4 tablespoons oil

2 medium-sized onions, cut in two across and finely sliced lengthwise

1 teaspoon brown mustard seed

1 stalk fresh curry leaves or 6 dried curry leaves

Salt to taste

½ cup (125 ml) tamarind water

1 lb (500 g) fish fillets (ling, Spanish mackerel, snapper or salmon), cut into chunks

Spice Paste

2 tablespoons coriander seed or 1 ¾ tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon cumin seed or ¾ tablespoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon peppercorns or ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

12 medium-length dried chilies, seeded, soaked in warm water until soft and squeezed dry

½-in (1-cm) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic

METHOD

If using whole spices for the Spice Paste, grind them to a powder and then grind all of the Spice Paste ingredients to a paste. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. Fry the onions, mustard seed and curry leaves until the seeds sputter and the onions are golden brown. Add the Spice Paste and fry until it is fragrant. Add salt and tamarind water, stir well and bring to a boil. Add the fish, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and shake gently until the fish is cooked and the gravy is thick. Add extra water if you would like the dish to be more moist.