Mid-Week Fish in a Spicy Tomato Sauce

This recipe was a result of me wanting to use up some cherry tomatoes I had on hand that needed to be used now or they would be good for nothing but composting. I also didn't have a lot of time so I needed something quick. The first thing I did was put some brown Basmati rice on to cook. By the time the rice was done the fish was ready (more or less).

So 45 minutes-ish from start to finish.

Maybe it's a result of growing up in North America, but I find everything tastes better in a tomato sauce.

Fish in a Spicy Tomato Sauce

In a mortar and pestle add 1 T light roasted cumin seeds, 1/2 Teaspoon salt, 1/8th teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, half a head of garlic (4-6 cloves) smashed and finely chopped and ground to a paste (you can use a coffee grinder/turn spice grinder for this or a food processor or a blender; if you use a blender add in the lemon juice up front) then add 2-3 Tablespoons of lemon juice. Optionally you could also included the finely grated rind of one lemon.

Rub the cumin garlic lemon juice paste over your fish fillets and let sit covered in the fridge.

In a skillet pour 3 Tablespoons of Olive oil over medium heat, add 2 roughly chopped medium onions, half a head of garlic(4-6 cloves) smashed and roughly chopped and 1-2 fresh Hot Peppers like Serrano or Jalapeno (seeded and finely chopped - optional). Saute until golden.

Then add 1-1 1/2 cups roughly chopped cherry tomatoes, 2 T Tomato paste, 1/2 Teaspoon Tumeric, 2 Teaspoon coriander powder and 1/4-1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper (use a little at first and adjust as you go along to find the right level of heat for you).

Cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down.
Then add 2 1/4 cups of water.
Bring to a simmer and reduce until the sauce is thick. About 12 minutes.Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Then add the marinated fish. Cook over a medium heat until the fish is cook and starts to flake (this will depend on the kind of fish you use).Taste and adjust the seasoning. If you want a pinch of sugar could be added.

To serve garnish with 1/2 cup or more of chopped fresh parsley or coriander. Serve with rice (or boiled new potatoes lightly smashed with salt pepper and olive oil) a dollop of Greek Yogurt and if you have any chutney on hand it would make a great addition.