Indian Curry Recipes by Catherine Atkinson

with a slotted spoon.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onion for 6-7 minutes until almost soft. Stir in the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper and the almond purée. Cook, stirring, for a further 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in the stock and cream. Season with salt and pepper and tip the mixture over the beef in the pot. Stir well.
Cover with the lid and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or until the beef is very tender. Stir in the garam masala, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with basmati rice or naan bread and a salad.
    TIP
    The whole spices aren't meant to be eaten, so remove them, if you prefer, before serving.
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Fish and Seafood
    Much of India is surrounded by sea, abundant with fish and seafood, and this is reflected in its range of wonderful curries. Healthy and delicious, fish is eminently suitable for the slow cooker as the gentle, even cooking ensures that it retains its shape and texture and doesn't disintegrate during cooking.
    Although large whole fish won't fit into the slow cooker, it's absolutely perfect for fish steaks and fillets. Unlike meat, fish cooks relatively quickly in the slow cooker so is unsuitable for all-day cooking and many of the dishes in this chapter cook in less than 2 hours.
    When buying fish and seafood, remember that if it's really fresh it shouldn't smell 'fishy'. Obviously, it's difficult to test pre-packed fish for freshness but buy from a reliable source and make sure that it looks firm and moist.
    Both fresh and frozen seafood should be put in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible and, ideally, fresh fish should be cooked and eaten on the day you buy it.

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    Tandoori Fish with Cucumber
    This fish dish has all the lively taste that is characteristic of tandoori cooking and is a great way to prepare thick white fish fillets. Here, it is paired with a fresh-tasting sambal, a spicy relish which adds both colour and flavour. There is no need to marinate the fish as the aromatic flavours will seep into it during cooking.
    Serves 4
    5 ml/1 tsp ground cumin
5 ml/1 tsp ground coriander
2.5 ml/½ tsp ground turmeric
2.5 ml/½ tsp paprika
2.5 ml/½ tsp mild chilli powder
Pinch of salt
15 ml/1 tbsp lemon juice
150 ml/¼ pint/2/3 cup Greek-style yoghurt
4 pieces of thick firm white fish fillet, about 150 g/5 oz each
For the cucumber and tomato sambal:
15 ml/1 tbsp sunflower oil
5 ml/1 tsp lime or lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ cucumber, chopped
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh or frozen coriander (cilantro)

Blend the cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, paprika, chilli powder, salt and lemon juice together in a bowl. Stir in the yoghurt. Arrange the fish in a single layer in the ceramic cooking pot and spread the yoghurt mixture all over the fish. Cover with the lid and switch the slow cooker on to Low. Cook for 1-1½ hours or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
Meanwhile, to make the sambal, whisk the oil and citrus juice in a bowl with a little salt and pepper. Add the red onion and stir to coat in the dressing. Leave for a few minutes to mellow while preparing the remaining ingredients.
Stir in the tomatoes, cucumber and chopped coriander. Cover and leave at room temperature until the fish is ready, or if preparing the dish in advance, chill in the fridge.
Carefully transfer the fish to warmed serving plates using a fish slice. Garnish with wedges of lime or lemon and serve with rice and the sambal.

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    Keralan Fish Curry
    The combination of dried red chillies and creamy coconut milk is popular in South Indian cooking as this traditional curry illustrates. Serve with plenty of plain boiled or steamed rice to soak up the sauce and, if you like, some wedges of fresh lime to squeeze over the fish.
    Serves 4
    2.5 ml/½ tsp ground turmeric
10 ml/2 tsp paprika
Juice of 1 lime
450 g/1 lb firm white fish