Malaysian coconut salmon

Malaysian Coconut Salmon

A sweet and aromatic spicy curry. Works well with rice or nan bread. Like  Indian gravies it requires a long cooking time for all the flavours to develop, however the result is worth the wait and far more satisfying than your local takeaway.

What's needed

Two salmon fillets, skinned and cut into small cubes.
Spice mix (see below)
2 large red onions diced
Half a garlic bulb (at least 5 or 6 good segments) roughly crushed and chopped
Thumb sized piece of ginger (chopped/minced into small pieces)
2 large tomatoes roughly chopped
1 Green pepper diced
450ml Vegetable stock (cube is fine)
150ml Creamed coconut
2 Teaspoons of concentrated tamarind paste
1-2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
2-3 Palm full amount of Desiccated coconut
Small amount of cardamom pods
Some curry leaves
2 teaspoons Caraway seeds.
A few cloves
A few Star anise
A lime
Vegetable oil
Extra salt, pepper and sugar to taste.

First up, The Spice Mix

Either using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle combine and grind up the following :

1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds (1/2 is half teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon Chilli Powder
1    teaspoon Curry powder
2    teaspoon Ground coriander
1    teaspoon Ground cinnamon
1    teaspoon Cumin
1    teaspoon Cumin seeds
1    teaspoon Turmeric
1    teaspoon Smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper corns
1    teaspoon rock/sea salt

Once ground set aside to toast prior to adding to the other ingredients.

Next, Get Cooking

1. Fry the red onions in 2-3 table spoons of vegetable oil over a medium heat. Cook for several minutes until the onions show some brown colour.
2. In a separate pan over a low heat toast the spice mix (no oil in pan) for several minutes until the mix starts giving off a strong aromatic smell.
3. Add the garlic and the ginger to the red onions and continue to fry for a few minutes.
4. Add the toasted spice mix to the pan and stir the spice mix through the onions coating everything. Extra oil will likely be required at this point.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and the diced pepper and continue to fry for 3-4 minutes.
6. Now add the vegetable stock and the coconut milk. Then add the tamarind paste and 2 table spoons of brown sugar.
7. Add 2-3 palm full amounts of desiccated coconut, caraway seeds and some curry leaves.
8. Add the star anise, cardamom pods and the cloves - as these need removed encasing these in a piece of cloth would make their removal easier. If not they will need fished out later.
9. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover then simmer for at least 40mins but preferably for at least 60mins. It is possible to leave it longer if you wish.
10. After this check and taste. Add water if required and add salt/sugar/pepper to taste. It is also possible to add extra coconut.
11. Remove the star anise, cloves and cardamom pods, the add the juice of one lime.
12. Add the diced salmon and cook through, this should only take 3-5 mins depending on the size of the cubes.
13. Ready to be served with rice or nan bread. or both.

Time to eat.