Seafood Malabar

This irresistibly fragrant South Indian seafood curry has a creamy coconut sauce that's tinted with turmeric and lifted with lime juice.

Preparation Time - 30 - 90 minutes
Cooking Time - 50 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)
 
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
500g skinless snapper fillets, cut into 2.5cm pieces
250g green medium prawns, peeled, deveined
250g calamari tubes, cut into 1cm-thick slices
80ml (1/3 cup) sunflower oil
1 brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 large fresh green chilli, thinly sliced
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable stock
2 tsp fresh lime juice
Fresh coriander sprigs, to serve

Coconut sambal 
 
45g (1/2 cup) coarsely grated fresh coconut
1 large fresh green chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
2 tbs chopped fresh coriander
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tbs natural yoghurt
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

Method

1. Combine the garlic, sugar, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the snapper, prawns and calamari and stir to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to marinate.
2. Meanwhile, to make the coconut sambal, combine the coconut, chilli, coriander, lemon juice, yoghurt and ginger in a bowl. Season with salt. Cover and place in the fridge to chill.
3. Heat half the oil in a wok or large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the snapper mixture and cook, turning, for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with remaining oil and snapper mixture, reserving excess marinade.
4. Reduce heat to low. Add the onion, ginger, fresh chilli and reserved marinade and cook, stirring, for 10-15 minutes or until onion is soft. Stir in the coconut milk and stock. Increase heat to medium. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add the snapper mixture, reserving the calamari, to the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the calamari and cook for 2 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in the lime juice. Transfer to a serving dish and top with coriander. Serve with the coconut sambal.

Notes

You can prepare this recipe to the end of step 2 up to 2 hours ahead. Continue from step 3, 1 hour before serving.