Toothfish and Spinach Kaju Masala

Serves: 4
Ingredients
100g cashew nuts
2 teaspoons butter
1 bay leaf
2 cardamom pods
1 tsp cumin
For the base mix
1 teaspoon turmeric
¼ tsp cumin
1 teaspoon each chilli and ground coriander
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
Thumb sized piece of ginger, roughly chopped (approx 2 tsp)
2 small gloves garlic, crushed
For the gravy
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped into segments
4 portions of spinach (frozen or fresh)
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander
For the fish
1 packet of Toothfish Cheeks
2 tbsp water
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon chilli (optional)
Toothfish and Spinach Kaju Masala
Method
  1. In a blender, combine all the base mix ingredients with 4 tablespoons of water. Pulse for a few seconds to create a thick paste, adding more water if needed. Leave to one side.
  2. In a large, heavy bottom pan, lightly cook the cashews for 2 minutes until some of their oils have been released and they start to turn a light golden brown. Put to one side.
  3. In the same pan melt 1 tsp of butter in a drizzle of oil with the bay leaf, cardamom pods and1 tsp cumin. Mix continuously for 2 minutes then add in the blended base mix. Stir continuously for 3-5 minutes until the onions have browned and the bitterness of the spices has cooked off.
  4. Blend the tinned tomatoes, 75g of the cooked cashews and tomato puree to create a smooth gravy. Add the cashew cream to the pan, with one tin of water and season the gravy with 1 tsp sugar and salt to taste.
  5. Add the fresh tomatoes to the gravy along with the spinach (if using frozen). Partly cover the pan and leave to simmer and thicken whilst the fish cooks.
  6. In a large frying pan, melt the remaining 1 tsp butter with a drizzle of olive oil, add in the Toothfish cheeks. Cook over a medium/high heat for 10-15 minutes until soft. Reduce the heat, before adding in the fish spice blend, with an extra splash of water if required. Continue cooking until the liquid is reduced.
  7. Before serving, stir in the chopped coriander and spinach (if using fresh) to the gravy. Top with the remaining cashew nuts and serve with rice.
Tips

Serving the fish and gravy separately allows the fish to be cooked perfectly before plating. It also offers some more flexibility to change the gravy spice levels to suit different members of the family without making separate dishes.

Nutritional Information

The toothfish in this recipe alongside the vitamin C from the tomatoes helps to improve the absorption of the non-haem iron found in spinach. Both the iron and vitamin C contribute to the normal functioning of the immune system and aids the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.