Ingredients
Fish
- 800 gfirm fish, in thick steaks
- juice of 2 limes
- 1 teaspoonground turmeric
- 2 teaspoonssalt
The pot
- 2onions, finely sliced
- 6garlic cloves, crushed
- 3cm ginger, grated
- 3tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tablespoonsSeychelles masala
- or 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
- 1 teaspoonground turmeric
- 20curry leaves
- 2chillies, chopped
- 4 tablespoonsoil
- 400 mlcoconut milk
- 2 tablespoonstamarind paste
- salt and black pepper
To finish
- a handful of coriander, chopped
- juice of 1 lime
To serve
- plain rice
- chatini, chutney
- lentils
- lime wedges
Directions
- Cut it into thick steaks on the bone. Coconut milk must never boil hard. Rinse the fish steaks under cold water. Rub them with lime juice, turmeric and salt.
- Let them sit for twenty minutes. That helps it hold together in the sauce. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the curry leaves, standing back. They spit hard in the hot oil.
- Add the sliced onions to the pan. Cook them for a good eight minutes. They should soften and turn golden. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook them for a good two minutes. Mix the masala with a little water. Add that spice paste to the pan. Fry it for a good three minutes. Dry spice powder burns in hot oil.
- Oil should separate at the edges. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Cook them down for about six minutes. Mash them against the pan as they soften. The base should become quite thick.
- Pour in all of the coconut milk. Add the tamarind paste with it. Stir it through the pan thoroughly. Bring it to a very gentle simmer. Season it with salt and black pepper. Let it simmer for about ten minutes. It should thicken up slightly.
- Lay the fish steaks into the sauce. Do not stir the pan after this point. Cover it and simmer very gently. Give the fish about ten minutes. Taste it and adjust the salt to suit.
- Add more tamarind if it tastes heavy. Finishing it is done off the heat. Squeeze the lime juice over the pan. Scatter the chopped coriander over it. Let it stand covered for five minutes. Serving it is done hot with rice. Spoon it into bowls over plain rice. Serve chatini alongside the bowl. It keeps two days refrigerated.
Technique
- Indian labourers came to Mauritius under indenture and movement between the islands carried Indian cooking to Seychelles, bringing curry leaves, masala and tamarind to a place that already had coconut and reef fish; the combination is genuinely Seychellois.
- Tamarind supplies the sourness that balances the rich coconut milk, without which the curry tastes flat and heavy, and lime added at the end does a different job again.
- Mix dry masala with a little water into a paste before it goes into hot oil, since dry powder burns; the raw spice must then be fried out until oil separates at the edges.
Substitutions
- A mild curry powder stands in for Seychelles masala.
- Any firm fish works, with bone-in steaks giving more flavour.
Variations
- Some cooks fry the fish lightly before adding it to the sauce.
- Octopus and prawns are curried the same way.
- Chatini and lentils are the usual things served alongside.
History
Fish curry with coconut milk, tamarind and curry leaves, showing the Indian influence that arrived through Mauritius.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kari pwason?
Kari pwason is a main from Seychelles: fish curry with coconut and masala, daily staple with rice. Fish curry with coconut milk, tamarind and curry leaves, showing the Indian influence that arrived through Mauritius.
How long does Kari pwason take to make?
Kari pwason takes 30 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Kari pwason?
Yes, within limits. A mild curry powder stands in for Seychelles masala. Any firm fish works, with bone-in steaks giving more flavour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Kari pwason?
Cut it into thick steaks on the bone. Coconut milk must never boil hard. Rinse the fish steaks under cold water. Rub them with lime juice, turmeric and salt.
