Quick Fish Curry with Roasted Cauliflower and Okra

Pete takes you through the big ideas, the whys and wherefores of the Paleo Way. How did what we ate affect how we evolved? And, most importantly, how do we translate that into the 21st Century kitchen? Meals include Mum’s Bolognese with zucchini “pasta,” Coconut Curry with guest chef, Seamus Mullen, and Paleo Fish and Chips with Taj Burrow and Johnny Gannon.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • ½ head cauliflower, broken into florets
  • 4 x 180 g snapper fillets (or any firm white fish such as cod, sea bass or bream) skin on or skinned and pin-boned
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely grated
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  • 1 pinch freshly cracked pepper
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 12 curry fresh leaves
  • 1 x 400 ml can organic coconut milk
  • 140 ml fish stock or water
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 8 okras, halved
  • 1 large handful baby spinach leaves
  • 1 handful coriander leaves

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Mix the turmeric and ground coriander together in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Place the cauliflower florets, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and half of the spice mix into a bowl and toss to combine. Transfer the cauliflower mixed with the spices onto a lightly greased oven tray with a little coconut oil and spread as a single layer. Season with a little salt and roast in the oven for 15 minutes, until golden. Set aside.
  4. Rub the remaining turmeric spice into the flesh side of the snapper fillets, then squeeze over the juice of 1 lime. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes, covered with cling film in the refrigerator.
  5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté gently for 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for a further 30 seconds, then add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, chilli flakes, a pinch of freshly cracked pepper and curry leaves, and cook for a further 1 minute.
  6. Add the roasted cauliflower, okra, coconut cream and fish stock. Mix to combine, then place the fish flesh side down and gently simmer for 8 – 10 minutes until the fish is nearly cooked through. When the fish is almost cooked, add the spinach leaves and gently mix them through.
  7. To finish, season with the fish sauce (add more fish sauce to taste if desired), squeeze over the remaining lime juice, and garnish with fresh coriander.