Hyderabadi Fish with Sesame Sauce

Name: Hyderabadi Fish with Sesame Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Deccani (Hyderabadi)
Ingredients: 1 tsp ground red chili powder; 0.5 tsp turmeric; 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut; 4 tsp ground coriander; 4 oz sesame seeds; corn oil or peanut oil; 2 medium onions; 2 tbsp peanut butter; 2 inches fresh ginger; 2 clove garlic; 2 tbsp tamarind paste; 1 tsp salt; 2 cup hot water; 1 tsp brown mustard seeds; 1 tsp whole cumin seed; 10 fresh curry leaves; 2 lb firm white fish fillets; 1 tsp brown sugar

Fish, sesame seeds and coconut come together in this sauce, fragrant with chilli and turmeric and simmered on the stove.

40 min · Serves 4 · Medium

Method

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Time: Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min · 40 min total
Difficulty: medium

1
Combine the chile powder, turmeric, coconut and coriander in a small dish. Place a cast-iron pan over medium high heat, add the sesame seeds, and stir and cook until they start to jump and emit a roasted aroma.
2
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the combined spices from Step 1. Roast and stir the spices, off the heat, for another minute.
3
Empty the roasted spices in to a bowl, allow to cool, then grind in batches until a fine texture (some of the sesame seeds may remain whole do not worry about this).
4
In a large frying pan, add oil to a depth of 1/8 and heat over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and stir and saute 10 to 12 minutes until reddish brown, reducing the heat as necessary.
12 min
5
Remove onion from pan, ensuring as much oil as possible remains in the pan, and drain on kitchen paper.
6
Reserve 3 tablespoons of the oil. Place the fried onions, along with the peanut butter, ginger, garlic, 2 tablespoons of tamarind paste, the salt.
7
And 1 cup of hot water into a blender, and blend until smooth. Run a spatula down the sides of the blender, stir, then blend briefly again before tasting and add a little extra salt or tamarind as you think fit.
8
Heat the reserved oil in a large, wide, non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin, allow the mustard seeds to splutter (just a few seconds) then take the pan off the heat and add the curry leaves and the blended sauce.
9
Swish the second cup of hot water around in the blender container, then add to the sauce in the pan.
10
Lightly season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper and slip them gently into the sauce in a single layer.
11
Simmer gently over low heat until the fish is cooked, about 5 minutes, basting from time to time.
5 min
12
Thin the sauce with a little water if it seems too thick, and season with a little brown sugar as desired.