Aromatic mackerel curry
Serves: 2
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Mike English
Aromatic mackerel curry
Recipe by Mitch Tonks
Using a whole fish cut into chunky sections is traditional, but you can use fish fillets or bite-sized pieces, if you prefer. White fish such as monkfish, or prawns, work well too
Serves: 2
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
664Kcal
Fat
52gr
Saturates
14gr
Carbs
13gr
Sugars
10gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
35gr
Salt
0.7gr
Mitch Tonks
Chef Mitch Tonks co-owns the award-winning Seahorse restaurant in Dartmouth, along with the six-strong Devon chain of Rockfish restaurants. He is also an ambassador with the Marine Stewardship Council [MSC], which sets standards for sustainable fishing.
See more of Mitch Tonks’s recipes
Mitch Tonks
Chef Mitch Tonks co-owns the award-winning Seahorse restaurant in Dartmouth, along with the six-strong Devon chain of Rockfish restaurants. He is also an ambassador with the Marine Stewardship Council [MSC], which sets standards for sustainable fishing.
See more of Mitch Tonks’s recipes
Ingredients
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 whole fresh MSC mackerel*, about 220g each, gutted, washed and heads removed
- 50g root ginger, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 red chilli, deseeded if you prefer
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp paprika
- 4 ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
- 1⁄2 x 30g pack coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
- 200ml light coconut milk
Step by step
- In a small pan, fry the curry leaves and mustard seeds in 1 tablespoon of oil until they pop. Tip into a dish and leave to cool, then add the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Cut the prepared mackerel into roughly 7cm chunks – you should get 2 chunks, plus a decent tail piece, from each fish. Add to the dish, turn to coat well, then cover and marinate for an hour in the fridge.
- Put the ginger, garlic, chilli and onion in a processor and blend to a paste, adding a little water if needed. Heat the rest of the oil in a medium-large saucepan (one that will hold the mackerel pieces in a single layer) and fry the paste for 8-10 minutes over a low heat until fragrant. Add the spices and cook for 1 minute before adding the tomatoes. Cook for about 8 minutes until softened.
- Add the coriander, coconut milk, 100ml water and a good pinch of salt and simmer for about 10 minutes, covered, to allow the flavours to develop.
- Add the mackerel and its marinade, cover again and simmer for 7-8 minutes until the fish is cooked. Season to taste, then scatter with extra coriander and serve with rice.
