My latest favourite recipe

I already mentioned this recipe on my last post, however, as I cooked it again last night, I wanted to put here my own adapted version.

Spiced Fish Soup

Ingredients for 4 people (or serves two people for two days, which is what I do)

• 5 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil
• 2 ½ tablespoons brown mustard seeds
• a handful of fresh curry leaves
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon medium curry powder
• 1½ teaspoons chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 large thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 handfuls of basmati rice
• 600ml water
• 600g fish (I get “Fish Pie Mix” from the Fish Tesco counter -Salmon, Cod and Haddock- and some prawns too)
• 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• juice of 2 limes

In a big pan, heat up the oil and add the Spices (mustard seeds, cumin, garam masala, chilli powder, curry powder, turmeric and curry leaves). Cook for a few minutes, but be careful because after a couple of minutes the mustard seeds will start jumping like popcorn everywhere. Put a lid on when this starts to happen and cook for another minute or so. Next add the onions, garlic and ginger (I put the garlic and ginger in a garlic crusher for better results – see picture below). Continue cooking until the onions are soft. Then add the rice and water (put the rice in first, give everything a good stir and then add the water). Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add your fish and the coconut milk with a pinch of salt. Put the lid on the pan and simmer for a further 10 minutes, then stir well to break up the pieces of fish. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper, then just before you serve it squeeze in the lime juice.

It’s so easy to make. The only “difficulty” lies in getting all the ingredients ready first. Then you just chuck them all in a pan and it’s done.

I took the time to take a few nice pictures of all the ingredients as I was getting them ready, but completely forgot to take a picture of the finished product. Doh! Have a look at the piccies:
  
Vegetable oil                  Finely chopped onions                     Garlic

  
Fresh ginger                                        Crushed garlic and ginger

  
Mustard seeds                                     Cumin

  
Garam masala                                    Chilli Powder

  
Medium Curry Powder                     Curry leaves

  
Prawns                                                 Fish Pie Mix

  
Basmati Rice                                      Coconut milk                 Water

  
Salt                                                        Pepper

                             
                              Limes