Goan Coconut Fish Ambotik Sour Curry

Method

1. 1

   Marinate the fish: Rub fish steaks with turmeric and salt. Rest 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Soak the kokum: Place 8 pieces of dried kokum in 1/2 cup warm water. Soak for 10 minutes. Squeeze each piece to extract the sour purple liquid. Strain and keep the kokum liquid — this is the souring agent that defines ambotik.

3. 3

   Make the coconut paste: Blend grated coconut, dried red chilli, cumin seeds, black pepper, garlic and turmeric with 1/4 cup water to a very smooth paste. Grind 3 to 4 minutes until silky.

4. 4

   Heat coconut oil: Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a wide pan on medium.

5. 5

   Cook onion: Add finely chopped onion. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until light golden.

6. 6

   Add slit green chilli: Add slit green chilli. Stir 30 seconds.

7. 7

   Add the coconut paste: Add the ground paste. Cook stirring for 4 minutes on medium heat until fragrant and the oil separates slightly.

8. 8

   Add water and kokum liquid: Add 1 cup water and all the strained kokum soaking liquid. Add salt. Stir well. Bring to a simmer. The curry will have a beautiful purple-pink tint from the kokum.

9. 9

   Add fish and cook gently: Add the marinated fish steaks. Cook on medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes without stirring — just gently shake the pan sideways occasionally. Fish breaks if stirred. The fish is done when it is opaque throughout.

10. 10

    Serve: Taste and adjust sourness — add more kokum liquid if available. The curry should taste distinctly sour, moderately spicy and with a background coconut sweetness. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

11. 11

    Note: Ambotik is a specifically Goan curry style that uses kokum (Garcinia indica) as the souring agent. Kokum is a fruit native to the Konkan coast of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka. It imparts a fruity, mildly astringent sourness that is entirely different from tamarind or vinegar. The kokum tree is planted in the compounds of almost every traditional Goan home and the fruit is dried for year-round use.