Cape Malay-style seafood curry
This fragrant tomato-based curry is made with rich coconut cream and a selection of sustainably caught/farmed hake and prawns. Use the best quality flash frozen seafood you can find if you don’t live near the ocean, or if you’re lucky and have access to fresh seafood, use the freshest you can find – adding live black mussels will also be delicious. Note: Cooking a seafood curry takes a lot less time than a meat curry. If you clean the prawns and cube the hake ahead of time, dinner is served in about 30-40 minutes.
Ingredients
(serves 4-6)
30 ml vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped/grated
1 knob ginger, finely chopped/grated
15 ml (1 tablespoon) mild curry powder 15 ml (1 tablespoon) garam masala
10 ml (2 teaspoons) ground coriander
10 ml (2 teaspoons) ground fennel/barishap 10 ml (2 teaspoons) ground turmeric
2 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
1 x 400 ml can coconut cream
5-10 ml (1-2 teaspoons) sugar
salt & pepper, to taste
700 g whole prawns, cleaned & rinsed about 400 g boneless hake fillets, cubed fresh coriander, for serving
fresh lemon wedges, for serving cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Method
In a wide heavy bottom pot (a 24-26cm pots s ideal) over medium heat, add the oil and onion and fry until the onion softens and starts to turn lightly golden. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds, then add the dry spices and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes and coconut cream and stir to loosen any sticky bits on the bottom. Add the sugar and season well with salt & pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then cook for about 10-15 minutes without a lid (in the meantime, cook your rice). Add the prawns and hake and stir to cover all over in the sauce. Bring back to a simmer, then cook for about 15 minutes until the seafood is fully cooked but not falling apart. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Serve hot with rice, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon.
