Bengali-Inspired Fish Curry Recipe with Cashew, Mustard and Cayenne

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A home recipe for a spicy Indian fish curry, inspired by a Bengali fish dish the author's mother used to make in India, centers on white fish fillets baked under a sauce built from onion, garlic, ginger, cashews and cayenne. The recipe yields four servings and lists a total time of 1 hour 15 minutes, including 15 minutes of preparation, 30 minutes of cooking and 30 minutes of additional time for marinating.

The ingredient list calls for 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1½ teaspoons salt, divided; 4 white fish fillets; 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped; 5 cashew halves; 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon white sugar; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; ¼ cup chopped tomato; ¼ cup vegetable broth; and ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro.

Marinating the Fish

The recipe begins by gathering the ingredients. In a shallow glass bowl, 2 tablespoons of the oil are mixed with the mustard, black pepper and ½ teaspoon of the salt. The fish is added and turned to coat, then covered and refrigerated for 30 minutes.

While the fish marinates, the onion, garlic, ginger and cashews are combined in a blender or food processor and pulsed until they form a paste. The oven is preheated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Building the Sauce and Baking

The remaining 1 tablespoon of oil is heated in a skillet over medium-low heat. The cashew paste is added and cooked, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. The cayenne, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, cumin, coriander, sugar and turmeric are then added to the paste in the skillet and cooked, stirring, for 5 minutes. The tomato and broth are stirred in.

The fish is removed from the marinade and shaken to remove excess; the remaining marinade is discarded. The fish is arranged in a baking dish and the sauce is poured over the top. It bakes, covered, in the preheated oven until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 30 minutes. The dish is garnished with cilantro.

According to the recipe's nutrition facts, each serving contains 338 calories, 14 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbohydrates and 42 grams of protein.