounts. The gravy is thick and rich with flavors of tomatoes and coriander greens. The spices are subdued and mild but he chilly and peppers shine through, complementing the tang of the tomatoes well.

This is the fish curry you would like with minimal rice, just the soupy gravy and the fish steaks make you meal filling and satiating. My kind of meals when rice or roti is incidental.

Tamatar waali machhli it is, but the coriander greens are as essential for the flavor of this particular curry. The same gravy works well for paneer and eggs as well. The fried wedges of potatoes are treated well in this curry too. Actually anything that cooks within 10 minutes when this curry simmers after bhunoeing the masala paste. Those 10 minutes of simmering give this curry all the flavor.

I am sure it will be one of the most frequented at your table too...

Cheers.