500g Monkfish Tail (Buy it here)
Tandoori Mix (See Recipe For Details)
1 tbsp Oil or Ghee
2 Onions – diced
5-6 Tomatoes – diced
3-4 Cardamum Pods (lightly crushed)
3-4 Cloves
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
1/2 tsp crushed chillies
3 cloves of garlic, crushed or very finely chopped
1 tsp fenugreek
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/2 – 1 tsp chilli powder (to taste)
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garam masala
The Method
Step 1 – the Tandoori Mix
For the monkfish fillets – at least half an hour before you’re ready to start cooking, rub the monkfish fillets with a good amount of tandoori mix. You can buy this from a store, or it’s easy to make your own.
Mix 1 tsp of each of the following together in a bowl: Ground Ginger; Ground Cumin; Ground Coriander; Paprika; Turmeric; Salt and Cayenne Pepper or Hot Chilli Powder. Mix together thoroughly in a small bowl and then you’re ready to go!
Once the monkfish is nicely coated with the mix, you can give them a good season and set the fillets aside in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them. The longer you leave them, the more intense the flavour will be.
Step 2 – the Masala
For the masala, heat a pan with the oil or ghee, whichever you prefer to use. In the meantime, mix your whole spices in a pestle and mortar to break them down slightly and release the oils. Once your pan and oil has heated, add the crushed spices and fry them for about 30 seconds, until you can really smell their aroma, then add the onions and cook until softened. If the onions start to catch, add a little water to ensure you don’t burn them. The longer you sweat down the onions, the richer your masala will turn out.
Once the onions have softened and browned, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Then add each of the ground spices in turn. It’s a good idea to add a little water at this point so as not to burn your spices. Once all of the spices have been added and combined, add the diced tomatoes.
Turn the heat down, stick a lid on and let the sauce cook down, stirring occasionally. If it starts to dry out, just add a splash of warm water.
Step 3 – the Monkfish
Heat a frying pan and add a splash of olive oil or Ghee. Once hot, pan fry the monkfish fillets for a few minutes on each side, until they colour. You can tell they’re ready when the flesh is white all the way through with no translucent patches. Let the fillets rest for 2 minutes before slicing onto the plate.
Step 4 – the Meal
After arranging the monkfish on the plate, add a generous helping of the masala and finish of the plate with 2 steaming chapatis – bliss!
To find out more about how to cook monkfish, click here
To buy Monkfish, click here
