Haakh Gadh

Fried Fish with Spinach

Pat Chapman's India: Food and Cooking

Being land-locked, Kashmir has access to only freshwater fish - any fish that inhabits inland lakes, streams and rivers comes into this category. Choose from carp, perch, salmon trout (sea trout), brown trout, rainbow trout, or the smaller grayling, roach or rudd. The fish (gadh) is fried and the spinach cooked in spices before the two are combined and served. Kashmiri spinach (haakh) has a distincive flavour, but it's fine to use normal spinach in this recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons ghee

500g (1lb 2oz) fresh water fish, weighed after removing all unwanted matter, cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes

3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

250g (9oz) white onion paste

400g (14oz) fresh spinach, coarsley chopped

salt to taste

Masala

2 teaspoons paprika

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder

6 green cardamoms

1 teaspoon black cummin seeds

Method

Heat the ghee in a karahi or wok. Add the pieces of fish and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, then remove the fish from the pan using a slotted spoon. Shake off the excess ghee and leave the fish to drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

Add the masala to the ghee left in the pan and stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add the garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, then add the onion paste and stir-fry for 1 minute more.

Add the spinach and cook for about 5 minutes. Return the fish to the pan, along with enough water to keep the mixture loose. Season with salt and serve.

Find this recipe in Pat Chapman's India: Food and Cooking